Coober Pedy – Alice Springs: 1 road + 2 thumbs = Good stories

Wonderful grandparents, a lovely mom and dad and a wise big brother brought us further in the desolation. Once arrived in the remote Alice Springs, we drove with our own car to the Rock of all Rocks, a new planet and the color palette of Mother Nature.

Julie and Wayne, 65-70 years
Julie and Wayne cared about us like grandparents. They gave us sweets and genuinely cared about our safety. The connection was strong and we rumbled through the outback.
Wayne had problems with his back and therefore could not drive long distances. They took their time and decided day by day where to stop. That day Wayne and Julie planned to stop in a village 250km from their departure spot , but Wayne felt too bad to let us hitchhike further. He suffered through the pain and rode until dark, 200km farther than he had planned. After dinner I went along their camper to thank them and have a drink. But Wayne laid in bed and was exhausted. He had given all his energy to bring us as far as possible; it was endearing to see how much he cared about us, but that he forgot thereby to think about himself.
A few days later Wayne called me to tell me that his motorhome had engine problems, so they were delayed and we probably would not meet each other again. Wayne also told as a happy child about a snake that he had seen, whereby I could feel his enthusiasm through the phone feel. The genuine love and  care that Wayne and Julie showed for other people made a big impression on me.

Tony and Rose, 40-45
This down-to-earth couple grew up in a village near Adelaide called Woolumbool. They met in the local pub at the age of 20, they still live there and they still will be living there in 30 years; their relation with Woolumbool is unconditional. Thirty years ago a tissue factory created work for the majority of the population, nowadays most people work in the fishing industry or in the milk powder factory. The economy has become dependent on Japan and China and more and more young people leave the town to study in Adelaide and Melbourne and will not come back.
Tony runs an electrical company with his two sons, which ensures that the residents of the shrinking Woolumbool will not be closed off from the outside world.

Pete, 31 years
An extroverted, social and handy man. Pete is a tour guide and that profession  suits him very well. Eight months a year he leads tour groups through the remote areas in Australia and the other four months he travels around the world himself. Pete likes to move around and therefore has no fixed living place.
His dream is to be a photographer or to become an independent tour operator. His customer network is not large enough yet to become a tour operator, so Pete focuses on his photography now. He hopes that his Instagram account gets a lot of attention so that companies notice him and pay him for his photos.
Being a tour guide appeals to me; you see a lot of the world and are often surrounded by nice people in a relaxed atmosphere. Yet I also see a downside; if your time as a tour guide has come it is difficult to find a job that gives you the same satisfaction and energy. Lots of travels, explores and experiences makes the life style very appealing to me, but a period of routine and stagnation that follows is often unavoidable for tour guide types.

Alice Springs
Right in the center of Australia, where you expect a desert and the deadliest animals, is Alice Springs located. A town with 80,000 inhabitants and all the facilities that a person needs. Nevertheless, the city gives me a neglected impression. Many people live on the streets, the police and the Aborigines fight and cozy restaurants and pubs are hard to find. The city did not appeal to me, so it was a good moment to hire a car for a few days and get out of Alice Springs.

Kings Canyon
Something that 400 million years ago started as a crack between a few rocks has now become a large valley. The colorful rock formations that surround the valley are called the ‘’pancake rocks''. My theory for this phenomenon is that millions of years ago nobody liked Grandma's pancakes, so after a while they turned into stone. Grandma had accidentally added some colors to the pancake mix, judging from the color variations on the rock. Sometimes a purple glow, then yellow-green spots and even large dark stripes; with a little imagination you can see a rainbow in the stone. The pancake rocks extend over a large area. All you can see around you are fascinating rock formations, which gave me the feeling I was in another world. Grandma's try to make pancake makes a trip to the moon a lot more accessible  for us now.

Uluru
Uluru is a huge rock in central Australia. Half of the rock lies under the ground, 348 meter is visible above the ground. For the Aborigines Uluru tells a lot about their ancestors. Holes in the rock are the evidence for stories told from generation to generation to pass on certain values. Tourists can climb Uluru, but are asked not to do so out of respect for the Aborigines.
The closer you get to Uluru, the more impressive the size of the stone gets. A small hole in the stone is 6 times my height and a circle around the stone is 8km. The gigantic size and spiritual value of Uluru makes it a memorable place.
A little further is Kata Tjuta, which consists of a number of huge stones. It is not as big as Uluru, but you can walk in between the rocks, which makes you feel very small and powerless.. If the giant rock above you loses his nail it can cost your life. Luckily, that did not happen and we even got a present: a few drops of rain which made a pretty picture.

West MacDonnell Ranges
With a 100km dirt road Kings Canyon is connected to the West MacDonnell Ranges, our next stop. The adventurer in me wanted to take this road, in spite of our 2WD car, but the wise voice (Sofia) was stronger than the adventurer this time and we decided not to do so.
Every  part West MacDonnell Ranges is wonderful, without major highlights. The red sand, the reddish-brown stone, the yellow colored dried grass and trees with partly orange and partly green leaves makes the environment very colorful. Especially when it starts to rain during the sunset and the sky turns pink.
A belated winding road takes you deep into the park, with here and there a branch to a camp, lookout or starting point for a walk. Continuous beauty where you can ride or walk through in peace  makes this park so beautiful.