Trucks, trains and a modest hero.

We had intended to revisit King's Canyon, a place we enjoyed when we went with Mildred and David some years ago. However, as we had to get Betty repaired (remember- the back door needs a new handle!) and we didn't know whether it would have to ordered from Adelaide we thought we'd better get up to Alice. As it turned out the local garage had one, so no worries.
We booked into the Swagman's Rest, an apartment we stayed in last time, and set about cleaning up Betty after the Oodnadata track. She was filthy! The red dust is so fine it gets everywhere, so everything except that which was in our sealed boxes had to come out to be cleaned. It's a full day's work, as is the washing that Anne had to do.
Of course, it had stopped raining, and the temp was back up to 40c, so that makes the cleaning process even harder. The only saving grace is that there are very few flies in Alice.

Alice is also the home of a transport museum, not only the national Road Transport Hall Of Fame, but also the Old Ghan Museum.






And not just trucks, a whole large shed was given over to vintage and veteran cars, model T Fords, old Chryslers, a huge variety of early models, as well as many classic cars such as the Mini and E Type Jag.

We were amazed at the trucks and cars here, a 
very large shed was devoted to Kenworth trucks, and included the very first truck to come off the production line in Australia in 1971, as well as the very latest models built just last year.









These trucks are huge, and include sleeping and living compartments that would not disgrace a very expensive caravan, as well as every comfort for the driver while he is working.
They draw Road Trains of course throughout Australia, often four trailers long, with maybe 92 wheels, and the driver has to be self sufficient on these journeys, including changing the massive wheels as necessary.


After lunch we went back to the Ghan museum, unfortunately we forgot the camera, but you've probably seen enough of trains etc already. However I did find out that the narrow gauge is 3'6 and the standard is 4'8 and a half, not 2'6 and 3'6 as I thought. So I happily put those details correct.




An evening out here took us to a superb restaurant, the Overlanders Steakhouse. I started with an Australian taster plate, which included a crocodile vol-a-vent, and a slice each of Kangaroo, Emu and Camel. It was all delicious, and I will have each again. We both ate too much, particularly as we had to move on to the Sounds of Starlight Theatre, where we attended a Didgeridoo show





And what a show it was. Earlier in the day I had attended a didgeridoo workshop, where I tried to master the instrument and failed miserably, so I could well appreciate the skill that the maestro showed in his virtuoso performance.
During the show pictures of the dessert and the flora and fauna were projected on a screen, and he played to haunting music in the background.



Two percussionists accompanied him, and later in the show members of the audience were invited to take part on the drums, including myself, I beat the base bongos, while others played sticks and shakers, and still others played smaller bongos.








However, last evening the weather changed, it started to pour down just after we got in, and when we got up this morning the temperature dropped to just 20c ( 68f) which is a massive change from the 40c yesterday. We even had to turn the aircon off!

Today we had intended to travel along to the West MacDonnell national park in the hope of seeing Black Footed Rock Wallabies, we gave up after 30k as it would not stop raining! We did however take a walk into Simpsons Gap, but no joy with the wallabies, they were probably sheltering from the rain which, if we had had any sense, we would have been!






But we did see the resting place of Rev John Flynn, who was responsible for setting up the Flying Doctor Service. Arriving in the centre of Australia in 1912 as a pastor with the Australian Inland Mission, he soon saw the deprivation and loneliness of the pastoralists on their stations many miles from the nearest town, and, when the Treager pedal powered radio was invented, made it his mission to see that the stations were equipped. He had already set up hospitals in remote areas that had no medical services, including Alice, so the Royal Flying Doctor service was a natural extension, which he set up in 1929.
He was also involved in setting up the School of the Air, originally using the pedal wireless to educate not only the station children, but where possible the indigenous tribal children.
He was called 'Flynn Of The Inland', his practical Christianity made him a legend in his lifetime, and earned the respect of many who would never go to church.