Just over 2 weeks in and we are realising how lucky we are to be able to do this trip. Trying to appreciate what we have been able to see and not regretting what we haven’t. Considering this week alone in Vic there has been an earthquake and floods, we are doing very well.
Left Glen Helen Gorge for a short drive to the Ochre Pits. Nearly didn’t stop, but as often is the way glad we did. Pretty speccy place. They are a 10m high rock wall formed 700 million years ago. The inland sea created layers of sediment when the earth was rolling around, which pushed the horizontal layers to vertical, resulting in each layer being a wavy line of different colours of ochre (red having the most iron oxide).
This was where the Aborigines would come to collect it, mix with animal fat to form a paste and smear it on their skin for ceremonies. The signs at the Pit say you could be up for a $5000 fine if you take any away from the site, so did a quick frisk of the kids before heading onwards..
One last glimpse of Alice Springs as we continued through to a place off the Stuart Highway and 70km along the Plenty Hwy, called Gemtree. Apparently people come from all over Australia to fossick for garnet and zirconia in the nearby gemfields.
The kids were happy enough to fossick in the “Gully” within the park, where they found garnet and many other types of quartz. The man running the park was very surprised to see an opal potch the kids had found (he he), and they had a really fun time getting into the dust and spirit of the place.
We enjoyed yet another campfire tonight, temp at dusk is getting more mild now (yay!) and our damper was filled with hot jam this time...will see how many more fillings we can create before our time’s up.
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