Writing under the peppercorn tree at the Telegraph Station

Having completed all our maintenance jobs we have had time for a bit of sightseeing. Hartley Street has several of the older buildings with verandahs to keep cool, near the heritage precinct where we visited the tourist facility for the Royal Flying Doctor Service, a great story and service.

At Traeger Old Timers Museum, part of the Old Timers retirement village set up by Rev. John Flynn (of the RFDS and Inland Mission), we met a special old lady called Ruby who volunteers there and has donated many of the items on display. Ruby’s stories of her early adventures driving around Australia with her sister, then her life on Ti-Tree station after marrying the head stockman and later moving into Alice after the station was compulsorily purchased, were so fresh first hand; we find it very poignant that soon these precious stories by the old people will no longer be heard. The National Pioneer Women’s Hall of Fame however is doing a great job of showing women’s achievements, including a national celebration of Australian women who were first in their field. In our 2014 blog we mentioned Molly Clark of Old Andado station; Molly was responsible for initiating and promoting the project.

Araluen art precinct houses the lovely Territory gallery which showcases Aboriginal art as well as cutting edge exhibitions without being exhausting. Modern stand outs were two video pieces, The first by Arnala Groom titled “Does she know the revolution is coming?”, based on a conversation with an ex-PM’s wife at a posh NY party with indigenous artists as token invitees – wonderful political satire about how clueless the political class is about Aboriginal issues and art.  The second was called “Red”, with Cate Blanchett as part of a creation myth involving sexually cannibalistic red-back spiders! Is there nothing that fabulous actor cannot do?! The place will be abuzz later in June when the Beanie Festival takes over. The day has been topped off delightfully with one of those chance events that make your day. We were at The Old Telegraph Station, where the telegraph signals to London were boosted on their way north from 1872 until the early part of the last century, and where there is great banana bread made on the premises. Chatting as you do to the lovely lass running the place and she said to Helen “don’t I know you from somewhere?” She hails from Adelaide so we mentioned having family in McLaren Vale, then she says, “do you know Alice, Jesse, Nina Keath and their mum Margie?”. Who of course is H’s sister! Kate West is her name and she’s wondering about making a move to Melbourne where her mother is based. Funny isn’t it?

Well, we are ticking off the last things to do before we fuel up with 300L ready for the march westward. Ian’s just had a second physio session, and is feeling up for almost anything. The weather has warmed, there is a mackerel sky we’ll keep an eye on, but all the signs are go. It’s interesting how in the course of the usual banter people ask “which way you headed?”, there being north/south or east, but when we say west folk sort of glaze over and a bubble appears with “must be f…..n mad” overhead. This probably from someone pounding their vertebrae and taking tumbles at 70kph on the way to Finke! We have discovered the road we want is more travelled than we thought and in better condition as it is off the usual 4WD beat.It is the main road for aboriginal people out to their traditional lands in the Gibson, including Papunya, Kintore, Kiwikurra and Kunawaritji.

Looking east along Gary Junction Road towards Mt Liebig

We have attached here a picture of tomorrow’s road, which we think is very alluring. More on the web if you are curious eg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_Junction_Road

On our last morning we are at cousin Celia's place at Campfire in the Heart, with more stimulating conversation over tea  and cake. She has kindly invited us sit here to finish this post in the surroundings she is so at home in, on the outskirts of town. A dingo has strolled past, we watch various honeyeaters and wattle birds, and Levi the lizard, and take a journey along the labyrinth to the heart and back. Lovely to share a home base for a short time, thanks Celia

What can be said about why we enjoy this travel so much? What does it offer that is different? For us it puts fuel back in the tank. Just staying in Alice has been special time because we have let go of an agenda. We haven’t even cooked for a week, been out every night to a different restaurant, in other words we’ve done what most people do on holiday…very little. But no, we’ve done heaps of preparation, stuff that comes to mind when you give yourselves time to think carefully. And now we are itching to be off on the next part of this challenge. Sometimes the road is very testing (where everyone else has been), other times it is a dream-like scrolling-by of rolling hills and ranges, birdlife and vegetation that can seem like a David Attenborough documentary (some imagination needed here). It is satisfying trying to anticipate our needs and reflecting at the close of a journey that it all went to plan…better than plan. For us, more than other ways of holidaying, it is rewarding.