Desert Mandala: Life In Central Australia

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 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 November 15th, 2008

We LOVE it!!

• Central Australia
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Amanda November 13th, 2008

Applied anthropology is anthropology at the coal face, with all that’s good and bad. For those of you who might have no idea what a typical day in the field is like for an applied anthropologist, or who even might be considering a career in applied anthropology, the following post is a snapshot of life in a typical day’s fieldwork.

The Mission:

• Central Australia
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gadget November 2nd, 2008

It’s been a while since we last updated the blog.

We’ve both been very busy at work. I was acting as Regional Manager for 3 weeks, and Gary’s been down at Watarrka a lot. My Yoga intensive is fast approaching, and another chapter of the thesis is out of the way, with another hot on its heels.

Gary also went in the Masters Games (basketball) and his team won a silver medal. Of course, there were only two teams in their age grade, so you can read between the lines there, if you like!

Yesterday, Rhiannon went in the Lassaster’s Casino ‘Best Beach Body’ competition. She did this partly as a bit of fun, but mostly because of the $500 prize money. She’s saving every penny at the moment, getting ready for her move to Perth and trip OS next month.

Well, she went in and… WON!!!

We took these photos of her getting ready for the beach party.

So glamourous!

• Central Australia , coffee & raisin toast
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Amanda September 24th, 2008

You might have heard – Alice Springs had a category 2 storm on Monday, 24 September. This occurred at about 1.15pm, and in 20 minutes the town was thrashed, lashed and smashed. The winds reached speeds of 120km/h, and were accompanied by horizontal (!) rain.

We’ve had two very dry years, so as soon as the storm hit, many trees which were brittle and stressed after such a long, dry spell lost limbs or were uprooted completely.

This is the corner of Woods Tce & Priest Street. 

Driving down Woods Terrace as the storm subsided was like encountering the after-effects of a cyclone. I was getting my car registered at the time, and I had to sit in the car in the middle of a carpark -well away from any flying tree branches, watching the horizontal rain. As i drove back along the North Stuart Highway, I saw the damage to Northside Shops – a massive River Red Gum had come down and taken out all the powerlines and two poles – and I decided to head straight home.

Twenty minutes later, two-thirds of the town were without power, many houses had lost roofs, powerlines were down everywhere and a few cars were crushed by falling trees. KMart lost most of their shade shelters, and one of the huge metal shades in Coles was completely torn off.

 This is the huge metal shade that was torn off in Coles carpark. It squashed two cars (this is unconfirmed).

A number of significant buildings and old sacred trees were damaged:

This is the Old Gaol in Parsons Street. Remarkably, the roof only had a very small hole in it when the tree was removed.

Here is what was left of my back fence:

We were lucky. Our neighbours had a tree come through their front verandah and destroy it. Another neighbour lost their roof – they have a three month old baby. 

We had a short respite from the weather, and then by 3.15pm, another storm was brewing – preceded by a dust storm:

Thankfully, this wasn’t as bad as we thought it might have been.

Two days later, we are still cleaning up and will be for quite some time. There are places that still don’t have the power back on (ours came back on early Tuesday morning); one of my workmates is still without it.

Here is a the scene in Todd Mall about 8pm on Monday night:

Well. We needed rain…

…But maybe not like that!

• Central Australia
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gadget September 14th, 2008

Each year in Alice Springs the YMCA (the Y) organises an eight kilometre walking and running race from the Y to the top of West Gap, on the west side of Heavitree Gap. For all those of you that are locals then you’ll know it as the place where the three towers that provide telecommunications to Alice Springs can be seen wide and far.

This year Amanda, myself and Ben volunteered to assist in setting up the finish point high above Alice. After a fitful sleep due to some noisy neighbours we arose at 5.40am to travel to the Y to get the gear that we needed to setup at the finish line. So loaded with a trestle table, food and eskies full of Gatorade and mineral water we set off for the top.

At the base of the hill is a locked gate that is always locked except for occasions like this or for maintenance on the towers high above. We engaged 4wd because it said to and started up the long single width bitumen road to the top. It is quite a steep incline, winding as you near the top and no doubt just a bit of a challenge to the walkers and runners that attempt it. After getting to the top and just enjoying the view for a moment, we began the task of setting up the table, the eskies and laying out the food to await the athletes upon their finish.  

• Central Australia , small furry animals
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