TUESDAY 22 JUNE     ALICE SPRINGS

The mornings here are quite crisp.

Today was my mother’s birthday – and is also the shortest day of the year. The nights in Alice Springs are long and cold. We have taken to leaving the little electric fan heater to cycle on and off all night, to take away the worst of the chill. It is well down close to zero degrees.

My skin and hair are drying out – due to the low humidity, dry air in these parts.

We got to the auction house about 10am. Had to wait quite some time before the items that interested us came up. Watching as things were sold, we thought that some items were really quite dear.

There were only two bundles of windcheaters – which was what interested me the most – and they were bid up too high for us. We were able to buy two bundles of T shirts, for about $8.50 per shirt. There were 13 altogether, some cream, some navy. We will keep some for ourselves and give the others as presents.

The logo that was on our T-shirts

After watching some purchasers fiddling with other bundles of these, trying to swap sizes and colours, we felt it prudent to hang around, watching and waiting until the time we could pick ours up. Did not want to turn our backs and find we suddenly had two bundles of child’s sizes!

There was a dumpy level sold. John was annoyed because he hadn’t seen it until after it was done,  and he has always wanted one. I have no idea what one of these is, or if he would ever use it, at home!

It was well into the afternoon by the time we had collected our purchases.

Tea was soup, more sausages, salad. I have lots of leftover cold sausages for lunchtime sandwich fillings, now!

SUNDAY 20 JUNE     ALICE SPRINGS

This was another morning of just pottering about. A somewhat late start, then we sat outside in the sun, reading.

Lunch was early again, because we both went to bowls at the Memorial Club, for the afternoon. We were in different teams. The afternoon was reasonably pleasant. My bowling was adequate, for once. The people were friendly. I was given, as a new visitor to the club, a badge pin.

Tea was cold roast chicken, potato and salad.

FRIDAY 18 JUNE     ALICE SPRINGS

The day was sunny and warm, after a rather chilly night. I remember learning, in high school geography, about the large diurnal range – hot days and cold nights – in the arid inland of Australia. They were not wrong!

John phoned the bank to check about the house insurance. They assured him all was well, just slow processing of paperwork at their end.

Finalized paperwork arising from our mail, related to shares. Had to set up the printer to do so – always a pain in the small space of the van.

Drove to the town centre, posted the mail, did some banking.

Wandered the shops. There are a number of galleries selling aboriginal art works and artefacts. Not all of the latter are genuine products – nor made in Australia! We browsed in a couple of the better-seeming galleries. There was some really attractive aboriginal art, especially a luminous blue dot “Milky Way” series, in one gallery. It was very hard to resist, but I did.

At an excellent gemstone shop, I purchased a small carved stone frog, for $20. That will keep my plaster one company on the shelf above the bed, along with the flawed sapphire.

At a bookstore, John bought a book on using Word Perfect and a little one for me on using Windows. I am such a novice – think it will be really helpful.

Checked out the cinemas – John is always keen to visit these. Did not see anything of note.

We did the grocery shopping.

Oven fried fish from a packet, and fries, for tea.

Cold night again.

FRIDAY 18 JUNE     ALICE SPRINGS

The day was sunny and warm, after a rather chilly night. I remember learning, in high school geography, about the large diurnal range – hot days and cold nights – in the arid inland of Australia. They were not wrong!

John phoned the bank to check about the house insurance. They assured him all was well, just slow processing of paperwork at their end.

Finalized paperwork arising from our mail, related to shares. Had to set up the printer to do so – always a pain in the small space of the van.

Drove to the town centre, posted the mail, did some banking.

Wandered the shops. There are a number of galleries selling aboriginal art works and artefacts. Not all of the latter are genuine products – nor made in Australia! We browsed in a couple of the better-seeming galleries. There was some really attractive aboriginal art, especially a luminous blue dot “Milky Way” series, in one gallery. It was very hard to resist, but I did.

At an excellent gemstone shop, I purchased a small carved stone frog, for $20. That will keep my plaster one company on the shelf above the bed, along with the flawed sapphire.

At a bookstore, John bought a book on using Word Perfect and a little one for me on using Windows. I am such a novice – think it will be really helpful.

Checked out the cinemas – John is always keen to visit these. Did not see anything of note.

We did the grocery shopping.

Oven fried fish from a packet, and fries, for tea.

Cold night again.

THURSDAY 17 JUNE     ALICE SPRINGS

This was my dad’s birthday – he would have been 89. Had he not died a couple of years ago, he’d have enjoyed hearing and reading about our travels.

After breakfast, drove into town. John found the Memorial Bowls Club and arranged to play this afternoon – a “fix” at last!

We went to the Information Centre and found the staff there very helpful. I collected quite a lot of reading matter and we spent some time looking at displays in the Centre.

Next stop was the Library, where I found I could borrow paperbacks for free. Wonderful. I would have to pay a $10 surety on each hardback book borrowed, though. That’s alright – I have no issues when I will get the money back. So I did a book stock up.

Then it was the Woolworths supermarket for a few food items. I found a film processor and put in four rolls of film to be done. We collected the mail from the Post Office.

Back to the van for a quick lunch and then John was off to bowls. I sorted the bag of mail. There was a letter from my brother and nephew, a card from John’s sister H, a card from friends C and H, travelling in India, written whilst on a train between Madras and Delhi. There was no other personal stuff. I received a Coles Myer discount card, now being a share holder.

Checked the bank statement received – am concerned that no deduction for the house insurance appears on it – surely that is still not a problem? John must check that out, tomorrow.

John came back saying he had not played well at bowls. Out of practice, I guess.

I made veggie soup and we had some for tea, folowed by chow mein and rice, and fruche, as a change from yoghurt.

John tried to phone S a couple of times today – left a message for her at work, and then there was no answer at home at night. I phoned K to let him know where we were and that we had received the mail.

John watched World Cup cricket on TV – no problems with TV here, although the stations are different; there is a local one, Imparja, that seems to replace Channel 9, with some elements of 10 as well. He stayed up till the cricket finished, in the early hours.

I went to bed early, with a book. It is so, so very good to have books to read again!

SATURDAY 12 JUNE     KINGS CANYON

Rain began during the night and it continued raining steadily through the morning. This made it a day for vegetating around camp. It was cool as well as wet.

I knitted and listened to the radio. Bought some more postcards and wrote some.

John made Chelsea buns.

At least, with the gravel surface on this site, there is no mud problem – unlike at Yulara.

Later in the afternoon, the rain cleared away and the sun came out.

Tea was potato soup, chelsea buns, baked potatoes with a tuna filling.