On our last day in Alice Springs we were lucky to coincide with some NZ friends who are doing a year's trip around Oz.  It was great to see Marian and Clive and we hope the rest of their time here is full of good times.  Unfortunately, the (so called) Plenty Hwy didn't quite live up to the information we were given on several occasions about the good state of the road.  It has certainly had an enormous amount of money spent on it in recent times but the volume of huge B Doubles  full of many heavy cattle haven't done the surface much good at all.  It is a generally a very hard rocky surface that is deteriorating into corrugations.  The scenery is pretty ordinary, flat, dusty, yellow grey soils and sad straggling grey plants.  The first day on the road was a long and tiring as we missed a good camping spot that had been indicated on the map by a bloke we met because it was in the wrong place on the map.  We ended up bush camping at night fall on the bank of the Arthur  River (dry river bed, of course).  The next day wasn't such a long drive and we pulled into Tobermorey Station early in the afternoon. Our  timing was good  because helicopter mustering was in progress and it was fascinating to watch the skill of two young helicopter pilots controlling a large herd of cattle (hard to tell how many but between 500/1000).  They flung those tiny choppers around the sky and did amazing things with them.  Swooping and diving, climbing and spinning, and hovering like enormous dragonflies.    Tobermorey is a real oasis along the track.  Grass and flushing loos and very interesting to get another insight into station life.  Tobermorey is about 6 or 7 thousand square kms!  We really enjoyed our afternoon there.  The next day we made it into Boulia, thankful that we hadn't suffered any tyre damage as many others had.  One young family with five children had 3 punctures.  However, the next morning we discovered that the fridge hadn't been so lucky.  Things were getting rather warm in there and eventually I was forced to throw out everything in the freezer (which was full).  Obviously a problem so we had no choice but to go to Mt. Isa where there is a Dometic (brand of fridge) service centre.  Sadly, we were informed that the cooling system was kaput and that there are currently no spare parts available anywhere in Australia.  A boat is due to arrive in Melbourne on the 30th with the necessary!  So we are travelling with our fridge acting as an old fashioned ice box.  Every day we put more ice in the vegetable bins and this keeps things cool enough if we buy frequently.  It is working out perfectly well.  We have decided to make our way to the Gold Coast and spend some time with our friends, Sylvia and Ron and to see my niece and family and my friend Evi, who has recently moved up there.  We have a booking with a service centre in Burleigh Heads to get the fridge fixed as soon as the part turns up in about 12 days time (hopefully).  We have met others with the same happening and the Mt. Isa man had a string of people in the same boat.  Why is this happening is the question. So, at present we have moved down through Winton and Longreach and tonight are camped in a little country spot called Alpha.  Very quiet and peaceful and a lovely soft afternoon.  That is all for now.

Painted Desert view west of Oodnadatta

Giant termite mound on the Plenty Hwy

Helicopter mustering at Tobermory Station

Black footed rock wallaby, Alice Springs

Sunrise Mt. Dare

The Ochre Pits, West MacDonnell Ranges. The aboriginals sourced ochre here for decorating themselves and for medicinal purposes

Sunrise, Old Ambalindum Station

We left Alice Springs on the 14th after doing much shopping and washing and headed for Glen Helen in the West MacDonnell ranges.  We camped at the resort which is in a rather picturesque spot looking across water at an amazing red cliff face.  After dinner we went over to the resort and listened to the singer.  He is also a photographer for Australian Geographic and has beautiful photos of the centre playing on the TV behind him.  Worth going just to see the photos although we enjoyed  the music as well.  The next day our first port of call was Red Bank Gorge.  About a half hour rocky walk into this spectacular chasm. Next stop, Roma Gorge.  This required an 81/2 km drive along the Davenport river bed.  Very slow over river stones but attractive with lots ghost gums growing in the river bed.  Roma Gorge is a very special place, a beautiful gorge with an aura of peace and history.  We found many ancient (6,800 years old) aboriginal petroglyphs.   Well worth the trip in.  Later we visited Tylers Lookout which has 360 deg. views of the surrounding countryside.  Our last destination was Gosse Bluff Reserve.  140 million years ago a 1km wide comet crashed into the earth and caused huge devastation for hundreds af years.  A fascinating place.  The circular crater is surrounded by rugged rocky hills that are the remains of the enormous amounts of debris thrown up by the impact. 
Today was our 51st wedding anniversary and tonight we had a lovely dinner in the resort.  The equal of any restaurant in Melbourne.  During the day we went first to Serpentine Gorge, another stunning gorge with lovely refections in the pool at the entrance to the gorge.  The remainder of the day we spent at Ormiston Gorge, a truly spectacular place.  After lunch we did the Ghost Gum walk which finishes by coming back along the gorge floor where there are lots of large boulders to clambered over.  Boulders in an array of unusual colours, mauves, purples, pinks, cream, smooth and shiny.  Such a contrast to the sheer deep red rocky walls of the gorge.. One gets a real feel for how ancient Australia is. 
We had an enormous stroke of luck.  When we left Alice the last thing Bill did was fill a water tank.  Unfortunately, without realising it, he left the cap and bunch of keys on the back bumper of the van.  We drove into Serpentine Gorge on our way to Glen Helen but didn't stop as there was nowhere to park our big rig.  Two days later, when we returned to Serpentine Gorge, as we began the walk we noticed a water cap and keys on a picnic table.  Thought "oh, the poor peoople, they will be upset to lose those". A couple of hundred metres down the track Bill suddenly said, "I have an awful feeling those keys look familiar", so he ran back and sure enough they were ours!  We didn't even know they were missing! as we hadn't needed those particular keys.. It turns out that a ranger had found them and put them on the table hoping someone would claim them.  Can't believe they sat on the bumper for more than 100 kms or that no one else had acquired them for two days. We made a speccial trip back to the ranger station to thank him. Decided that was the best 51st anniversary present we could have had.  Back in Alice now having the truck serviced etc. before the next leg of our trip.  Planning on going back east via the Plenty Hwy.  so should be in Boulia about Friday.

Sunset on the cliff at Glen H

Rocks, Ormiston Gorge

Water on the way to Newhaven

To Old Ambalindum Homestead.  We said goodbye for the present to Kaye and Dennis and cruised serenely down the Ross Highway, stopping for morning tea at Corroboree Rock.  We then turned onto the Arltunga Road which is gravel and which soon became dreadfully corrugated and stayed that way for the next 55 kms.  Very slow driving.  I recommend that anyone travelling into Old Ambalindum take the alternative route which although longer and with more gravel is more comfortable.  Were able to hook up to lovely water and power (for some hours each day by generator) and spent the rest of the day chatting to the other two couples already there, and collecting firewood etc.  We had a lovely communal fire and Dave, who is taking us out on Friday for the day at Mt. George fossicking and sightseeing etc., spent a long time chatting to us all.  The next day we organised with Maggie (caretaker) to purchase some diesel as the trip tomorrow is going to be long and we won't get fuel until we get to Tilmouth Well in a couple of days. Packed a lunch and drove back to Arltunga Historic Reserve to explore the ruins and abandoned mines.  We climbed up a very steep slope with lots loose rock to the "Joker" mine and then walked into the gorge.  Next stop the "Great Western Mine".  A bigger mine and more interesting with huge piles of rocky  debris that had been excavated by hand.  What a terribly hard life those men lived for very little return.  Also saw remants of the  very basic structures that they lived in.  Continued on to the White Range Cemetery.  A sad place but well preserved now.  Went over to the other side of the main road for lunch and viewed the restored old police station and lock up etc.  Had had enough of ruins by then so returned to camp and had a sociable  afternoon with Jan and Hugh Gallagher from Lismore.  Another lovely night around the camp fire.
An early start today, up at 6 to leave by 7.30 for our day out with Dave.  Firstly we called in at the main homestead and Tim, the owner of the property, very kindly filled our fuel tanks.  He also gave us some interesting information and statistics on the running of the station.  It is 63 kms through the station to Dave's camp and we got there about 10 am.  Along the way we stopped  at several spots including one creekbed where garnets are embedded in large boulders.  We also saw lots of  healthy looking cattle which are Santa Gertrudis/Droughtmaster crosses.  A lovely rich red brown colour. Dave has two buildings, one a large room housing a nice table and chairs, and 6 bunks, also a kitchen area and lots of shelving  for books, tools of his trade etc. etc.  All very comfortable.  Dave is an ex gemologist/Jeweller. He is here working on the station and searching for his "holy grail" a deposit of rubies.  The second structure was left by geologists searching for uranium some time ago and seemed to house his own private quarters.  After a cup of tea we set off in convoy (Jan and Hugh as well ) .  First stop, Hardings Spring where we checked the bore and saw a lot of cattle.  Then we drove some distance through some rocky very sceenic ranges.  Lots of caves up in the hillsides.  Before we returned to his camp for lunch he left us at a spot which was absolutely littered with garnet. Not jewel quality but we had a lot of fun fossicking seeing what we could pick up.  Over the course of the day collected quite a bag of different bits and pieces.  After lunch we drove in a different direction to look for different minerals/gems.  Fascinating stuff.  We ended up at an old Mica mine where mica sheets are lying around feet thick.  Along the way we got an idea of the size of the prooperty (3,300 sq. kms).  There are approx. 500 kms of tracks, and hundreds of kms of black polythene water pipes servicing the many troughs and water points.  All require regular checking.  They have B Doubles, graders, bulldozers, utes etc.  Tim is a trader.  That is, he buys in young cattle to fatten and sell.   He says he can fatten a skinny beast in 13 weeks, it is such good country.  We arrived back in camp quite late, rather tired after a very worthwhile day and had travelled more than 200kms. 
Before we left Old Ambalindum the next day Maggie gave me a tour of the old homestead which is now used for accommodation.  A lovely old building, spacious and very solid, but quite expensive!  We took the tourist road out which hits the Stuart about  50kms from Alice.  At the junction we caught up with Jan and Hugh and used his battery to pump up our van tyres as our cord doesn't reach that far.  Much appreciated.  It is bitumen to Tilmouth Well, mostly  one lane and beautiful two lane for the last stretch.  Tilmouth Well is expensive. $30 unpowered, $40 powered.  It rained here last night.
Left here at 9am to go to Newhaven Wildlfe sanctuary.  The road into Newhaven is red clay, sometimes corrugated, sometimes sandy, sometimes smooth. Once we got onto Newhaven property the road deteriorated and we began hitting patches of water.  Mostly we could drive alongside them, some being long, 50 metres or more.   Thought we had passed the worst when "wham" in front of us appeared a very long wide brown lake stretching out into the land around us.  Looked at it, then I decided to wade it. Very muddy but not quite knee deep so put the truck into low range and powered through.  Got to Newhaven camp ground about 12.30.   A delightful place, plenty of trees for shade, excellent clean showers with hot water and very clean, non smelly waterless toilets.  All cleaned daily by the volunteer couple who are there.  Later in the afternoon did the Camp Hill walk which takes in a circuit of the big hill behind the camp.  Good except for the humungous numbers of bush flies which plagued us.  Not many birds,
Next day.  Slept in this morning because the sun didn't come up until 7.40am.  Our neighbour, Alec, appeared as we were getting dressed to say that Major Mitchells had arrived in the nearby trees. Terrific views of these gorgeous birds.   Later we went out to Potato Creek Gorge and after lunch we did the Lakes Tour (self guided as are all tours on the property).  The main birds were a flock of 20 white necked herons on Susie's Lake but a pretty drive through different habitats.. Lots of flowers similar to our milkmaids. 
.Said goodbye to Meg and Alec, so today we are on our own.  Today we did the Hillside Drive.  Different to yesterday, lots more birds, and when we saw two dingoes we stopped to look at them.  Then 4 more appeared out of the trees and surrounded the car having a good look at us.  Not at all nervous of us.  Spent some time in the area of Freshwater Bore.  Lots  and lots beautiful, healthy looking eremophilas in red, apricot and yellow, also yellow grevillias and other things in flower.  Drove back to Freshwater Bore later in the afternoon. A lovely fire tonight and zillions of stars. Newhaven is a beautiful place.
Wed.  As we didn't have sufficent fuel to do another long drive we left Newhaven and travelled back to Alice Springs with our fuel light on as we approached town.  Put the van through Peter Kittle's car wash before we booked back into G'Day Mate CP.  Discovered Kaye and Dennis had only left a couple of hours ago.
Thursday.  Another big clean up, washing day etc.  Tomorrow we plan to go to Glen Helen for a couple of days and have a dinner in the restaurant there as it is our 51st wedding anniversary..

Update from Alice Springs.  We have been here since Thursday and haven't really done much except clean up etc. and hang about so we are itching to get going again. Dennis and Kaye arrived back from Tennant Creek on Monday (yesterday) and intended to begin their spruce up/catch up today.  Unfortunately, Dennis fell off his ladder this morning and ended up having a ride in the ambulance to the hospital where they X Rayed him etc etc.  He has a stable fracture of the lower spine so is somewhat uncomfortable.  The docs. recommend 4/5 days rest then they will slowly make their way home.  As there doesn't appear to be anything else we can do to assist them we will continue on tomorrow.  Our plan is to go to Old Ambilundum Station which is past Arltunga (East MacDonnells) and in the Ruby Gap area for 3/4 days then go via a night at Tilmouth Well on the Tanami to Newhaven Sanctuary.  Thence back to Alice to restock etc.