Carrie, Julius, Michele and Glenn - the four intreped travelers at Uluru.
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Mt. Gillen
Wandering
around
the top, we spotted wallabies and Julius was having a hay-day
photographing birds, including a Nankeen Kestral and its lizard prey.
Feeling
exhilarated after our arduous climb, the fresh-blowing breeze
felt like a congratulatory pat for our successful arrival. With the sun
beginning to set, we reluctantly started down, and I realized that
those last difficult 20 feet coming up had to be traversed in reverse
going down. I had a moment’s pause of “Oh, my god, how will I do
this?” Julius, ahead of us, advised, “slow and steady”, which we
heeded with fast-beating hearts. I thought the worst was over
when we could once again face forward, but to my surprise, the most
difficult descent of my life lay ahead, with my thighs trembling from
the exertion of holding my body back from pitching forward for the next
40 minutes. All pains were forgotten when, at the bottom,
Julius expressed that he had been waiting to do that climb with us for
nearly two years.
The view was worth it.
Telegraph Station
With Julius back at work for a couple of days, Carrie was our gracious guide when we visited the Telegraph Station, another of their favorite haunts for hikes and night-spotting.
Alice
Springs Telegraph Station was the central connection in the
telegraph chain from Adelaide on the Southern coast to Darwin on the
Northern coast of this huge desert island, linking Australia to the
world in 1872. Whites began arriving in the 16th and 17th
centuries in very small numbers, but soon had a devastating effect on
the aboriginal people, who had inhabited the continent, sustainably,
for between 40,000 and 60,000 years.
The day before, the librarians looked at us as if we were insane to think the library would be open the next day with the Show in town. Many businesses and government offices are closed for the day!
A lumber artist chain sawing logs into beautiful birds caught most of
our attention throughout the day. We watched as a two-toned eagle
emerged from the light outer wood and the dark inner wood of a log.
Later he created an owl and a red-tailed black cockatoo to be auctioned
off at the end of the show. With filled bleachers all around, the
artist never lost his focus or seemed tired by his exertions.
Mt. Gillen
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From our
first day, Julius had pointed out Mt.
Gillen’s sharp 90 degree shoulder butting out of the MacDonnell Range
(locally known as the “Macs”.) While Carrie taught a yoga class, Glenn,
Julius and I set out for the steep climb, one of Julius and Carrie’s
many favorite spots. It was a short, but challenging hike up
to the rocky peak, where we had to clamber up the final 20-foot ascent,
finding hand and footholds to achieve the top ridge.
 Glenn and Michele - We did it! |
 Yes, we climbed that sucker. |
The view was worth it.
Telegraph Station
With Julius back at work for a couple of days, Carrie was our gracious guide when we visited the Telegraph Station, another of their favorite haunts for hikes and night-spotting.
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| The Show The day of The Show dawned beautiful and clear with a bit of a chill to remind us that it is the dead of winter here in Australia. This is a county fair run amuck with farmyard animals, “flying” pigs and art or craft or hobby or collections from every age group of Alice Springs. I surprised myself by getting excited to see remote driven model cars jump the ramps and make the curves. |
 No Alice Springs Show is complete without piglet races. |
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The day before, the librarians looked at us as if we were insane to think the library would be open the next day with the Show in town. Many businesses and government offices are closed for the day!
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