North from Alice

Tuesday, July 1:

We left Glen Helen and headed back to Alice for fuel and couple of supplies and then it was northwards again. We were aiming for a little spot called Ti Tree Creek which was only $20 a night power and water.

Crossing the Tropic of Capricorn north of Alice.

It was a long trip broken by a call into a little spot called Aileron which has an Aboriginal settlement; general store fuel/motel and caravan park. While we weren’t planning to stay there we had to stop and photograph the Aboriginal man on the hill at the back of the town and the woman, child and lizard statue next to the art centre which was closed.

Here was a tiny place trying hard to engender interest in it – sadly most people just drive on by along the highway.

An Aboriginal Sculpture at Aileron.

At Ti Tree Creek the roadhouse is a bit of everything – bar, pool room, shop, takeaway and dining room. It also sell local dot paintings, didgeridoos etc obviously made by the local Aboriginals.

We had a drive through site with grass and while the facilities were a little old they were certainly clean.

We wandered over to the bar about 5.30pm and had a couple of drinks. As it was Northern Territory Day it seems many Aboriginals were in town for the fireworks. Here fireworks can be sold from the Thursday before only and can only be let off on the evening of July 1. Letting them off after that day is a $600 on the spot fine.

The couple in the van next door to us wandered in so we sat together for a drink before heading to the dining room for dinner. The $13 special was carbonara but as usual Wal ordered a mixed grill and Scotch but had to settle for a huge T-bone as they had run out of Scotch.

The meals were huge but delicious and all that was left was lots of my chips.