Wish you were here! Postcard from Joy

Radient Rachael at Uluru

Hello Ladies!

Wednesday - We've just left Alice Springs having been there for a week of shopping, resting and sightseeing the West McDonnell Ranges. There are about 6-7 gorges that we had to walk to, climb up or go down to which are awesome and massive. Some are too steep or rough for me to attempt with my ankle which is healing well with all this exercise I am doing.

We are in a place called Wycliffe Wells 385Ks north of Alice (UFOs were sighted here a long time ago supposedly). It has a lot of character and weird space martians about the place but no phone or computer coverage and most of all no TV working! We are heading for Tenant Creek tomorrow. Unsure what coverage will be there.

Our trip is going really well. We have been doing all the touristy things. Rachael* has been doing her own thing and not listening to me at all! My sister-in-law, Bev, is encouraging her to do all these things like more planking, dancing, climbing rocks etc. She is uncontrollable! It was so cold, down to 1 degree at night before getting to the Rock so I knitted her a beanie, scarf and mittens. She lost a mitten so I had to make her another one, totally out of control she is believe me!

I miss you lot very much, especially on Tuesday nights. I have been busy, haven't done any sewing as yet, but I have knitted and made up a Teddy which Judy gave me the pattern for. She/he is sooo cute and gets along with Rachael. It's a bit hard to crochet cats while travelling in the car, so I am knitting easy dish cloths.

Friday - We are in a Roadhouse/bush caravan park, 300Ks this side of Katherine and would you believe there is once again no phone or computer and worst of all no TV coverage!

Beryl, there showers and loos here are all unisex ATCO sheds, clean but older than you and I put together. I have been lucky so far that I haven't had to follow a male (phew!) and there will be no showers either tonight or in the morning. I will wait until I get to a proper park, just as well I have heaps of deodorant!

Saturday - We are heading to a place called Daly Waters which, 14 years ago when we did this trip, they had a pub, oval to park vans on and a night meal of Barramundi and Beef and a singsong which was excellent. It also had a set of traffic lights which are always on red outside the pub. Nothing else, but it was great fun.

The weather is starting to warm up. I think it was 22 degrees here today but in the car travelling along it was a lot hotter. Tomorrow the 3/4 pants and singlet top and sandals are getting taken out of the box under the bed and hat, scarf and coat are being put in there even Rachael's. She will have to wear her dress once more.

Sunday - Here I am in Mataranka for 2 days where there is computer coverage. Brian is fiddling around with TV aerials to get TV and would you believe everyone else in the camp have reception except us! I am about to fly home just to get TV!Tomorrow I'm going swimming in the thermal pools here where the temp of the water is always 34 degrees. So sorry about the weather down there! Today was just 30 degrees, tomorrow 29 degrees, something I will find hard to take!!! (Ha!)

Bye for now!

Joy

* The brief history of Rachael. A while ago Sunbury quilters made trauma dolls and one Tuesday night we took them to a meeting to fill. Glo's trauma doll was stuffed so full she became deformed and we joked that she wouldn't even be accepted at the Reject Shop! Joy (of course!) was the biggest stirrer, winding poor Glo up and as revenge Glo stitched a new doll with all kinds of lumps and bumps and deformities and gave it to Nurse Joy to fix. And Rachael was born! Rachael is now enjoying her caravan trip with Joy and we look forward to seeing the pictures Joy sends us of her escapades.