Over on the photoblog at redrockphotography there has been a change in the software used to run the site. It was running pixelpost which is an awesome piece of software, but sadly hasn’t been updated in years so i’ve been looking to move to wordpress for a while, which i’ve now done.
Unfortunately this has meant that old links will no longer work – i’m still working on a way to bring comments across.
….so a site that was ‘gone walkabout’ and did go walkabout is back… sort of… in various forms under a ‘redrock’ heading:
redrockweb - the red rock hub
redrockphotography - what was the flickr galleries is now much nicer
redrockphotography photoblog - photoblog for some of my favorite shots
redrock chronicles - and here – random mumblings!
so lets see where we end up going! 
Funny, a few years ago posting to a wordpress blog from a mobile was a serious effort. Possible, but annoying.
Now… it’s as easy as sending a text!
Just another three weeks before once again being on the road, with a trip to Sydney. Currently considering a number of roadtrip options for the new year. Xmas accommodation will be in the new Rocks YHA!
… and according to the Great Circle Mapper website a total of around about 100 740 miles in the air! Quite impressed by that number and all done in 45 flights.
They produce a nice map of your flights and mine looks like:
It does take a while to enter all the data as you need all your flights and airport codes but if you find yourself bored on a Sunday afternoon it passes a few minutes!
An early start back through ‘The Alice’ before once again heading North this time towards our overnight stop at the Devils Marbles. Once again another big drive taking in some aboriginal art work at in Ti Tree and then onwards to the now infamous Barrow Creek – the closest town to where Joanne Lees and Peter Falconio were attacked by Bradly John Murdoch when driving their combi along the same route. Walking round the round house at Barrow Creek was a weird feeling…
After a brief stop there it was onwards through the town of Tennat Creek and onto the Devils Marbles just in time for sunset. The Devils Marbles are large and small granite rocks scattered all over the landscape making for impressive scenery aswell as an important sacred site for the traditional owners.
Oh watch out for the dingos if your staying there one evening!
Leaving ‘The Alice’ and heading west to see the West Macdonnell Range – The Macdonnell range is a long row of mountains stretching for about 600km with Alice Springs divding them East and West. Lunch was spent at Simpsons Gap – Last time I was i’d cycled from Alice in extreme heat, thankfully not so hot this time and more relaxed having the van!
Camped for the night at Ellery Creek Big Hole – A great spot for swimming and just relaxing in the middle of the outback…
Three fairly quiet days….
Day 11 was a nice drive from Kings Canyon up to Alice Springs for a break from the van and a night in a hostel! It was good to be able to have a proper bed for the night and to be able to go out for a few drinks in the town before moving to a campsite the following day for a rest day.
It was also a chance to for the van to have a break and have a service before continuing the journey North.
Day 10 was a drive from Uluru to Kings Canyon, a few hours drive before doing the amazing walk round the canyon. Starting with a bit of a climb to take you to the top of the canyon before a few hours walking round the rim with some amazing views of the local area along with some sheer drops to take care of! The evening was camping at the kings canyon resort.
Day 7 was a mammoth drive from Marla, crossing the South Australia and Northern Territory border onto Erldunda for an unusual experience.
A left turn onto a different road!! Its a big thing after a thousand or so km on the same road! The new road, Lasseter Hwy, took us to Uluru where we would spend the next few nights catching some dramatic sunrise and sunsets, hiking round the rock and enjoying the valley of the winds hike at Kata Tjuta (The Olgas). A couple of the stand out moments were going to the sunrise point to watch the sunset – so peacfule away from all the tourists. The following morning we did a similar thing and went to the bus sunset point to watch the sunrise point. We were joined by a few tour groups doing that, and it has to be said after doing the sunrise in both the sunrise and sunset locations if you have the chance goto the bus sunset point as its far more enjoyable!
