Day 36 & 37 to the red center Alice Springs

It's time to leave the savannah and mining towns behind and head to the red center: Alice Springs, Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon, MacDonnell Ranges...

After a last morning photo of the Mount Isa mine, we hit the road for the long drive to our overnight stay on the way to Alice Springs: Tennant Creek.

First stop is Camooweal for breakfast - Stuart was only interested in the statue and to leave Queensland. So just after this stop, we left for the Northern Territory. After another long drive, we stopped at Barkly Homestead for some coffee and realized we need to change the clock of the car and keep in mind the 30min change for our remote work calls.

On the way to Tennant Creek we discovered some worthwhile detours to stretch the legs after a long driving day: first we went to Kunjara (the Pebbels), which is a cultural sight for the aborigines and seen as the small Devil Marbles. Although it was already afternoon we couldn't find any wallabies around.

Next stop is just around the corner: the old Tennant Creek Telegraph Station, which was on the line from Darwin to Alice Springs. Last stop before Tennant Creek was the Mary Ann Dam, where you can go for a swim or fishing or just have a picnic in the park. Well, too cold for a swim and no dinner for a picnic to watch the birds & peacocks, so just a short walk around for us.

Heading to Tennant Creek - the 5th largest city in the Northern Territory - we were experiencing some difficulties to find the entrance to our accommodation as everything looked closed or shut-down or even abandoned. The hotel-motel was well protected behind a fence of metal and barbed wire and therefore difficult to spot. Although Google maps, the information in the hotel, and the tourist recommendation brochures list all a range of dinner places, there were only 2 we could find in a state suggesting they are still in business, and only one was open on this Sunday, so an easy choice where to have dinner for the night. At the memorial club only entry with an ID, which they scan and a signed check-in card, all just to eat quickly two burgers and head back before nighttime.

Next morning it's time to drive to Stuart's home, Alice Springs, but not without a stop at the Devils Marbles on the way. After breakfast with a view of the Marbles, we went first for a walk around the main site (Nurrku walk) before heading to the walk with a short detour to a lookout over the Marbles (Mayijangu and Nyanjiki Lookout Walk).

Driving on towards Alice Springs there isn't really anything except a street, caravans & road trains to take over (cars allowed 130km/h here), rarely wildlife (donkey), and every 50-70km a 'driver reviver stop', sometimes with information or memorials. Of course, we had to stop at the memorial site of John McDouall Stuart to take a photo with Stuart.

The only bigger town till Alice Springs is Ti Tree, if you need fuel or a coffee. Finally arriving in Alice Springs, we decided our car will need some care, so we made an appointment for next week for the 'bush check' - yes, they have a name for a check whether all bolts and nuts are still in place after driving lots of gravel/off-road adventures...

After organizing our accommodation & food for the next few days while watching some colorful birds on the way, we were heading back to the Alice Springs sign for some pictures of what we will visit over the next few days in the light of the late afternoon sun: Eastern and Western MacDonnell Ranges.

Stuart enjoyed the view towards his city very much - yes, the name of Alice Springs was Stuart before around 1933 - so Stuart is at home :)