Day 6 - Alice Springs for boomerangs and BBQ

Not much going on today as we were leaving chilly Perth (22 degrees, windy and raining) for the 'Red Centre'... Alice Springs where it was forecast to be over 40 degrees!

On the flight there wasn't much to see, though we did spot what initially appeared to be lakes - but surely not? In fact, yes - salt lakes!

Salt lakes on the way to Alice Springs

On arrival it was oven-hot and an hour and a half later than in Perth so we only had a short while to get checked in and purchase some electrolyte-containing sports drinks for rehydration before we hopped on the coach to go off for a 'boomerang & barbie' evening.

Despite the fact the guide said they haven't been seeing any 'roos lately, we saw LOADS! Proper wild ones...

We then all had a go at chucking boomerangs, which we were both very good at and the only reason they didn't come back was that a tree got in the way!

It's all in the wrist...

Footage of Karen to be uploaded when we get back to the UK and unlimited MBs of data.

We were told about trees (Ghost Gums and Coolibah), aboriginal customs including women whacking each other over the head with large sticks in order to decide who 'gets the man'... and men throwing spears at each other (in the nude, so they can see what they're hitting) to decide who 'gets the girl'.

We had supper of steak (very nice) and salad followed by traditional 'damper and syrup' cooked in a cast iron pot in the coals from the campfire, surprisingly tasty considering it was just made from flour and water with a pinch of salt.

Damper and syrup

After supper we took the opportunity of the 'dark skies' and saw loads of constellations, the Pleiades, a satellite, the international space station and a shooting star.

So quiet even though we weren't that far from town (about 15 minutes).

Tomorrow is a tour of Alice then tough walk up a gorge, hoping Nick's feet hold out as his new shoes have rubbed bad blisters into them which he's then compounded by smacking his heel on the shower door and taking a chunk out of it, like the clumsy oaf he is!