We turned in the rental car we have had for the last month today and left Alice Springs for Sydney and public transport. I have to admit, I felt a pang giving up the vehicle. After the initial anxiety about driving on the wrong side of the road, I’ve come to be at home behind the wheel (which also happens to be on the wrong side). I’ve done most of the driving for the group, and the best thing about driving here is that there is so little traffic in the outback. In fact, once you leave a city, there is little traffic at all. We drove 100 K (60 miles) out of Adelaide into the rolling hills of fine wine country and saw only the occasional car on the road. It was like driving through Napa 60 years ago. The drivers are conscientious and mostly courteous, the roads well maintained (which, we suspect is not so hard in a country that rarely freezes), and every public restroom is impeccably clean (if awfully few and far between). We have driven over 3000 miles and have only scratched the surface of this wonderful country.
As we bid farewell to the outback here are a few memorable scenes.
Teresa, who Ted Egan renamed the Wyoming Strider for her long walks, greets the Northern Territory
A path for a lookout toward Uluru.
Our first view of Uluru.
After the vastness of the desert on our Uluru/King's Canyon journey, we jumped at the chance to head west of Alice Springs in search of swimming holes. Ellery Creek Big Hole seems like a miracle in this hot, dry land.
Ormiston Gorge may be even more beautiful than the Big Hole
Teresa's New Zealand high school friend Janet May–who is now a nurse in Darwin–joined us on this outing. The day reached 37 degrees Celsius, which is almost 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Now you know why they are smiling.
Hal and Teresa, At Large 