Day 24

Our pre retirement trial trip- day 24

The aim today was to explore more of the West MacDonnell ranges, its gorges and waterholes. Job kinda done✔️ but not as planned 😳

We had an unexpected thunderstorm last evening ⚡️⛈️⚡️ with high wind gusts💨💨 💨 and entertained our neighbours as we brought the awning in mid storm 😜

We had planned to explore more gorges and waterholes today but as we are expecting more thunderstorms, with rain and damaging winds, we would not be seeing them in their full glory.
So we moved to plan B
Which quickly became plan C
We are nothing if not flexible ……or undecided 🤷🏼‍♀️we’re not sure 😜

After a breakfast of pancakes, curtesy of the Caravan Park, we headed out to the National Park to Simpson Gap, which is beautiful even on an overcast windy day.

And this is where the Seagull was left……..
…….to find his way home on the Larapinta Trail🏃🏼
And he did, well almost 😩
He’d run the Larapinta Trail from Simpson Gap to Wallaby Gap, through boulders of granite, with views of Alice Springs and Mt Gillen and was just kms (2.5 to be exact) from the Telegraph Station when his head gave in, the heat of the day (32 degrees) just too much to make it to the end.
‘The trails were beautiful but challenging’
A DNF but an awesome experience and great effort in the heat. Next time…..

And whilst the Seagull was tackling that Justine headed to the Telegraph Station for the tour and to explore. The station, built in 1871 was pivotal in connecting Australia to the rest of the world, with the first telegraph from Australia taking 24 hrs to reach London via Indonesia, Singapore, India, Egypt, Malta and Gibraltar. The station was closed in 1932 when operations relocated to Stuart (later named Alice Springs) and was repurposed as an institution for Aboriginal children, then again in 1942 by the army during WW2.
Great 2 km walk from the site to Trig Hill and the cemetery.

Next on our tourist trail was Anzac Hill, a memorial to all those that have served in the defence of their country during all the wars in which Australia has participated and provides panoramic views of Alice Springs and the ranges.

The storm came through later than expected, so suddenly and severely, with thunder, lightening, rain, hail and with winds that tore through the sites (115 km/h gust was recorded at Alice
Springs Airport)
Soooooo glad we didn’t put the awning back out.

Sat in the van with a power outage hoping there’s no damage 😳

Update: woke up to a cool 14 degrees ( lowest it’s been here) and a total 22.4mm rain from the storm 😳Читать далее