Thurs 1 Aug 2013 – Blogging, Shopping, Travelling to East MacDonnell Ranges

We spent the morning getting the blog up to date, then banking and picking up a few forgotten stores before heading out east of Alice to the East MacDonnell Ranges. 

Drove by Emily and Jessie gorges with rock paintings of the Caterpillar story.

Also hollow trees form great hiding places and provide cover for bees, birds, and small mammals – check carefully to see interesting life here.

Walked around Corroboree Rock which is a sacred site of the Arrernte people – interesting formation and unfortunately we didn’t see any of the 2.5m long lizards who are meant to live here.

Called in at the Ross River Homestead which was annexed from the Love Creek Station.  Beautiful old homestead and campground run by Shane and his family.  

Shane showed us round the homestead and his bar – the seats were from the old Ghan train and lots of photos of the Bloomfields who came out to start the property in the late 1880’s.

On the wall of the bar was an enormous feral cat skin shot by Shane’s son Ziggy aged 9.  These feral cats are a terrible problem for the farmers/graziers outback, causing a lack of balance in the natural cycle of life by destroying birds, animals and marsupials.  In the last 2 months Ziggy had shot 79 just around his property.  Ziggy is on Youtube discussing the problem with Roy and HJ.

Also met Brian the ringer and only person running the Love Creek station.  He had traveled in 200 klms to chat to his mate Shane so he had a good yarn to us first.  As an ex Boy’s Town boy he would love to be able to help other boy’s who were in a similar predicament to him.  He had a great respect for the brothers who ran his Boy’s Town and said that it saved his life and gave him a new start.  Now he would like to be able to do the same for other troubled youth.

Came out the back of the property on a narrow dirt road and saw a road train coming.  Pulled off the road and watched him come through two creeks before passing us.  Fortunately for us we pulled over as the creek the truck went through was really deep – splashed over the truck bonnet.  We quickly turned around and went back the way we came!

Pulled into Trephina Gorge camping area for the night – so peaceful and only $3.30ea to camp – no showers but pit toilets and bbqs.  Quite time playing guitar.

Met the ranger and at 6:30pm we went to hear his talk around a roaring camp fire.  

Very interesting talk as he was filling in for a sick ranger and is the manager of the rangers and responsible for about 200 parks from Tennant Creek to down south of Alice.  Unfortunatly the talk was in a very soothing voice and the fire was very comforting - so Mel and I kept dropped off to sleep. Soon woke up trying to find our way back to the camp site without our torches – but with my trusty Bunnings hat with the LED light under the brim we were able to lead several others and ourselves back safely, ready for a nice hot chicken dinner already cooked in the dream pot.