March 14th
WILD HORSES CANT STOP US
We set out to Alice springs at 6am. There were 3 of us Naomi, Christine and myself. This was a day trip. 900km in one day. On the way up Lassiters highway we encountered a group of wild horses and stopped on the side of the road to get a photograph of them. There were about 7 of them that crossed the road in front of us on the highway. Its amazing how they survive out here in the desert and we were trying to work out were they get water from. As we continued on about an hour later we saw a car on the side of the road and then we saw a guy walking, I stopped the care and offered him a lift. He had run out of fuel (what a drop kick) and was walking to the next road house which was a few kms down the road. He said his fuel gauge was not working properly and he thought he had enough fuel to get him to the Stuart Highway where there is a roadhouse. We dropped him off at the next roadhouse and continued on having a bloody good laugh at his expense. At the halfway point which is a Roadhouse called Erldunda on the corner of Lassiters Highway and the Stuart Highway we stopped for breakfast and I introduced Christine to the emus which they have in a big yard at the side of the roadhouse. Christine is Korean and is learning English. She is so keen to learn and I really enjoy teaching. She had not seen an emu before so it was all an adventure for her.
Upon reaching Alice we were on a mission to get some supplies and Kmart was our first stop. I needed shoes for work and for the gym which I still haven’t joined. Naomi needed shoes also and we ended spending 3 times what we had intended to. I got some movies and a new book and some gym clothes even though I had not been to the gym yet!! I thought it might motivate me to get off my ass. After Kmart we headedinto the shpping mall and needed to go to the toilet, when we reached the toilets there was a sign up saying we had to pay a 50cent surcharge to use them….we all looked at each other in disgust but really needed to go and were forced to pay it. We found out later it that the surcharge was a deterrent to keep the aboriginals out and that’s all im going to say. We also discovered what I would call the bargain shop Crazy Harrys. We loved this shop it was full of cheap stuff and we went…. well …crazy in there as the name says. Shoppers check this place out before going into Kmart and you will probably save yourself some money.
We arrived at Alice about 11.30am and left at about 5pm but I took the girls out to Simpsons Gap about 11km out of Alice for a look as they had not seen any of this area before. They got to see some rock wallabies and we took a few happy snaps before continuing our journey back to Yalara. Once I reached Lassaters Highway again it was getting late and I had to be careful of wildlife on the road. I slowed down to 90km all the way along Lassiters Highway and luckily I did as a kangaroo the only one I have seen to date in this entire area jumped out into the middle of the road and stopped. I had to hit the brakes hard. Christine nearly had a heart attach in the back seat. No damage done but if I was doing the speed limit of 110km/h I would have hit it for sure. If you have an accident out here at this time of night and it was about 11.00pm, you can be fairly certain that no one would find you until the morning unless by chance there was some other idiot like us travelling late at night to find you and they would still have to travel all the way back to get help as there is no reception out there unless you have a sat phone. It is dangerous, very dangerous. There are cattle and camels and horses as well as at least 1 kangaroo out there some where. But by far fatigue is the biggest killer along this highway. I will not be driving again at night.
WILD HORSES CANT STOP US
We set out to Alice springs at 6am. There were 3 of us Naomi, Christine and myself. This was a day trip. 900km in one day. On the way up Lassiters highway we encountered a group of wild horses and stopped on the side of the road to get a photograph of them. There were about 7 of them that crossed the road in front of us on the highway. Its amazing how they survive out here in the desert and we were trying to work out were they get water from. As we continued on about an hour later we saw a car on the side of the road and then we saw a guy walking, I stopped the care and offered him a lift. He had run out of fuel (what a drop kick) and was walking to the next road house which was a few kms down the road. He said his fuel gauge was not working properly and he thought he had enough fuel to get him to the Stuart Highway where there is a roadhouse. We dropped him off at the next roadhouse and continued on having a bloody good laugh at his expense. At the halfway point which is a Roadhouse called Erldunda on the corner of Lassiters Highway and the Stuart Highway we stopped for breakfast and I introduced Christine to the emus which they have in a big yard at the side of the roadhouse. Christine is Korean and is learning English. She is so keen to learn and I really enjoy teaching. She had not seen an emu before so it was all an adventure for her.
Upon reaching Alice we were on a mission to get some supplies and Kmart was our first stop. I needed shoes for work and for the gym which I still haven’t joined. Naomi needed shoes also and we ended spending 3 times what we had intended to. I got some movies and a new book and some gym clothes even though I had not been to the gym yet!! I thought it might motivate me to get off my ass. After Kmart we headedinto the shpping mall and needed to go to the toilet, when we reached the toilets there was a sign up saying we had to pay a 50cent surcharge to use them….we all looked at each other in disgust but really needed to go and were forced to pay it. We found out later it that the surcharge was a deterrent to keep the aboriginals out and that’s all im going to say. We also discovered what I would call the bargain shop Crazy Harrys. We loved this shop it was full of cheap stuff and we went…. well …crazy in there as the name says. Shoppers check this place out before going into Kmart and you will probably save yourself some money.
We arrived at Alice about 11.30am and left at about 5pm but I took the girls out to Simpsons Gap about 11km out of Alice for a look as they had not seen any of this area before. They got to see some rock wallabies and we took a few happy snaps before continuing our journey back to Yalara. Once I reached Lassaters Highway again it was getting late and I had to be careful of wildlife on the road. I slowed down to 90km all the way along Lassiters Highway and luckily I did as a kangaroo the only one I have seen to date in this entire area jumped out into the middle of the road and stopped. I had to hit the brakes hard. Christine nearly had a heart attach in the back seat. No damage done but if I was doing the speed limit of 110km/h I would have hit it for sure. If you have an accident out here at this time of night and it was about 11.00pm, you can be fairly certain that no one would find you until the morning unless by chance there was some other idiot like us travelling late at night to find you and they would still have to travel all the way back to get help as there is no reception out there unless you have a sat phone. It is dangerous, very dangerous. There are cattle and camels and horses as well as at least 1 kangaroo out there some where. But by far fatigue is the biggest killer along this highway. I will not be driving again at night.
2 comments:
Australia is a wonderful place, you run over just about any thing. Had to stop near mt isa for wild horses to get off the road, keep you eyes open and camera ready.
wow, Julie!
It's me, Christine.
Now I read your diary.
It reminded me a trip with you,
again.
It was so enjoyable for me to read.
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