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So on Friday 23rd, we set off at 6am for Sydney airport. We struggled along with our rucksacks, as the luggage trolleys were four (non- refundable) dollars if you used them! Our 4 hour flight to Alice Springs was longer than our flight from New Zealand to Australia, and involved another time change! We were lucky, as it was a really clear, cloudless day, and we had fabulous views as we flew out over Sydney, then the Blue Mountans, (where we should be going in a few days time), over farmland and finally the desert. Yes, I spent a lot of the flight with my nose up against the window! The desert landscape was fascinating, as you could clearly see dirt roads, tracks, salt pans, rivers that just suddenly run out, and even ridges in the sand, which look like the ones you get along a shoreline, but are actually 15m high sandunes that are hundreds of miles long and thousands of years old. The earth and sand were a rich, deep red (which I wasn't surprised about, as it's called the Red Centre) but I was surprised at how it was mottled with so much green, and swirls of black and cream as well, like a fabulous, enormous slab of granite. (Apologies to all those who had to put up with me dithering over choices of colours of granite for the new bathroom last year!)
We got off the plane when we arrived at the tiny airport in Alice Springs, and I was so excited, I blurted out " Oh this is lovely - I feel like I'm on holiday!" Tony just gave me one of his 'long suffering husband" looks, and carried on walking. The luggage trolleys were free, too, so that made us happy. We got a taxi to our motel, and en-route the driver warned us not to go out walking after dark, but always go by taxi, as it is a very lawless place. He gave us his card, in case we needed it, so I thought it was just a way of making sure he always had plenty of fares, but the receptionist at the motel gave us the same warnings.
Taking that on board, we thought we'd better head out exploring straight away, so we were back in daylight. First stop, the Royal Flying Doctors Service centre and museum. We were the only people there at that time, so we had a private screening of a short film about the incredible service they provide, and then a talk by a really informative lady, who let us ask loads of questions, before she showed us into the museum, where we had a look round on our own, and could take our time. Accross the road was the Reptile centre, so we decided to go there instead of the School of the Air, as that would have been a bus ride away. I think we made a good choice, as we found out so much about all the reptiles we might meet in the Outback over the next few days! We met a large blue tongued Goana called Frank, who was wandering around freely like a small dog, handled a skink, and a large python which was big enough to wrap itself around Tony and I together! We also talked to one of the rangers who was a bitten by a snake, but when he got to hospital gave the doctors permission to wait and see how long it would be before his heart stopped! Apparently it took an hour and a half! Anyway he lived to tell the tale, and reassured us that if you do get bitten by a snake, it's best to do it in Australia, as the snakes have really small fangs, so the venom goes into your lymphatic system, not your blood stream, and when you get to hospital, or the flying doctors get to you, they have all the anti-venoms you could ever need!
We went to a supermarket on the way back to the motel, to buy some supplies for our evening meal, and Tony was asked for I.D. before he could buy a bottle of wine! I thought it was a joke, but it's law throughout the Northern Territory, to make sure you're not on a 'banned drinkers' list, and you're also only allowed to buy so much alcohol in one day. Early night, and another early start the next morning for the start of our trip to Ularu........
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Geordanis Thank you so much for the wonderful pthoos! You and your staff were professional, patient, and helpful. You blended into the back ground to capture amazing pthoos without being obvious about it. I truely enjoyed working with you on all of our projects. I will be recommending you to friends and family.Thank you again for a marvelous job done!Jessica and Zach