Days 31 to 33(Friday 28- Sun 30th Aug)

We arrived in Alice Springs on Friday after driving the last 100km'sand crossing the Tropic of Capricorn again. This time there was a marker. We had booked into the Macdonnell Range Tourist Park which money-wise was a big mistake. It is a beautiful park with everything a camper and children could want, so was full of children... unfortunately all younger than Jessica. But ... expensive, cost us $49.50 a night and I had booked 3 nights. Why did I book here you may ask?? Memories – we had stayed here in 1998 and enjoyed it then, before it went upmarket. Have planned to stay elsewhere on our return in a weeks time.

After lunch we headed down to Todd Mall which is the central tourist hub in Alice for shopping. While we looked through the shops George went to a Didgeridoo workshop which he thoroughly enjoyed. We are yet to see the results as we did not bring our didge with us. (P.S Jessica had breathing lessons for the didge back in Maleny off a friend through the CMCA. She has had extensive lessons in WA and studied the instrument in of all places...Sydney.)

Saturday : Jessica's b'day - so she chose to stay in bed late, 9.30am, and then asked to watch a DVD ( "of course" say all you who know her well). While she did this we did the washing and cooked her B'day dinner as she could not be cajoled into going out to dinner. She just wanted corned beef and a banana cake. This was all prepared in our Dreampot, including the veges, and left to finish cooking while we went out for the afternoon. We have baked a few dinners, sweets and cakes in our dreampot but due to the heat are yet to use our camp oven etc.

The afternoon was spent visiting the Royal Flying Doctor Service and Anzac Hill, a lookout which provides a 360 degree view of Alice. The RFDS here covers an area of 600km radius and not only services outback properties and Aboriginal Communities with health clinics and emergency services but is also used for transport to major capital hospitals and travellers. We did not find this one as interesting as the one in Broken Hill we have visited previously as it had tours of the hangers and planes.

Sunday was spent at The Desert Park after a free pancake breakfast at the C'van park.

The Desert Park is a great day outand it had developed a lot since our last trip in 1998, when it had only been opened 2 years. It is divided into 3 sections which represent tne 3 environments : Desert woodlands, Desert Rivers and Desert Sand Country, each diverse in their own way. Each area has it's own habitat with flora,aviaries and fauna. There was also a Nocturnal and Diurnal ouse, a Birds of flight show and demonstrations of Aboriginal livestyle etc. This is a not to be missed Park!