2016 Tour – Part 3 – Alice Springs and more.

After our experience at Marla, we cleaned up a little as best we could, both vehicles and self, and headed for Alice on the bitumen. Nearing Alice, phoning around, trying to find a Caravan Park with a vacancy was proving very difficult. The problem was the imminent Finke Desert race. There were competitors from around the country and a number from overseas. The whole of Alice was booked out but we eventually found un-powered sites about 15 km out of town.

After our first night in Alice we came to the realisation that our camper batteries were stuffed. So after ringing around I found a supply who could supply two 120 AH AGM batteries. So along with restocking the pantry and other house keeping such as washing, all that was left to do was organise permits to cross Aboriginal land. With our intention to head due west across the Gibson and Great Sandy deserts, we would need permits from the Central Land Council for the NT component and from the Ngaanyatjarra Communities for the WA component of our intended route. The Central Land Council permit is issued on the spot but for the Ngaanyatjarra permit there was a one week turn around.  It would have been possible to organise the permits before we left home but we could not be sure of the dates that we would need the permits for and you are only given a small window of seven days to make the transit.

So as not to waste the time waiting for our permits we head for Pam Valley, The Mereenie Loop (which also requires a permit to transit) and Kings Canyon.

So we headed out Larapinta Drive  on the morning of Sat the 11th June to take in the wonders of the Red Centre, or at least a couple of them. The turn off to Palm Valley is opposite Hermannsburg on Larapinta Drive 124 km west of Alice Springs. You do not have to proceed far down this 4wd track before you are confronted with some spectacular views. It is a wonderful drive into the Finke Gorge NP and the camp ground at the start of Palm Valley .

We set up camp and had a relaxing afternoon with the two girls and I (Harold wimped it out at camp) going for a short walk. That evening we once again had a dinner prepared on the Weber fit for a king. “Ain’t life grand” we all agreed.

The following morning we did a guided walk with the park ranger and returned to camp for lunch. Di, Chris and I then returned to the valley and did the 5km Mpulungkinwa walk in the afternoon.

It is a 30 minute drive from the camp ground to the information shelter at the start of the Palm Valley walks. I considered it an apt time to try a cheap and nasty “Go Pro” knock off and took some video of the track and the wonderful scenery. See below.

The following morning we decided to get started fairly early and do the Mpaara 5 km walk around the Finke Gorge ranges. Totally different from the Palm Valley walks but spectacular.

After a 3 night stay in Palm Valley we packed up and headed for Kings Canyon, dropping into Hermannsburg on the way to pick up a Mereenie Loop Permit for each of us as I had completely stuffed up the dates on the permits we already had issued at the Central Land Council in Alice. Hermannsburg is not a spot you would elect to visit unless you needed to.

Camel Family on the Mereenie Loop

Arriving at Kings Canyon, there were only unpowered sites available. This was not an issue for us but Harold and Di had purchased an electric heater in Alice and were keen to try it out. After all the nights were hovering around 5 degrees.

We booked into Kings Canyon for 2 nights with the sole intention of doing the Rim Walk. Actually from Chris and my previous experience at Kings Canyon, unless you are prepared to do the Rim Walk, which is rated as one of Australia’s best (if not the best), it is not really worth visiting the canyon.

I will let the photos speak for themselves.

Heading back to Alice via the Ernest Giles Road (a dirt road) we were 50 km short of the highway when the skies once again opened up. Yuk more mud.

Lunch time on the Ernest Giles Road heading back to Alice

Once again approaching Alice we tried to get sites in Caravan Parks thinking the the Finke Desert Race was now completed we would not have any problems. WRONG! We eventually found some bushing camping sites in the Heritage Caravan Park and are now holed up here.

On the trip back to Alice we discovered that one of Harold and Di’s shock absorbers on their camper were stuffed. We have since found that the suspension has some other serious problems and parts have been ordered from Perth.

To add to the adventure, Alice springs on Friday evening had the “storm of the century” with huge hail stones, high winds and floods. The Todd river was running a banker and many buildings were damaged along with uprooted and broken trees.

We have now been in Alice since Thursday evening the 16th June and now do not look like getting away from Alice until the 21st June at the earliest.

Till my next post – cheers for now.

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