Weather to Die For Hits The Alice

November, normally a warm to hot month, has brought unusually cool weather to Alice Springs this year.

Starting with thunder storms in late October that demolished trees, fences, and a few roofs, November has been wonderful.

We've had some excellent rainfall and cooler days. The mornings and evenings have been perfect and now that the rain has cleared, the stark blue skies I love are back.

We have numerous native trees and plants in our garden and get many different birds visiting us. This is something I missed in Al Ain where, despite the greater access to water, the birdlife is much scarcer than at The Alice where birdlife is plentiful.

This honeyeater I captured feeding in our Grevillea (shown in next two photos). We have several different types of Grevillea around our house and they are all popular with native birds.

Our intention in revegetating our garden is to include as many native species as possible to reduce the water need and increase native wildlife.

Although there is no water shortage in Central Australia, (unlike our capital cities excluding Darwin) there is said to be around 400 years supply in our aquifer, it's expensive to buy and most of our residents treat it with the respect it deserves apart from the expense aspect.


While I find all our native plants attractive, my favourite for as long as I remember has been the Sturt Desert Pea (red and black).

Named after Indian born, British explorer, Charles Sturt, I first saw the flowers spreading for 10 or 15 metres across the top of a red sand dune in 1960 several hundred kilometres west of Tennant Creek.

At the time, I was on school holidays working with the Exploration Department of Peko Mine and Tennant Creek.

I recall thinking what a waste it was for such a beautiful display to be so isolated that only the odd geological team, like ours, would ever see it. Perhaps no other human being would ever see it. I was so impressed with their beauty they have been my favourites ever since.

Unfortunately, they are very temperamental and seem to grow only where they feel like it. I've planted seeds in different places and then, unexpectedly, they'll pop up and proliferate somewhere else as though they have a mind of their own.

Despite their temperament, the Alice Springs Town Council horticultural team seems to be able to place them in our median strips and they grow like fury.

Maybe I should ask them the secret.

Robin

Alice Springs Holds Masters Games 2008

The excitement of the Masters Games 2008 hit Alice Springs just over a week ago and the town has had a temporary increase of around 4-5,000 people depending on whose report you believe.

The Masters Games is held here biennially and is open to competitors who are over 35 years of age. Some of the competitors are in their eighties, still cycling, running, swimming or doing something else in the numerous sports covered. While there are a few serious people who want gold, most come for the fun of it; to meet others, have a challenge in their lives and get out there and do their thing.

This games one of Australia's Olympic swimming legends, Dawn Fraser, now in her seventies, competed in swimming and golf and won medals in both. Not that she needs any medals having picked up dozens during her Olympic swimming days. She was here for the fun ... the medals were just part of the outcome. Who in their right mind would compete against Dawn Fraser? Well, I guess, you could boast that you had "swum against Dawn Fraser" and not mention that it was in 2008, decades after her peak swimming period.

Christina and I are two of hundreds of volunteers that worked during the games. Yesterday (Friday) and the last Friday and Saturday we worked in the Games Centre at the Alice Springs Convention Centre, next to the famous Lassiter's Casino. We handed out programs to participants or staffed the reception desk. It was great to meet many of the competitors and to feel we were doing our bit to help. As a bonus we received a back pack, silly bucket hat, and a free polo shirt each, the latter of which is evident in our photo below.

What makes the Masters so great is that none of the competitors is too serious about winning ... it's more a matter of participating, meeting like-minded people and having fun.

And fun they have.

According to the news media reports, sales of condoms and alcohol (a dangerous mix?) sky rocket during the Games.

Tonight is the closing ceremony and it's all over until 2010.

Having seen so many people much older than me participate, I've decided I will compete in the next Masters Games, perhaps in one or two of the walking events eg, the 5 kilometre cross country walk.

I guess if I start preparing now, I should just about be ready by October, 2010. Or maybe by then I will have perfected the art of golf, or FLOG as one competitor called it.

Robin

PS: This "refocusing" is a great life.

Some of Our Vistors Have Tails!

Not all of our visitors have shoes - some have long tails.

Today this young parenti (also perenti) lizard visited us, strolling casually across our front porch while we sat and watched ... and photographed.

The species is Australia's largest, correctly known as the "varanus giganteus" which grows to around two metres long.

Like all reptiles in Australia, they are protected by law, but Aborigines, for whom they were a food source before Kentucky Fried Chicken, Hungry Jacks etc, are still allowed to kill them for food (and nothing else).

This fellow is immature, about half grown and would have been hibernating during the recent winter, thus the clear coat and good condition.

If it keeps off the roadways, it should have a lot more growing to do. We are hoping it takes up residence in our garden and keeps it free from the variety of insect life that also lives here.


Robin

PS: We get small kangaroos visiting our front yard early morning and late evening too, but unfortunately they eat green stuff like ground cover and small shrubs, which doesn't impress us at all.