Day 189. Alice Springs

A day of preparation...

8am, and Scarlett threw back her curtains to 'remind' us that the sun was up. Not only that but the next words out of her mouth were "dad, remember last night when you promised to spend more time with me and that you said you would play 'littlest pet shop' with me? Remember dad?" I didn't even get a chance to reply before I found her in my bed and trying to play. Why me?

Today is another day we have put aside to restock and prepare for our next part of our journey - out to Uluru, Kings Canyon, and then south to Coober Pedy. But first we had a date with free pancakes.

We were all dressed and rugged up (as it is just a wee bit chilly here in the mornings) in record time. Bec had everything organised; plates, forks, camera, and best of all a hot cuppa that she handed me as we marched out the door.

Free pancakes anyone?

I have always seen in the travel shows on TV where caravan parks put on a free pancake brekkie. Until now I have never had the chance to experience such a treat. Well, it's only taken us 6 months of travelling, and we have finally found a place that does just that. The MacDonnell Range Holiday Park in Alice Springs puts on a free a pancake breakfast at its camp kitchen every Sunday morning. The lines of people were to be expected, but the short wait was well worth it! The lines moved very quickly, as they have converted a trailer into a mobile BBQ hotplate, where they can cook 20 large plate size pancakes all at once. Obviously they have been doing this for quite some time as they had a production line going that worked very well. There was also a choice of butter, sugar and lemon, and maple or golden syrup. If you brought your own mug along, they also put on free tea and coffee.

Bec and Scarlett enjoying their pancakes

The pancakes were delicious, and I went back four times, while Bec and Scarlett managed to devour two each! We also found out that it is a great way to socialise, as we were all given name tags which had your state of origin on it and everyone was mingling. We met an older couple who have only just retired and have just started their 'trip around the block'. They are into their first week of it, and Bec was more than happy to share our own experiences and tips with them.

I'm the king of the castle!

Grace and Kale soon arrived and joined us for breakfast, while their mum and dad packed up their van ready to tackle the challenge of driving out to 'Ayers Rock' later today. They really enjoyed their pancakes (especially Kale), and Grace even grabbed a couple of extra to take back to her parents. They played with Scarlett in the playground before returning to their van, and Scarlett loved every minute of it. Thanks guys!

After breakfast, Bec and I cleaned out the van and Pajero, and in the process Bec did a quick stock take on what food and groceries we had; and what we still needed to get more of before leaving Alice Springs tomorrow. During this time, Scarlett took the opportunity to grab her bike and ride off around the park to find some more kids to play with.

After lunch, Bec took off into town to do a last minute shop, while I spent the time playing with Scarlett and doing more odds and ends around the van. Bec was gone for a few hours, and when she returned I discovered at she found the Todd Street Mall Markets were on, and 'just had' to check them out. Surprisingly, she was very good and only bought a couple of small 'items' for Scarlett; that she will probably get sometime in the future when and if she is 'good'.

The 'dreaming' sound of the didgeridoo, played by Marshall Whylar

Bec enjoying the sound of the didg, as the sun set over the MacDonnell Ranges

Late this afternoon a local musician by the name of 'Marshall Whylar', put on a  didgeridoo show at the camp kitchen. Bec and I wandered over to see what all the 'noise' was about, and found ourselves settling in to listen to the magic this man created on this ancient instrument. Not only did he put on a free show for us, but he also explained how different didgeridoo's sound, the secret on how to play them, and even had a competition with the kids to see who could play one the best. (Unfortunately Scarlett was over at the playground at this time, or I'm sure she would of put her hand up to give it a go).

Needless to say we had a great time listening to the sound of the didg before returning to the van to have a great Sweet Chilli Chicken Burger that Bec cooked us up for dinner.

It might not have been an exciting day out about exploring the wonders of the red centre, but still it was a day where we got to experience new things as well as get on top of the more mundane chores. I think we were smart in that we planned to have this day before venturing out to Uluru, as we now feel 'prepared' to tackle any challenge that awaits us tomorrow!