Woke to smoke-filled skies but with the promise of it clearing by the end of the day. Today was a catch-up day with little planned. Breakfast and some washing started the day before we ventured into town to seek out a decent cup of coffee.
Parked near the mall and made our way past the numerous souvenir and indigenous art shops to find more souvenir and indigenous art shops. To be fair, there are also a number of cafes, 2 shopping malls, a Coles and a Woolworths supermarket, and a number of specialty stores in and around the mall. There are also a number of historic stone buildings that make it clear the early days of Alice Springs came with many hardships – the hot, dry conditions, together with the remoteness would have tested out those who came here.
On the recommendation of a local bookshop owner, we tried the Red Dog cafe and can report that they served up the best coffee we have had in ages. A stop-off at an ATM and the baker concluded our morning walk around town.
We priced replacement batteries for the Tvan as the current ones are showing signs of being very tired, then stopped briefly at a camping shop for a canvas repair kit to fix a small tear before heading back to camp for lunch.
We filled in the afternoon with a visit to the local reptile house, not far from the centre of town. They specialised in reptiles that are local to the region with one exception – a 3.3 metre salt water croc captured in Darwin harbour a few years ago. Watching him up close from the underwater viewing area reminded us of our frequent encounters with crocs – especially in Kakadu – and how prehistoric these giant lizards really are.
The reptile house also had its own ‘pet’ Spencer’s Goanna that roamed freely within the house – not my ideal house pet but a novelty, especially for the tourists! We were told that it was OK to pat him on the back – just don’t touch his head or tail. The consequences of such an action were not explained to us.
We ventured back into town and hit the supermarket for a few essential supplies. Have started planning out our visit to the East Macs (local jargon for the East McDonnell Ranges) tomorrow. The day will be cooler according to the forecast and the smoke haze has cleared considerably. Should make for a good day.