Day 10 ... Western MacDonnell Ranges to Alice via Ormiston Gorge

Presumptions and expectations often misinform me and lead me down the garden path. I awoke feeling agitated and on edge - would it be simply a pastich of my childhood experiences and memories of proud and noble aborigines staring out from the glazed vase in the corner of the hallway? Did they get it right, these painters of last century? Or were they simply romantic fudgers? Was the art of Heysen, Namatjira annd Nolan simply romanticised twaddle to capture the romance desired by city folk too timid to venture past the Blue Mountains?

I had seen the Flinders Ranges that entranced Hans Heysen so. I had surveyed the ridges, mesas and red soil  plains that hijacked the life of Sidney Nolan in the middle 1950s. Now for that most maligned of painters - Albert Namatjira. What would the dawn herald?

Once again the first rays of morning flickered light and life into the range of hills to my west - and Namatjira lived once more.

Above our heads, Guillaume and I sensed an agitation and a fluttering of wings. A pair of Whistling Kites were protecting their young in a nest in a crook of a sapling River Gum. There concern was sufficient for them to stand their ground whilst we captured shot after shot.

As we broke camp for the final time the mood became silly as Phenny set up for a series of group images - one every so-many seconds for so-many minutes. We did our kangaroo and Whallah impressions from Iga Warta but also included the mandatory "buddies forever" .

We stopped in a Glen Helen Gorge for a quick caffeine injection -and a longing look at the waters within the gorge itself. Water was a scarce commodity the entire journey - not sure how locals cope with the lack of humidity - being from Sydney I would say that wouldn't I?

My heart hit the pit of my tummy as I looked up to the top of Ormiston Gorge - ohmygod! But Jarrod did not appear concerned - so I followed that lead. Felt exhilaration as I reached the top - me and my gorgeous shadows. This gorge had a bit of everything: extensive geology, flora, fauna and water. We chilled out on the river bed and spied on a pair of black-footed wallabies hard at it. As I picked my way gingerly over the ragged river rocks, Manu became my Prince Charming gently guiding my hand and ensuring my footing was secure. I have a more robust appreciation of young folk from these wonderful camping companions.

The rest of the day was anti-climax: I could have done without the ochre pits and the stop for lunch could easily have been in Alice for mine - we were less than 100 kms out. We reached Alice about 3 in the afternoon and went our varied ways. I got me a pair of leather sandals and two shirts in an endeavour to make myself presentable during the End-of-Tour shenanigans planned for Toddy's Backpackers this evening. On everyone's mind though ... was a shower!

Not being very practised of late at going out dancing and getting plastered, I called it an early night not long after the indigenous entertainment finished.

My plane flew out of Alice at 1:30pm the next day and I touched down in Sydney just before 5pm.

Comments

[Julie]

Thank you so much for staying the journey with me! You have been a treasured reader! It is wonderful the emails that I have received from folk who have been lurking during the journey. Yes, I agree about the spirit staying behind. One of the travellers emailed to say that she desperately did not want to let go of the journey. I am so glad that I put my feelings about the trip down instead of just the standard travelogue. And to think that for the first time, I did a journey without a day-by-day diary - just let whatever comes onto the page be as honest and personal as possible.

Now to get back to real life!

[Claudia]

Welcome back! Fun to follow you, day by day. Great group.Amazing to be back home in less than 5 hours...The body follows but the spirit stays behind. That's what I experienced when I would return to so-called civilization after my forays in ancient worlds. Take care!