Welcome to ..... Alice Springs

Finally we arrived at Alice Springs - although we are only a couple of days latter than expected, it felt like a few weeks due to the stress of the last couple of days.

Alice Springs is alot bigger than I imagined and I also expected it to be very flat, but there are actually mountain ranges here - East and West MacDonnell Ranges - just on the outskirts of the city. The Curry Family had given us directions to the cheap camping area they were staying in so we headed straight there. As you could imagine it was bedlam when we arrived - the kids were all going crazy with excitment at seeing each other. The camp area was a large paddock (partly grass and dirt) located behind the Gap View Hotel and it was really cheap compared to everywhere else in town.

We set up the van, then sat down to catch up with the Curry's and tell them about the drama's of the last few days. We decided then that we would head off into town for a drive and a look around to check the place out. We headed up to Anzac Hill, which is an ideal spot for an overview of the town. The lookout offers a panoramic view of Alice Springs and the beautiful surrounding ranges. The Anzac Hill Memorial was originally dedicated to all those members of the armed services who had paid the supreme sacrifice during World War I. It has now become a memorial to all those who have served in the defence of their country during all wars in which Australia has participated.

We drove around a bit more and were amazed at the Todd River, which is dry all but a couple of days every year. Eventually we found our way back to the van and were sitting around relaxing for the afternoon when Chris received a phone call. It was one of the local plumbing companies in town, who saw us driving around and called Chris to see if he wanted a job - "sure" said Chris and they made plans to meet and discuss particulars. Chris came back from the meeting and said "well.....he is paying really well......he has about 8 weeks work......and I start on Wednesday". Just like that he had a job.

Guess that means we will be here for a few weeks then - probably a good idea as Jack and I have to catch up on school work anyway. The school work is going really well - and Jack actually seems to be learning!! - but it is hard to fit it in when you are up travelling and moving everyday. So from time to time we get a bit behind and it is good to stay put somewhere for a few weeks to be able to catch up.

It is hard sometimes to remember that this is not a rushed trip - we can stop and stay somewhere for a few weeks - and then get back on the road again - there are no time constraints. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of seeing somewhere new all the time. Although I have to say, and your not going to believe me, but travelling is hard work. After about 4 weeks of packing up the van, driving to the new town, unpacking the van, then packing up again, moving to the next town etc, etc, you need to stop and have a rest and catch your breath - then you're ready to hit the road again.

But for now we have decided to settle in Alice Springs - for about 6-8 weeks anyway!

We had heard from a lovely couple staying in the camp with us that there was a lawn sale coming up the following weekend at the Casino - Yes! - I know, a Casino! - For those readers who know Chris, know that he loves a good visit to the Casino every now and then and is probably having withdrawals by now - he hasn't even played a game of poker in six months. So I will have to make sure he is kept busy every weekend so that he doesn't stray over there.

Anyway, back to the story, we decided that we needed to have a big clean out of the van. We had bought stuff that we thought we would use, and never have and somehow managed to collect things along the way- so a big clean out was in order. We also seemed to have twice as many clothes as we needed. So out it all goes - it was unbelievable the pile of clothes, chairs, toys etc that we had to take to the sale on Sunday. The kids were excited, they had helped Poppy at home with garage sales before, and were keen to have our own.

Sunday morning we were up early and keen to get out and see how much money we could make - we had decided that whatever didn't sell we would give to St Vinnies, so better to get something rather than nothing - EVERYTHING WAS GOING CHEAP!!

We ended up with piles and piles of clothes - and what a hit they were! They sold like hotcakes - we joked that maybe it wasn't a good idea to be staying in town for a couple of weeks now - everyone we meet in the street will be wearing our old clothes!!

In the end we made $240 bucks for a couple of hours selling stuff we didn't need anymore, we got out for the morning, met some of the locals and genuinely had a good time.

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For all our die-hard readers out there - don't panic we will still be discovering Alice Springs while Chris is working and there will be many more exciting chapters of the Travelling Oakey's coming soon...