Happy new year to everyone!!!

Report No 3

After exploring the East Macdonnell Range, we drove through Alice Springs to fill up petrol, do another big shopping and to put our 2nd report online. In this area the petrol is called 'Opal petrol' and can't be used for sniffing as it is odourless - apparently a big problem with the Aboriginals. Another problem is the alcohol. One is not allowed to drink alcohol in public areas and bottle shops only open after 2pm.

After a few hours in Alice we headed to the West Macdonnell Range NP and made our first stop at Ellery Creek Waterhole. It was the first permanent waterhole and we all enjoyed a lovely swim. Who would expect a swim in the middle of the desert?

We stayed there overnight and the kids just loved the waterhole. We visited another 2 waterholes (not as big and "fresh" as the first one) and enjoyed a little refreshment in the hot temperatures of over 40°C.

Our next challenge was another 4x4 track through the Finke Gorge NP. Although the Ranger didn't advise people to pull trailers on that track, he also didn't say we shouldn't go. So of course we tried and ... we got bogged once (but just dropped tyre pressure to get out easily) and we had a few very tight curves that were not that easy to get through with our 2 vehicles! At one spot Nati wanted to turn around and get out of it. But thanks to Alex's patience, endurance and hard work (with spade and hands-on 'building' a 'road') we made it :-)

(Äääähhhhmmmm that place is called 'Boggy hole' - wonder why! ;-)

So, that was the track through the Finke Gorge NP. If someone would ask us whether we would do it again with the trailer, we would have to say "No"! (But only because we've done it already - no need for us to do it again ;-)

Back to bitumen, Apollo, Britz and all the tourists, we visited Kings Canyon. Surely we did the rim walk and also the kids enjoyed it very much. We were prepared for a hot day and carried lots of water ... ... ... back to the car. The temperatures were pretty low and we were even cold at times. All kids did really well - no complaints from the parents :-)

After 2 nights at the Kings Canyon Resort we went on to Yulara (the resort at Uluru / Ayers Rock).

Here we spent 4 nights. Uluru - another highlight of our trip - was really nice! The temperatures went up again somewhere between 30 and 40°. Never the less, it was time to look for the cheese-fondue that we took along from Switzerland :-)

Hey, how many people have had a yummy Swiss cheese-fondue at Uluru at sunset?
However ... WE DID :-)

As beautiful as Uluru are the Kata Tjutas! So we surely also visited them and did the Valley of the Winds hike ... - lovely!

This time we used nearly all the water that we carried along (15 L).

In the 4 days at Yulara we also did school, washing and shopping.

Back on the road again we took the Oodnadatta track direction south. It took us two or three days to go through from Marla down to Marree. We remembered the track to be more interesting and the interesting places were scarce.

The pool at Coward springs. Originally we wanted to stay there over night. BUT the place (in a National Park) is now run by a private person and they would charge our family $54 per night for this very basic 'campground'! As this was far beyond we decided to just go on and spend the night somewhere next to the road again which costs us nothing :-)

The Oodnadatta also left us with a puncture.

As the rear axle of our Hilux has to carry the highest weight, the tyres here were not in a good condition anymore. So no wonder we got the first puncture. The repair-set came in very handy. This tyre lasted until Adelaide (~500 kms) where we got 2 new ones. The stone that went into our old tyre left a cut of approx. 2 cm :-(

Before heading down to Adelaide we spent one night at the Flinders Range NP where it was really VERY hot! (Also at night!)

On the 19th of December 2013 we arrived in Adelaide at Gereon and Anneliese who gave us a warm welcome. It turned out to be the hottest 19th of December for 83 years with 43° C. Here we spent X-Mas together with family and friends which was super nice for all of us!!! Temperatures dropped drastically down to 20 - 25° :-(

After X-mas we had a few days in Adelaide with Popeye, Oli and their families and Gereon and Anneliese. We also visited Hahndorf where we had a nice German lunch and beer :-).

On the 28th we caught a ferry to Kangaroo Island where we spent a couple of nice days together with the big group. The highlights were the Admiral Arch, the Remarkable Rocks, fishing at Vivonne Bay and surely the sand-boarding at little Sahara :-)
Unfortunately the weather turned cold and wet and made camping uncomfortable.

Back in Adelaide, we enjoy the comfort and the company :-)

Adelaide, 5th of January 2014

Here just some more pictures :-)

Wild horses just before the Finke Gorge NP.

Alex and his useful tools :-)
(Including air-pressure pump, grease pump, volt-meter, tyre-repair-kit, towing robe, spade, solder-set, pliers, screw-drivers, axe, air-pressure gauche, wires, nuts and spanners, jumper leads, files, wheel spanner, jack, metal-saw, pocket-knifes, Schiebelehre, glue and many things more :-)