A couple of weeks before Winter is the perfect time to be in Central Australia. The days are warm and sunny, the nights are still mild and the chance of rain is close to zero.

We flew to Alice Springs via Sydney which took us across the top of the Simpson Desert. It is amazing how big and empty it looks from 11000 meters.

 

We also crossed the Birdsville and Strzelecki tracks that we drove down last year

 

Flying over the MacDonnall Ranges shows just how ancient and distorted the landscape is in that part of the country.

When we arrived in Alice Springs we met our Bus driver Natalie and her awesome big Mercedes Bush Bus. She was passionate and enthusiastic, showing us all there was to see around Alice Springs, the Western MacDonnalls and Uluru Katajuta.

Our first stop was Glen Helen Lodge. We based ourselves there and visited the gorges of the West MacDonnall Ranges. A great spot with fantastic food and a view from our cabin door to die for.

Late afternoon Glen Helen

Piano with boots

I took  a helicopter ride over the Glen Helen Gorge/ Ormiston Pound. These ranges sure are impressive from the air.

 

Ringneck Parrot

 

Ellery Creek Big hole

 

Painting at Ormiston Gorge

 

Ochre Pits

 

Standley Chasm

 

We were lucky enough to be at Uluru for the annual camel races. The traditional Calcutta is held at the pub the night before race day. Lots of excitement and some hefty prices paid for these racing dromedaries.

The races were wild and crazy – Camels seem to have limbs all over the place when they run…  

…handsome animals though!

 

 

The day following the races we spent the morning painting at the camel farm. Some of these animals looked to be suffering severe, post race,  hangovers.

Sturt’s Desert Pea       

 

Mutitjulu Waterhole

 

Walking through Bruce Munro’s Field of Lights installation was disorienting and fantastic

 

Shallow water in Lake Amadeus.

 

Herons at Glen Helen