The Power's Trip 2013: Alice Springs

Mackenzie : Today we got up and me and Fletcher and Bentley went to the grass area then when mum said it was time to go we got in the car. When we were driving we saw a petrol station and there were aliens there. We saw a real alien and Fletcher and me got a photo with the hulk statue, there was a UFO sighting there. The caravan park was beautiful. Then we kept driving and saw a giant aborigine statue. We drove some more and got to the caravan park and set up then we watched Monkey Magic.

We saw Elvis

Fletcher : Today we left Wauchope to Alice Springs. We stopped for a while at Wycliffe Well where we saw alien stuff. While we were there we took a picture with a giant Hulk and there were restaurants and a mini Dick Smith that sells Xbox 360. We then went to a place that had a giant aboriginal man on a hill. Then we got to Alice Springs, we got to our caravan park and got a site right next to the office then we watched Monkey Magic.

Me and the Hulk

We are now on our way to Alice Springs. We stopped just down the road at Wycliffe Well, the town which reported the UFO sightings. Now I'm not certain, but the town people are totally sure and I think they have the kids convinced. In the store they even have a skeleton of an alien?! I didn't see it but Dan and the kids did. I did see the 2 green aliens out the front and their landing pod so whatever doubts I had have now gone! The caravan park is a big 4 and well kept, there is also the hulk, Elvis and a big pig/bilby/anteater?? I'm not sure about what it is but they are great and are just scattered around the caravan park. There is a train too and a restaurant & museum. The store not only had alien skeletons, they were a Dick Smith outlet too, go figure?! Well it was the day for giant sculptures because when we got to Aileron there were the most amazing sculptures of an aboriginal man & also a woman and child. The man was up on the hill and had the word Aileron spelt out just like the Hollywood sign, a bit tacky but the sculpture itself was fantastic. The woman & child had a goanna and you could get close up to this sculpture but it was fenced off within the museum which was closed. You could see close enough and although the sun was in the wrong position for a good photo, this thing was a beautiful piece of art, the detail and how life like it was, was overwhelming. We had been told back at Ti Tree Roadhouse that this was not a great place to be in, with an open bar policy with unlimited alcohol and trouble, we found none of that, yes there were a lot of aboriginals sitting around in groups but no more than any other town and certainly no trouble or as loud as they were in Katherine. But we were also told by the same man that Alice Springs was booked out due to the Finke Desert Race until mid next week and all the caravans are turning back and staying in Ti Tree as they cant get in. A quick phone call to the 2 parks we were thinking of and both could accommodate us, so we are thinking he was trying to drum up business. We got to Alice quite late in the afternoon and were met by the park owner Monica who is a really lovely funny girl who is 3rd generation at this park, it is her grandmothers, Mona, who I spoke to on the phone, and when I asked how she was her reply was "don't ask me cos I just might tell you" she was lovely and when I told Monica what she had said to me, she said yes my grandmother admits Mona by name Mona by nature! They all work in and around the park during the day and the office only opens between 5-6pm and no working Sundays, these hours are the grandmothers rules that must be adhered to. The park is a bush setting and is about 10 kms out of town, the view behind us is amazing. They are on bore water which they said is safe to drink but when you see what is floating in it you can totally understand the dozens of empty boxes of water over at the dumpster, in to town for us tomorrow to stock up. We are being careful as we don't know what caused our aches and pains but today we were down to our last bottle of water that we had filled up at one of the parks and when I went to open it there were things floating and swimming so Dan & I are thinking we may have got germy water. It is now freezing cold and tonight saw Dan in tracksuit pants,a jumper and work boots and for a moment there a beanie, we are hoping that was for a laugh as Mack and I are still in shorts and a t shirt, poor Dan feels the cold more than us. Hot showers, a laundry full of magazines and even a drink machine this will be home for the next few days.