Day 105 - Thursday 18th April 2024

Back on the road today after five nights in one spot! Awake at 06:00, and after packing everything away and loading the car, I ventured into breakfast. My timing sucked as I followed a group in who had just alighted a coach from the Uluru sunrise!

Breakfast finished, I checked the room one last time and didn't spot anything I'd forgotten to pack, so checked out and hit the road just after 09:00. A stop off at the Red Centre Way sign where the Kings Canyon road turns off, and then through to the roadhouse at Erldunda where the Lassiter Highway meets the Stuart Highway. 

A stop for comfort and coffee, then onto new ground as I picked up the Stuart Highway once more to head north. It struck me as I left the roadhouse that I'd be covering the whole of the Stuart Highway except for the 100 metres or so between the southern entry to the roadhouse and northern exit .... the things you think about on a long and mainly empty road!

Onto Alice Springs, and a stop at the 'Welcome to Alice Springs' sign before continuing on to my hotel for the next two nights. I arrived at 13:30, and checked in, but my room wasn't ready so I'd have a wait. I used this time to park up near the room, and then walk into the centre of Alice Springs to the information office so that I could get some input into my plan for tomorrow.

The plan is to visit the West MacDonnell range, and I wanted to check whether I could get where I wanted in a two wheel drive car. Most of the places I can, and I have a good plan now to start at a place called Ormiston Gorge and work back from there ..... I had thought to go a bit further to Redbank Gorge, but that's 4wd only territory so off the list!

Back to the hotel, and my room was ready, so all unloaded, and a load of laundry done before heading to dinner for a very nice Piri-Piri Chicken. Then back to the room to catch up on the day, and prepare for tomorrow.

Nothing else of interest to report as it's primarily been about getting to Alice Springs today.

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