Day 52 – Elliot to Alice Springs

The timing of dawn meant that I didn’t wake until 6:30. Then it was up, shower, dress and pack up, hitting the road not long after 7:30. We stopped at Renner Springs for breakfast, then drove on through some showers and skies filled with ominous clouds. I stopped at the John Flynn monument near Three Ways, drove slowly through Tennant Creek, stopped at Wauchope (home of the UFOs), called in at Barrow Creek, stopped at Ti Tree, took photos at the Tropic of Capricorn and the highest point on the track (“It’s all downhill from here!”) and arrived in Alice Springs about 6. We stopped in at the YHA to book in and unpack (and were able to park in the staff spot next to the courtyard). We walked down towards Hungry Jacks, but the allure of $10 schnitzels at the Todd Tavern was too much, so we had tea there. On the way back we did some shopping at Woolworths and then got back to the hostel in time to retire to bed and try to get an early night. Unfortunately one tenant was having a tiff with his girlfriend back home, and with him yelling and her yelling (she was on speakerphone) I got up to tell him to move away and quieten down. He did and I went off to sleep. Unfortunately on my first waking, my iPod slipped done the side of the bed, landing on the floor under Lynn’s bed (I’m in the top bunk). So noises kept me awake a lot of the night (snoring, breathing, etc.).