In Alice Springs we stocked up on food and saw the “usual attractions”. In the Reptile Centre, we could hold the animals in our hands (snakes, lizzards, perenties) and learned some interesting facts about their behaviour.

At the “Flying Doctors” you learn about the history of the organisation as well as about the actual situation of the medical support in the outback. In the “School of the air” our children received a private tour in German. They explained them which lessons they would have to absolve (on the Computer) at their stage of education and at the end, they received colouring books.
We continued to the West Mac Donnells Ranges, a park with nice and simple campsites (Ellery Creek, Ormiston and Redbank Gorge), each one close to a Natural Waterhole. Early in the morning we went on short hikes and cooled down in the water afterwards. Unfortunately, at Redbanks Gorge in addition to the omnipresent and annoying sandflies, we were surprised by a swarm of bees while cooking. Our children panicked and dinner the same evening and beakfast the next morning (they came back!)was impossible.
Fortunately, flies and bees go sleeping during the night!

On the Mereenie-Loop (bad corrugated road on aboriginal country) we drove on to Kings Canyon. We got up at 5 am in order to start the hike before 6 am to avoid the heat later on. The hike was beautiful, and thanks to the training of our children in the alps, we made the hike in the indicated 3.5 hours (despite several breaks) – and they amazed other groups.

To test our 4x4Crocomobile thoroughly, we went to the Finke National Park. There we drove in deep sand through the “Boggy Hole” (which has earned its name for a reason!). Here Markus celebrated his 42.birthday. We even had cake from the camp fire oven: instead of 42 candles, we put 42 flies on the cake (see photos!) – probably, there were several hundreds of them around us.

Afterwards we spent another night in Palm Valley (Finke National Park). There was also a crazy 4×4 track through a rocky riverbed.

Back to Alice Springs, we offered us (and mainly our children) the “luxury campsite” of the Big 4 with swimming pool, water slide, jumping pillow and laundry machines.