Another dawn wake and pack up to head off embarking on our 2 biggest driving days to date. Our first destination is Alice Springs.

Dawn gives us the amazing view of the unique landscape that surrounds Coober Pedy. With the sandy hills and mounds from the opal mines bursting through the red rocky desert soil it really seems that this is a world unlike no other. We soon re-commence our car game that began the day before ... Who can spot an animal first. The rules are simple but many.

- the animal must be native to Australia

- it must be alive

- birds don't count

- unless its an emu

- no farm animals including wild stock or horses

- animals can't be in a designated area eg, wildlife sanctuary

- sightings must be verified by another member of the car who will also recieve a share of the winnings

- camels are allowed

The winner from the day earlier was to recieve a marshmellow but seeing the packet remained unopened the stakes were raised to a mars (snack size) bar. Ben was keen to get started ... but was soon feeling quite dispondant ... "There's still NOTHING out here!!!"

The trip was marked by long straight, almost ruler straight roads with vast open plains of red rocky soil with the smattering of scrubland throughout. It certainly gives you a greater appreciation of how on earth early explorers even got close to some of these areas let alone how our first people survived.
The SA/NT border was far more exciting than our first border crossing 3 days earlier at the fruit fly inspection station! A large rest stop with a monument stating the obligatory "Welcome to the Northern Territory" on one side and you guessed it "Welcome to South Australia" on the other. The kids were excited to be out of the car and stretch their legs with Thomas's main goal to climb to the top of the sign! We say bye to the state of SA and head steadfast to Alice Springs our next overnight stop.

Leaving Alice again just after dawn after an albeit very brief visit led our next days topic of conversation of returning in the not to distant future with our 4WD and camping gear to spend some decent time in this wonderful region of our big brown land, so much to see!!

After what has seems like forever (maybe a day) the landscape is beginning to change with the scrub becoming more like shrubs and even some woody trees appearing and the hope of an animal spotting is growing ... yes we are into day 3 of our game.

Our first true tourist stop is at the Devils marbles south of Tennant Creek. Just off the highway it gave the kids the perfect opportunity to walk and explore that wasn't a trip to the toilet at a roadhouse. We wandered around the nature reserve taking pictures and finally getting to use these legs of ours ... we are feeling good and upright! Thomas is alittle disappointed that he can't climb to his hearts content but understood that the area were meeting grounds and the first people preferred that you didn't climb over the rock formations, kudos to him. Ben was just amazed and trying to get his head around the fact that these rocks would one down erode down to the sand/gravel that he was standing on and even more so that what he was walking on was once just like the granite rocks he was starring at!

Oh by the way did I mention we are all in shorts and T-shirts by now?

We arrived in Tennant Creek for fuel and groceries and the kids get their first real glimpse of the life of our first peoples in rural/remote Australia. Ben was in wonder of how so many could be walking on the hot concrete with no shoes and even more so after he only lasted 10 steps before the pavement burnt his feet! Thomas was also trying to comprehend how the elderly aboriginal lady in front of us in the supermarket counldn't afford her $12 bag of groceries using her 'green card'.

Our final leg for the day took us another 161kms north for out overnight stop at the Renner Springs Desert Inn. Even though it was a petrol station, pub and caravan park it seemed to us like a beautiful oasis with its own short but pleasant walking track to where the springs used to flow. It was green and lush, complete with an old metal swing hanging from a tree, we were certainly glad to have pushed on from the dry dusty Tennant Creek.

We fall asleep with the promise of no alarm, a short drive (in relative terms 5-6hrs) and a swim in the thermal pools at Mataranka, our holiday is almost ready to begin!!