final farewells

On the way to the Alice Springs Airport I took one last look at the infamous Todd River, renowned for generally having no water.

I reflected that I had gained a new, deeper understanding of our Indigenous people, the Aboriginals.

Since Leslye and I were going to different destinations: she to Adelaide to collect her car and continue her roadtrip, and I was headed home to Melbourne, we said our goodbyes at the hotel. Later we would catch up in Melbourne, but for now it was au revoir to my French friend.

As far as returning to Alice Springs, there are so many other places on my Bucket List, it is unlikely, but I am certainly glad I went. To my mind, there is no greater learning experience than a personal one.

Here endeth this blog. I hope to write many more travel stories in the future. Meanwhile, if you haven’t visited my first blog, about going around the world with my husband for ten weeks in 2012, be sure to call in at travelswithprincessandquiquinou.wordpress.com; and a big THANK YOU for everyone who dropped in to visit princesswonderlandinalice.wordpress.com – merci et au revoir. A la prochaine (until next time).

princessprattles

beautiful buffet brekky

A habit if you live in Australia, is to shorten words to those ending in “y” – such as footy (football), barbie (barbecue), and in this case breakfast becomes brekky.

The week in Alice Springs was coming to a close, and an enjoyable buffet breakfast at the All Seasons Oasis Hotel was a fitting end. It was nice to finish off with a sit-down breakfast with lots of food choices.

I had mentioned to my French friend Leslye, that there would be croissants, but when we arrived at the restaurant, there were none to be seen. However, that was soon fixed by Lyn, from the Philippines, who prepared some especially for us. Bon appetit!

internet access in alice

Why did I not remember my own rule? Last year, my husband and I went around the world for ten weeks. I took my laptop as I wanted to chronicle our adventures by writing my first blog. So wouldn’t you think I would have ensured that at every hotel we stayed, we would have internet included in the tariff? When booking, I had only ascertained there was internet available, and at some places it was quite expensive, necessitating visits to internet cafes.

Having decided to blog my experiences in Alice, I booked into the All Seasons Oasis, which boasted 15 minutes’ free wi-fi with every superior room. As if that’s going to be enough time to even manage one post? Especially when you are trying to upload photos as well.  That was the one area in which our original accommodation, at the Alice Lodge Backpackers, won hands down. Free internet for your entire stay, whether you were in your room or somewhere in the grounds. Having been on the Rock Tour, we also had an hour’s access to their computer downtown, which we used to check emails the day before going home.

At the Oasis, I couldn’t even use wifi in the room, and had to go down to the lounge to access it! Lesson learned and reinforced. Oh well, it was pleasant sipping a Long Island Iced Tea while blogging.

 

snakes alive!

Our visit to the Alice Springs Reptile Centre was ably handled by Nadia who conducted the demonstration. Handling the creatures was fascinating, and we gained a lot of information. Why not go there yourself and learn lots about reptiles?

Meet Eli, a bearded dragon.

I love the way Eli thinks I’m a tree and is hugging my hand as if it were a branch.

In 2001, I first handled a snake, which was someone’s pet, and I was very apprehensive. Perhaps because of that experience, I felt very comfortable with Lexi, the olive python, being draped around my neck like a scarf.

Leslye was a little tentative at first, but came round, and in the end appeared to be having a little conversation.

meet frank, the spencers goanna

On our arrival at the Alice Springs Reptile Centre, we were warmly greeted by Frank, the Spencers goanna.

Goannas, like snakes, have forked tongues. However, unlike snakes, as you can see they definitely have legs.

arriving at the reptile centre

Just as our trip to Alice was drawing to a close, the weather cooled down. As grey clouds appeared on the Friday afternoon, Leslye and I wandered down to the Alice Springs Reptile Centre, situated at 9 Stuart Terrace. Entry is $12 for adults, but because we had been on the Rock Tour we obtained the special price of $10.

It’s open from 9.30am until 5pm daily. Luckily for us, our visit coincided with the start of a demonstration. This is something to consider if visiting. Conducted daily at 11am, 1pm and 3.30pm, times are subject to change without notice. Perhaps call before you go, on (08) 8952 8900.

todd tavern

Lunch on our last full day in Alice Springs was a re-run of our first meal in the town almost a week prior. Because we had enjoyed our late lunch, it was a good place to return to. This time we shared a burger and fries, accompanied by the salad bar. Though not very many salads, they were nevertheless enjoyable.

Looking in through the window was a gorgeous little indigenous girl, with lovely large eyes.

Lunch finished, we looked around the town again, deciding it would be a good idea to see one last tourist attraction in Alice, the Reptile Centre.

pool time

After a quiet buffet breakfast by myself, as Leslye had slept in, I did some necessary Body Balance to help my body recuperate from the huge day at Kings Canyon the previous day.

Although the temperature was over 35 degrees, I visited the hotel pool for awhile. Because it was such a hot day, it meant I ended up having the pool to myself, which was very pleasant. Palm trees always give a beautiful tropical island feel to a place. Relaxation after the fairly hectic Rock Tour was delightful.  Then, when I got too hot, I could just return to an air-conditioned room, to listen to my music and sort photos on my laptop.

hairdryer hell

Oh dear, I tried to use my Korjo hairdryer in the hotel bathroom but omitted to check that the dual voltage was switched to 240V. I could smell something and I noticed it looked like there was a certain glow about it. Of course by the time it was red hot it was too late; I had burnt the motor out.  Not only that but I had tripped a circuit breaker so that power in the bathroom disappeared.

However, in my defence, when I returned from a cruise with Royal Caribbean last year I remembered turning the dial back to the Australian current. After this episode, I realised it was some other piece of equipment that I had attended to, which reminded me of another groovy gadget that I had years ago. It was a water boiler that you placed in a mug of water to prepare a cup for a hot drink. Because it had no on/off switch, I had taken it out of the mug and wondered why the metal was turning blue. Oops, too late. Being basically the same as the element in a jug or kettle, I had wrecked it, which brings me back to the other thing I had been thinking of. It was my super duper travel kettle, another lovely Korjo item. That was the item I remembered returning to Aussie voltage, and is the reason I didn’t check the hairdryer before using it. I didn’t have my reading glasses on either, which is always a trap.

Why didn’t I just use the hairdryer that was provided in the room? Well, I had brought the little travel variety with me, and I like to try to use everything I pack.  Next time, I shall buy a hairdryer that automatically adjusts to the voltage being used. C’est la vie!

the rock bar and beyond

This was a clever marketing ploy: organise a farewell dinner for the Rock Tour at the Rock Bar, which I am fairly sure are owned by the same people. On the menu they provide some specials for other tour groups, but we received a bonus discount on our main course. Drinks on top of that makes it a nice earner. Oh well, we had to eat somewhere, and the meal was a decent-sized serving and very enjoyable.

It was a pleasant change to see everyone fresh, clean and dolled-up. I was happy to spend $25 on a bottle of Stony Peak sparkling wine, chilled to perfection, in its very own ice bucket. (Refer to my post when I was at Uluru craving a glass to drink at sunset.)  I gave a couple of the girls a drink, as I didn’t need it all, and I was aware that many of the group, being overseas travellers, were on budgets. Having said that, I noticed that a large part of a backpacker’s budget is often spent on alcohol! Not that I was ever like that (haha).

The meal over, I was content to sit around and chat, but Wookie had other plans. He suggested that everyone go out the back, into the smokers’ area, and stand around drinking and talking. I’m sorry, but why would I deliberately place myself within range of people smoking when I detest passive smoking? And since my legs were still recovering from Kings Canyon, why on earth would I choose to stand when I could sit? I didn’t mind staying in the restaurant/bar area, chatting to a few people and listening to the entertainment, a guy with a guitar and a nice voice.

Later I walked back (safely) to the hotel, leaving Leslye to party on with the “gang” as they ended up at the Casino later, coming home in the early hours of the morning and disrupting my sleep. I was really starting to look forward to returning home by this time.