Desert Mandala: Life In Central Australia

gadget May 23rd, 2010

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Sorry folks….I know we haven’t updated this page for awhile but hopefully at least one of us will from now on. Life has been hectic since the thesis was handed in, there’s been holidays, work, more holidays and of course I’m still waiting to find out where I will sit in Parks and Wildlife after our organizational review. So sit back, come and visit once in a while and we’ll try and get back on track.

I’ll put up a post soon on our most recent travels, that is along the Oodnadatta Track in April. After starting at the junction of the Borefield Road (from Roxby Downs) we met up with family and friends, who had never really been bush and took them on an adventure through the upper region of South Australia and then into the Territory….be back soon

• Bemusing , Games we play , Uncategorized , fun
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gadget July 19th, 2009

It’s something I’ve always wanted since I started gaming … a space to call my own.

The culmination of a host of Ebay purchases, an old dot matrix printer desk and some old steel along with a bit of my own effort has produced my very own gaming chair. Completely portable, able to be broken down to shift around, it has its own power board (surge protected), speakers in the chair or if I want to really rock my world, external speakers with small subwoofers, good enough to hear the bad guys creeping up on me and a 22″ LCD screen.

The reclined seating position enables me to have separate hand controllers: one is the mouse (providing look around capability and selection aids); the other, a usb programmable controller which, once setup, enables the user to sit back without having to reach for the keyboard at any time during a game.

So what have I got? Stress relief and fun all rolled into one.

I’m sure I could even sell something like this …

Already I’ve had concerned females saying: “… don’t show this to my partner…”. They say we’ll never get any work done if he gets one of those! One of those very same women however did suggest something very worthy. She asked: “Where is the stubby holder?” Good point. I said via Facebook…it’s on the drawing board…now.

I’m sure I’ll come up with other mods but for now…. it’s a far better place that I find myself in.

Lock n load…ooo ahh!

• Bemusing , Games we play , fun , geekdom
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gadget April 21st, 2009

Last weekend we took an afternoon trip out to Arltunga. Arltunga is about 110 km north east of Alice Springs, and was the site of a gold rush in the 1890s. Consequently, it’s now an historic reserve, with a few old stone buildings and numerous mine shafts. There’s also the historic Arltunga Bush Pub (currently closed and for sale!), a visitor’s centre and a nearby fossicking area.

One of the BEST things about Arltunga is that there are mine shafts that have been restored and are open to the public to enter and explore.

Gary is having WAY too much fun

 The mines are great for kids … big kids… like us:

So we’ve decided to go back in a couple of weeks and take the kids. Just an excuse of course. Really, we just wanted to go down the mines. Again…

 And this time, we’ll go camping too.

• Arltunga , Central Australia
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Amanda April 13th, 2009

Why am I smirking? Because finally we can go bush again!!

This summer seemed to be the longest I’ve spent in Alice Springs so far. No camping, no bushwalking and only a little bit of Geocaching… Ok. A fair bit of Geocaching both in South Australia, in Darwin and plus a few more hides put out by us Lost Souls in Central Australia.

The good news is that Gadget and I pulled on our hiking boots over Easter and got out on Section 4 of the Larapinta Trail. The Larapinta Trail is 223 kilometres long, stretching from the Alice Springs Telegraph Station to Mount Sonder in the west. It follows the line of the West MacDonnell Ranges. If you’d like to learn more about the Larapinta Trail, look here.

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• Central Australia , Larapinta Trail , geocaching , hiking
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Amanda March 6th, 2009

I am looking forward to the end of the hot weather and the beginning of autumn here. Last week and into the beginning of this one, it’s been unbearably hot and I’ve been out bush for most of it. If you can imagine what it’s like camping when the temperature is 39 degrees (that more than 100 degrees Fahrenheit) in the company of 10 gazillion flies, then driving over extremely remote country (check out the photo below – there were no tracks, but that’s what we were driving over), you’ll get the idea.

 At night the temperatures have been strangely warm. We usually get a respite from the daytime heat here at night. Rarely are our summer nights more than 25 degrees – this week it’s been 27 and more with humidity. Whilst the dramatic and sacred nature of the landscape are compensation for the heat, flies and discomfort, camping out during this kind of weather is tough and exhausting – even for someone who’s very fit and very used to the heat.

I could write at length about the nature of the work I was doing (sacred site clearances for uranium exploration) but I am –as you might well guess- not able to give details of either the sacred nature of the sites or the company wishing to undertake exploration in this place.

Needless to say, I have far more concerns about the possibility of a uranium mine in this location than I do about the possibility of a mine 25km south of Alice Springs (which is far more geologically stable and biodiversity-poor landscape). And yes, I’ve been working on that sacred site clearance, too. (Uranium exploration in the Northern Territory has been crazy for the past 2 years – mining companies are looking everywhere for the magic deposit that will bring them $$$).

If you’re wondering what this mysterious ‘sacred site clearance’ is, quite simply, individuals, government agencies and private companies who wish to conduct any ground-disturbing works in the Northern Territory are required by law to seek a sacred site clearance through the agency I work for if they wish to avoid Aboriginal sacred sites and prosecution for damaging them. My role is to identify the correct Aboriginal Elders/Custodians, describe the proposed works to them, take them out into the field and have them identify any sacred sites that need protecting and say what can and can’t be done on these sites. I map the sites, records ethnographic and cultural information relating to them (which is protected by secrecy provisions under law, so this is not publicly available information) and then turn this information into a legal document and a map that indemnifies the individual/company/government department against prosecution. That’s one part of my job in a nutshell. My other work involves managing anthropological staff…

This week was equally stressful with a Board meeting held here in Alice Springs. I work for a Board of 12 people – 10 Aboriginal people and 2 white people. Four times each year, my agency convenes a Board meeting, which is an enormous logistical and preparatory effort to bring all together. I’m glad once it’s over and done. So I am a bit exhausted after all this and looking forward to a more normal week at work next week, when I finish off the reports and maps for both lots of uranium exploration, and create the all-important sacred site clearance documents that tell these companies where they must not go and what they must not do if they wish to protect themselves from prosecution.

By mid-week, a blessed cool change marched thru (pun intended), and finally we’ve got the gentle slide into our beautiful desert winter… and camping and bushwalking season! Yippee!! The night time temperatures have come down as low as 12 degrees (Centigrade – no idea what that is in Fahrenheit) and the days have only been around 30 degrees (which is like 25 degrees in Sydney or Melbourne cos we don’t got no humidity here!). Bliss bliss bliss!!

• Central Australia , coffee & raisin toast
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Amanda February 8th, 2009

It’s been a while, I know, since I’ve updated. But here’s the rest of the holiday story…

We came home via the Oodnadatta Track. This was a spur of the moment decision – our adventurous streaks taking over, and our way of postponing the end of our holiday. Even better, it was surprisingly cool for mid-summer (only 35 degrees maximum) and being only a month after good rains, the country was looking fresh and green. There were birds every where and the creeks were full.

We left Roxby Downs where Gary’s brother, Tony, and his family live at about 8am. We did a spot of geocaching right near the Olympic Dam site:

Then we continued on along the Borefield Track past the Arid Zone Recovery Project -an amazing conservation project comprising a cat, fox and rabbit-proof fence some 60km in area. In this area native marsupials such as Greater Bilbies and Stick Nest Rats (I tell you, we are jealous about this in Central Australia!) have been reintroduced. The project is funded largely by the mine. You can read more about it here.

After an hour or so, the Borefield Track (which is a really good dirt road) joins the famous Oodnadatta Track:

Turning west, we found ourselves stopping frequently because the Oodnadatta Track is just so interesting. The track – which was so good we were able to travel at 120km/h along it- follows the route of the first Ghan Railway line, from Adelaide to Oodnadatta. The railway line was extended to Alice Springs in 1929 (I’ve met people who remember the track being built – like old Brownie Doolan from Finke). It ran until 1980, when the railway line was re-aligned to its present route. In 2002, the railway line was extended all the way to Darwin. However, you can still drive from Maree to Alice Springs following the old Ghan line closely.

Along the way, there’s many old bridges to stop and check out, like this one:

There’s also wonderful old railway sidings to explore, some of which remain intact and under the care of various preservation groups. This is Curdimurka Siding, where you can walk right through all the old buildings to your heart’s content:

For me, one of the highlights of the trip was seeing Lake Eyre for the very first time. Like my first glimpse of Mt Everest, seeing Lake Eyre is something that will remain with me for the rest of my life. This picture truly does not do Lake Eyre justice:

After Lake Eyre, there’s a few mound springs, many of them lesser known than Dalhousie Springs which is not far from the Oodnadatta Track, in Witjira National Park.  To me, mound springs in arid Australia are some on the most interesting geological features in existance. I could spend all day (or indeed, several days) watching the birds and animals that come to visit them. Mound springs are places where the Artesian (underground) waters meet the surface. They are important refuges for wildlife in these arid envrionments. A number of unique and rare plants are also found around them. This neat little pool below is an example of a mound spring. It’s called Coward Springs, which also boasts a fully serviced campground, with showers and toilets:

 Please note: the timber decking and metal ladder do not occur naturally!

As much as we really wanted to chill out at Coward Springs, we were aiming to be back in Alice Springs that day, so we had to leave. Our next stop was William Creek for lunch and fuel. We spent an hour or so chatting to the lady in the pub:

I have to say that William Creek was great and I would love to go back and stay the night and chat some more. We had a few more stops along the way for geocaches and railway bridges, and around 3pm, arrived at Oodnadatta and the Pink Roadhouse for a chocolate Paddle Pop:

 Oodnadatta is a small place -sadly, it reminded me of Pimba (if you haven’t been to Pimba, you’ll have no idea what I’m talking about). I was expecting a little more… attractiveness. But then, we were only there for a short while and I’m sure there was at least two other things to check out in Oodnadatta other than the Pink Roadhouse. Well … ok. There was at least one – the historic railway station.

For a few moments as we left Oodnadatta, we contemplated going home through Mt Dare and Finke … but commonsense won out (bugger) and we headed back to Marla and the Stuart Highway … and home about 10pm that night.

For any city 4WD-gear freaks reading this blog, please note that my Prado is a totally standard 4 litre petrol model (except for the bullbar and roof rack). We carry some spares, 20l water, have a Waeco fridge, food and a compressor. Nothing fancy whatsoever.

• Central Australia
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Amanda January 25th, 2009

This year, we again made a peri-annual trip to the Murray River. Before you ask, there is water in the river above the lochs and weirs. The level of water is fairly well controlled by these artificial barriers. Downstream of these, from Mannum in South Australia to Lake Alexandrina, the water level drops and drops and keeps on dropping.

Gadget & I love our houseboat holidays because on the river and in the long distances between, there has been space for reflection. For clearing out the mental clutter, letting go of what’s not needed and connecting with the things that matter. It is truly one of the most mentally and physically relaxing holidays you can ever go on. You feel like you’ve been cleaned inside with a broom. I don’t get the same effect from seaside holidays – for me, there has to be bush.

We went on the boat this time with Ben, with my mum and dad, and with Gadget’s mum and her partner, Joe. Here are a few pictures:

There was lots of time for bushwalking, canoeing, geocaching, birdwatching and swimming. Oh year, and for Gadget to do some of the things he does best:

Of course, there wasn’t just Gary eating… there was lots of drinking AND eating by everyone … Here’s photographic evidence:

We also saved a possum with gummy eyes. Gary caught him and I bathed his eyes in saline. We put him back in his tree and the next morning he was gone, so we hope he’s ok:

There were also sunsets and moonrises- the rhythms of the day and time, often forgotten in our busy, urban lives:

Tomorrow, I’ll post the amazing trip home via the Oodnanatta Track.

• coffee & raisin toast , geocaching , small furry animals
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Amanda December 31st, 2008

Living in Central Australia means that we have an unusual Christmas. We don’t often spend it with families – our families live 1500 km and 3500 km away from us. Usually, we spend it with colleagues and friends.

As Gary is a ranger who works on a remote national park, we have a house in town (Alice Springs) and a house on at Watarrka (King’s Canyon) National Park. Remote parks have their own little communities of rangers and their families. At Christmas time, these ranger communities become surrogate extended family for each other. In the past, we’ve had incredible fun and incredible feasts at Owen Springs & Ormiston Gorge. This year, we spent Christmas at Watarrka.  It’s about 350km from Alice Springs.

Thus our Christmas was an evening gathering of rangers and partners. Watarrka has a good supply of vegetable gardens and chickens, and a number of very culinary-oriented rangers, so the array of food was diverse. There were delectable salads, cold meats, and several vegetarian dishes. There were even fiery chilli prawn kebabs. Several days later, we were still all sharing the food.

 There was Kris Kringle as well. Kris Kringle is where you buy a present anonymously for someone else. Usually, the names are drawn out of a hat. Hilariously, someone had found a c.1980 aerobics LP and a 1984 aerobics instructor book and gave them to me! I love them.

Over dinner, we shared stories, recalled the year, discussed plans for the future. We solved the problems of the world and shook our heads at things we will never solve (like coal-fired power stations or the incomprehensible fact that the ranger houses are still run from diesel-powered generators despite the abundant solar energy supply).

 As a backdrop there were whispering desert oaks, dunes all a blossom in wildflowers after the good rains, the birds, the sky, the stars. And the canyon. From the windows and backyards of the ranger’s houses –which blend incrementally into the surrounding sand country- Watarrka is always inviting the eye to survey the latest shifts in light, its planes and edges. Its deep, dark clefts.

 In the days that follow, we enjoyed walks, more impromptu socialising, pondering the waterholes in the Canyon, the wondrous opening of Spinifex leaves after rain, the purple-blue clouds of a passing storm. The smell of rain on red sand dunes. We visited Ian and Lyn Conway at King’s Creek Station and again solved the problems of the world. We also went for a helicopter flight over Petermann Pound.

Christmas on remote parks is one of deep community. It is raw and simple: about people, place, and connection to both. The peace and recharging effect of remote Australia often invokes pathetic clichés involving timelessness and emptiness and lame references to Aboriginal spirituality (which doesn’t exist in the way that white people understand spirituality). If you’ve read and felt the deep spirituality in The Snow Leopard or can relate to Jack Kerouac’s experiences in the wilderness in The Dharma Bums, or if you’ve ever spent extended periods hiking with good friends, then you will understand the authenticity of Christmas in remote Australia.

• Central Australia , Kings Canyon , coffee & raisin toast
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gadget December 21st, 2008

Well the year is nearly over. Frustratingly, my job is still in limbo with no clear direction as to where I’ll be and what I will be doing 6 months from now. I have enjoyed the challenge of managing one of the Territory’s iconic parks and have gained much experience in dealing not only with my staff but the broader corporate and tourism sectors. Personally it has been a good year with our trip to Bali in April, where again, much fun was had and prompted me to purchase another toy for the garage.

• Bali , Bemusing , Kings Canyon , corporate culture , fun
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gadget December 20th, 2008

 The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss, is a book with a pretentious -if not slightly unbelievable- title.

When I first became aware of the book about a year ago, I thought: oh yeah, another self-help book with the promise of becoming a self-made millionaire in the same time it takes for you to go through the Drive-Thru at MacDonald’s. Pass. I didn’t bother ordering it from Amazon.

Recently, I saw that my local Dymocks (an Australian chain of bookstores) was stocking it. I picked it up, leafed through, and promptly bought it for my daughter. She decided it was too much hard work before her trip to South Africa and then to uni, so she left it for me. Last week, I finished reading it and I’ve decided to write a more detailed review than I normally would. So here is what I found both useful and useless from the The 4-Hour Workweek.

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• Book review , coffee & raisin toast , corporate culture
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