DAYS 99-100 Pilbara – Kimberley Trip
ALICE SPRINGS
We hit Alice today and it didn’t even reach 20 degrees. It was hovering around 19 degrees and it is expected to be between 11 and 13 tomorrow. What a quick weather turn around for us.
It is a beautiful drive into Alice. After stopping to get an Oka shackle bolt we went to the visitor’s centre. As we drove out someone came up and told us that out tyre was going flat. Yes another flat tyre. We got to Bridgestone and they checked it out. It appeared that a rubbing valve caused a slow leak.
Whilst that was being attended to I went to see two local galleries nearby. Then we went back to get two brake adjuster spare parts and finally made it to the MacDonald Ranges Caravan Park. It is a very lovely caravan park even though quite expensive- $35.50 a night for up to 2 people in a powered site. Hubby did a grease and oil and repairs to the brakes whilst I worked through mileages for the next section of the trip. We found ourselves camping next to a couple we met at Tunnel Creek. On the other side of us is a group from Canberra. We exchanged information and had a great general natter about things.
It is day 100 of our trip and our first wintery day – how time flies. Overnight the rain started. It is cold today – only 13 degrees and steady not stop rain. The water is sitting on the roadways. Well long pants, long sleeve tops and fleece vests came out of their bags today. It sure feels like winter. The Finke races are on so some of our plans have to change. We cannot go to the Ewaninga Rock Carvings or do the Old Ghan Track to Oodnadatta.
So we went exploring in town. We liked Alice. Around town it was clean. The three plazas are close to each other. The new Alice Plaza does not appear to be finished. We visited Gallery Gondwana that focuses on contemporary indigenous art. An absolutely beautiful gallery. I saw Dorothy Napangardi’s work here again and hung properly it looked stunning. I saw her work in Kununurra but hung in a gallery where everything was overcrowded. Then we went to the Red Sands Gallery (I think that was its name) that had a mixture of interesting indigenous artefacts. Someone now has to learn to play the didge and it is not me. Somehow we saved the best for the end. The Mbantua Gallery and its museum is something we have long needed in this country. It features the work of Utopia region’s finest artists. Downstairs several galleries exhibit the works of current artists within a fabulous space. Upstairs you learn about aboriginal art, culture, life and how it all fits within the dreaming context. There is an exhibition of many of Emily Kame Kngwarreye’s work as well as work by several other artists. There is also an interesting presentation of local bushtucker and some paintings relating to them. It was just wonderful.
Outside it was still overcast so there was no point going sightseeing. After stocking up for the next section of our trip we returned to the caravan park to warm up.
It is interesting that you cannot buy cask wine here until after 6.00pm and 2 litre casks are as big as you can get.
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