Day 15 - Alice Springs to Barrow Creek - Sunday 13th August 2017

 Before heading north this morning we once again ventured west to Standley Chasm for a morning walk before the usual tour groups arrived on the scene. As a result it was a very peaceful walk and we were able to fully appreciate the beauty of this place. Then it was back to Alice Springs for fuel and a brief visit to Anzac Hill before heading north on the Stuart Highway. En route we passed the spot where the last known sighting of our friend Jenny Lane happened when she was dropped off at a dirt road some 30 km north of Alice Springs by a local taxi driver on 31st March 2004. She is listed on the Australian Missing Persons Register. Then it was on to Barrow Creek where some 43 years before I had attended the annual Barrow Creek race meeting - this has long been discontinued. Barrow Creek also has some notoriety as being the place where Joanne Lees ended up after a terrifying ordeal some 12 km north of Barrow Creek. It was here that her partner Peter Falconio was murdered by Bradley Murdoch in the evening of 14th July 2001. Before settling in for the night we had drink or two at the roadhouse bar and spoke about the case with the manager who was on duty that night as well as another employee who claimed having known Bradley Murdoch in Darwin. Wikipedia has a comprehensive article about this murder.

Day 14 - Alice Springs, Simpsons Gap and Standley Chasm - Saturday 12th August 2017

 Today started out feeling a little cool but a hot shower soon had that sorted. First stop after breakfast was the Araluen Cultural Precinct literally across the road from our caravan park. We spent some time here admiring the fantastic art collection including a piece that Sue would have bought had it not already been sold. After this we drove to the Olive Pink Botanic Garden on the other side of the Todd river where we wandered around for a while checking out the diverse flora and wildlife as well as walking up Meyers Hill to enjoy the views of Alice Springs and MacDonnell Ranges. By now it was getting quite warm - an expected top of 30° C today. While there we took a call from friends in Melbourne letting us know that another close friend had passed away quite suddenly at the age of just 63 - a sobering moment indeed. Then it was off to visit Simpsons Gap and Standley Chasm to the west of Alice Springs. Rare black footed rock wallabies were spotted near Standley Chasm and we enjoyed short walks at both locations before heading back to Alice for dinner and a movie.