The flow has me on the go!

There is a popular saying, that if you see the Todd River in Alice Springs flow three times you will never leave. Well it has flowed twice during my current visit so lucky I'm heading home.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the nature of australian outback rivers, they are mostly dry, flowing only a few times a year. The sandy river beds, edged by magnificent ghost gums and grasses look so welcoming, many a traveller has fallen for the temptation to camp there. The danger is, that the rivers are prone to flash floods and it may be from a rain event many kilometres upstream.  The latest flow in the Todd surprised locals as there had been no rain in Alice Springs before it occurred.

Because the Todd River is usually dry, a local service club runs an annual 'boat' race in Alice Springs called the Henley on Todd, featuring bottomless boats powered by runners.

Water in the Todd is such a novelty, that people go out of their way to have a look.

Some, otherwise very sensible people, allow their small children and dogs to go crazy in the water. 

Roads may be closed

But some people will just not take no for an answer.

I do feel very fortunate to have seen this rather rare phenomenon of the outback. It was, however, enough to have me packing my bags and heading south. From the blue skied outback to cold, wintery Melbourne.

Don't go far, Dear Reader, I am off to the United States in a few days. I know this is a blog about my travels around Australia, but I may have the time and inclination to write the odd post from the other side of the ditch.  Then, I am on a road trip up the centre of Australia, back to Alice Springs for another extended visit. Please do come along and tell your friends!

Olive Pink - a garden and woman

The Olive Pink Botanic Garden is worth a visit (apart from the cafe lauded in a previous post). There are flat walks, art installations and of course the walk up the hill. All are detailed in the guide booklet which contains photos and notes about the plants which correspond to markers along the walks.

The Hill Walk is a goat track but if I managed it, then it can't be that bad.

Stairway to heaven?

There are lovely views to be enjoyed along the way and at the very top.

 Going up is hard work, but I find coming down more daunting when one suffers from Old Lady Disease...scared I'll fall and break something!

I DID NOT jump like this, I took a far more demure approach!

Entrance to the Wattle Walk

The Mallee Walk

There is art in the park. Check out the emu's beak.

Remember to look down...

..and up. You never know what you will find!

Olive Pink Gardens are named after an early character who evoked contradictory opinions. An unconventional anthropologist Miss Pink (1884 - 1975)  has been described variously as colourful, unforgettable and indomitable.  The unconventional label was probably affixed because she took a non-mainstream stance in regard to indigenous people. She championed their cause and fought for a secular sanctuary for the Walpiri people in the Tanami Desert. She was once charged with contempt of court for interrupting proceedings because she didn't think tribal law was being taken into account. She refused to pay the fine and was facing a custodial sentence...but the head goaler paid the fine because he didn't want her causing trouble in his jail!

Miss Pink was also a botanical artist and developed an abiding interest in local flora, promoting the cultivation of native species. She lobbied successfully to have the gardens established in 1956 and they were opened to the public in 1985.

Miss Pink was influenced by the indomitable Daisy Bates, and later, resided with and had a close friendship with Annie Meyers. 

Alice: the Caffeine Capital of the Outback!

Evidence of my scholarship

Well, at great hardship to myself, I have continued my quest to identify great coffee spots in Alice Springs. Initially I was surprised to find any decent coffee here, now I find myself overwhelmed by the task I have embarked upon. However, Dear Reader, I shall persevere and complete this selfless task which I pledged to carry out on your behalf.

Example #3 - Olive Pink, Botanical Gardens, Tuncks Road.


Set in the grounds of the arid botanical gardens the cafe has shaded tables set among bird-laden gardens. The food is simple and delicious. The coffee is good enough for a return before I go home. There are interesting walks among the plantings which are well signed. A 'goat track' winds up the hill at the back where you will be rewarded with excellent views (and an excuse for another coffee) after your exertion.

Chicken, avocado and gouda toasted panini 

Chicken burger and latte.

Example #4 - Page 27 Cafe, Fan Arcade (off Todd Mall), Alice Springs

This one has me considering moving here permanently. Best coffee so far, funky atmosphere, music, artwork and smiling staff. My local contact says this is the best place in town for breakfast. I can do nothing except concur!

Enough laneway chic to challenge Melbourne's reputation

The master and his machine

Worth queueing for

I will revisit this one as often as I can to ensure the quality of the coffee, indeed of the whole establishment, does not decline. Furthermore,  I pledge when I am back in Alice later in the year, I will revisit numerous times just to keep them on their toes.

Alice has coffee!

When we did the 'Big Loop' in 2000, good coffee was nonexistent. The best was a milky instant coffee and the worst was an urn with make-it-yourself instant coffee, UHT milk and grubby cups and spoons. Boy how things have changed. Well I can't say that definitively for the outback in general, but in Alice Springs good coffee can be found.

Example #1 - The Coffee Horse, 8 Hele Street, Alice Springs.

Sarah, has great coffee, and whole food treats and amazing sandwiches, during the week and visits various festivals and events at other times. Check out her Facebook page to what she's up to and where she is.

Example #2 - The Watertank Cafe, 16 B Wilkinson Street, Alice Springs.

This funky cafe also has outstanding coffee, and a wide selection of yummy food. You can also enjoy a range of amazing local musicians every day they open. The best way to describe it is with pictures.

Great decor and atmosphere

Live music

And, do not fear, I am here for another month and I will continue to hunt for other great Alice coffee haunts.

Horizon # 5

Alongside the Stuart Highway in Alice Springs. It's blurry because I had been holding the phone in my hand as I walked. I think the lens must have fogged up, but I quite like the effect.

D is for Daylesford

Lovely Daylesford is a welcoming town, known for its artists and boutique shops. Jubilee Lake Camping Ground is very popular with (obviously) a lake, kiosk, canoe and paddle boat hire and helpful and friendly hosts. At Easter and other peak times, the 'overflow' areas are opened up and these boast generous sized sites with a toilet block and showers but not electricity. There is an easy walk around the lake and to the nearby mineral spring.

Jubilee Lake from the walk around the lake, looking back at the camp ground.

Unfortunately the lake surrounds are rampant with blackberries.  Did you know that these were brought from England to Australia by the founder of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens, von Meuller? He thought they were worthy immigrants because of their fruit and jam making properties. Landowners were advised to plant them along waterways to stop erosion and, of course, it didn't take them long to become a menace in our much milder climate. A major problem, is that the berries are delicious and enjoyed by many species of bird who then transport them in their gut before pooping them out in other places...in a capsule of fertiliser!

Another place to visit in Daylesford is the Wombat Hill Botanical Gardens which are on the hill behind the Convent Gallery (which is also a must, not only because of the art but the lovely food in their cafe). The gardens boast a tower with a winding stairway of 100 steps.

When I was there, the hothouse was blooming with tuberous begonias.

Thanks to the foresight of our forebears, there are well established trees many of which are massive.

 ..but it is always the detail that catches my eye.

Many stems of a very old camellia

Bark of a monkey puzzle tree.

Fans of Daylesford, will tell you there is much more to see in this Victorian country town.  I didn't even scratch the surface with this post. It is well worth a visit, as is the adjacent spa town of Hepburn Springs where you can take the waters, and indulge in a spa and a massage. 

C is for Walhalla

It was supposed to be 'C' for Cooper's Creek but it had been graded and was a quagmire. So then it was going to be 'C' for Chinese Gardens but as I drove through Walhalla, I found the North Gardens Reserve and I was a very happy camper! I did check out the Chinese Gardens a little further along the road, they charge a small fee but have toilets and a shower (but who needs showers?). There were toilets at North Gardens, free barbecues, fire pits and water with wrigglers in it. What more could you want?

Walhalla, one of Victoria's Gold Rush towns, prospered into the 1900s. Now a drowsy tourist hamlet with several remaining buildings, strung beside the creek which runs along the narrow valley but...

• Once land was at such a premium they had to build the fire station over the creek. 
• The hills were so denuded by the demands of mining and steam generated machinery, a flood once left six feet (almost 2 metres) of silt along the main street..an early environmental disaster. 
• Walhalla was the first country town in Victoria to have electricity, generated by steam, but the kingpins thought it was a just a fad and it was turned off.

Right to left: Bandstand, Star Hotel, Oddfellows Hall.

The museum and post office are both worth a visit. The former because of the large photos of the town during its heyday and the latter because it is in original condition. The spinster (aint that a lovely word) daughter of the last owners lived there until the end of last century. It is furnished just as she left it. You may also enjoy a ride on the restored train; a piece of infrastructure that came too late to the town to make a difference to its decline. The cemetery is fascinating, commemorating the short lives of many and the mapping the outbreaks of scarlet fever.

I swear the rug in the living room of the old post office residence was the same as one we had at home when I was a child!

Every room in the  residence had different wallpaper.

Why I loved it so much!

Firstly, there was a music group who welcomed other campers into their midst and played long into the night. It was so joyous and felt somehow pagan.

Fiddling in the dark.

The second reason I enjoyed my visit were the satin bowerbirds. The nervous, shimmering midnight-blue males and the braver, beautifully patterned women with dark sapphire eyes. (In the picture they look purple but they weren't). They were quite brazen, even helping themselves to food from my kitchen and leaving pooey footprints everywhere.

The third reason was Bob. But I will tell you about him in the next post. 

B for Buchan Caves Reserve

Situated in East Gippsland, Victoria the Buchan Cave Reserve is is sited along the creek and consists a well-groomed camp-ground, shaded by mature exotic trees (approx. $40 per night). There is a visitor centre with a static display explaining the geological and human history. The park sports excellent facilities for day trippers and is jointly managed by the state and the traditional owners, people of the Gunaikurnal Nation. Guided tours of the network of caves with spectacular limestone formations, are the main drawcard. Click here for some wonderful images. Several walks, all less than 5kms, take the visitor into the bushland with opportunities to see lyrebirds, Gippsland water dragons and more. 

I visited during the week school returned and was the solitary camper. The situation would have been quite different the week before.

In the evenings, once the two legged invaders went home, the locals came out to tidy up the lawn and enjoy the amenities.

Just be warned, If you are walking to the toilet block after sunset, a kangaroo bounding out of the dark, can give you quite a start!

A is for Aysons Reserve

The people of the Pinpandoor Nation knew the area around the Campaspe River in northern Victoria, as Palooka. Now, any immigrant can camp at Aysons Reserve on the banks of the river, between Rochester and Elmore, and it's free. There are basic toilets, a dump point and a boat ramp.  Whatever else you want you have to bring. Campfires, complying with fire restrictions, are allowed. Fishing, swimming, yabbying, boating (small boats), canoeing and photography are popular. 

The prototype ensuite I used on this trip had a few drawbacks which I intend to remedy before I venture away again. The pictured set-up required me to climb in one side, crawl across the bed and out the other door to access my portapotty. 

Following a particularly convivial evening with friends around the campfire I had a weeny problem. Take my word, the first part of this manoeuvre was completed with absolute grace, elegance and efficiency. However, as I lowered myself down...I am not quite clear how... I  found I was sitting behind the toilet, with my legs around it, feet in the air, back resting hammock style in the side of the groaning tent and absolutely stuck. I was as helpless as a beetle on its back, a topsy-turvy turtle, or a 'tired and emotional' grandma with her legs around a portable toilet in a pop-up tent...which is much worse than either of the previous examples.  It took me some serious problem solving and several abortive attempts, but I did escape, with just a little gravel rash where it can't be seen.

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