Today was moving-on day in the caravan and camping ground in Alice Springs – not just for us but for about 50% of the guests from what we observed. I’m not suggesting a direct correlation, but it did seem coincidental that last night featured karaoke and today everyone was packing up and leaving.
We did discuss karaoke while trying in vain to get to sleep and came to the conclusion that there are singers and songs well suited to karaoke, and others that should be put in the ‘avoid at all costs’ category. Bands / singers that are safe to select at karaoke include anything by the Sex Pistols, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Nick Cave, Eminem (and any other rappers) and Janis Joplin because none of them could sing. Bands / singers to avoid at all costs include anything by the Beatles / Elvis (as their songs are too well known), Michael Jackson (because everyone expects the dance moves as well as the singing), anything melodic (because singing off key becomes very obvious), and nothing of an operatic nature – because!
Anyway, the karaoke preceded a mass exodus of the caravan and camping ground this morning – first up the 6-7-8 people (explained in an earlier blog) were up and about, rattling pots and pans and packing stuff away. Next the 7-8-9’ish people (ourselves included) were up and mimicing our early-rising camp ground buddies. We were on the road at 8.30am, just catching the tail end of the slower 6-7-8 brigade!
The West MacDonnell Ranges (West Macs) run east-west through Alice Springs with a series of gorges slicing through the ranges at irregular intervals – most are just off Namatjira Drive with excellent information areas and designated walking tracks. We can tick them all off – Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm, Ellery Creek Bighole, Serpentine Gorge and the Ochre Pits.
We passed Ormiston Gorge as it was getting late in the day – will head back there tomorrow morning and tackle some of the walks there before it gets too hot.
We did have our first eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation with a dingo whilst walking at Serpentine Gorge – we can report there was no sign of a baby in its mouth! It was clear from the way it scurried off that we were more of a threat to him than he was to us.
We’re now camped out on green grass (yes, it’s real) at the Glen Helen ‘Resort’ / Station about 130 kilometres west of Alice Springs. Will use this as a base tomorrow before making our way to Kings Canyon on Saturday.