Into the Red Center
Trip Start
Jul 20, 2004
1
179
207
Trip End
Jul 20, 2014
Where I stayed
Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
I thoroughly enjoyed my very brief stay at Mataranka Homestead, the place of the "we of the never, never" story (http://www.matarankahomestead.com.au/ ). I had a room for myself and walking around the property at night I could see wallabies, green tree frogs and cane toads. The next day I went on a 24km hike along the river. I was planning on going to the waterfall but the distance was 16 km one way and I wanted to be back at the homestead around 5.30pm to go to the thermal springs before taking the evening bus to Tennant Creek. The hike was enjoyable as I did not encounter any other people. Wherever possible, I walked on the river trail but due to recent flooding, part of the river trail was closed which meant I had to hike along the traffic-less road. Upon my return in the evening I checked out the replica of the Elsey station home where Jeannie Dunn was the first white woman to live and work in the early 19th. It was here that her story “We of the Never, Never” became an Australian classic. I downloaded the eBook and read the story while travelling.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_of_the_Never_Never
My next stop was Tennant Creek where I arrived at 2am in the morning. Luckily the guys from Tennant Creek Rest Hotel picked me up and I was in bed 15 minutes later. The next day was a miserable rainy day that saw me walking around the desolated town and read my book. I was looking forward to a trip out to the Devils Marbles but the rain didn't make it worthwhile.
My bus to Alice Springs left at 3am and got me into Alice around 9am. Here, I stayed with CS host Michaela and her son Asher for one night. On Monday I was picked up at Michaela’s house by Sal who took me to Ooraminna Homestead (www.ooraminnahomestead.com.au), for my first helpx experience in the Northern Territory. And what an experience it was, one I didn’t want to leave. Ooraminna is run by Jan and Billy Hayes and is used mainly for functions and cabin stays. The homestead is about 30 minutes from Alice mostly by dirt track. It is home to a purpose built movie set that is now the background for a variety of events, a campground, 4 cabins and the purpose built main house. We were busy washing, ironing, and cleaning and preparing for an event catering to 360 people. Preparing for this event was an educational experience in itself. Everything went so smoothly that I was amazed that when the day came we had everything ready by about 6pm. What a beautiful display; 36 round tables set for 10 people with all the trimmings (see photos). In the evening, this place is just magical. It looks like a film set with dimmed lights, wood burning in the fire barrels, people chatting and dancing, hot water being boiled over open fire and served by a real cowboy, Bill Hayes. This enchanting place made me feel so relaxed that I could have stayed here for months to come. The evening sun produced the most amazing colors; deep orange and red and purples that were perfect for shatter boxes; the moon so high, the star-filled sky above you, and the occasional cry of dingoes. I was content with myself and the world.
Then, my boss Jan booked me on a 3-day tour to Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon from Tuesday to Thursday so that I could be back on Friday for a 90th birthday party event.
