The Greenfleet Class of vehicles traveled down to Alice Springs today. Most of the teams left Tennant Creek by 8.30am and took advantage of a stop off at the ?Devil?s Marbles?. A mystical grouping of large boulders lying literally like a pile of massive marbles. I could spend all day there and I truly struggle to return to the car to make it to the next stop for refueling. It doesn?t seem fair to be so close to so many wonderful sights and not have sufficient time to do them real justice but onto the Alice we went.
Alice Springs is known as the dead heart of Australia but it seems alive and kicking to me ? shopping malls, new hotels and even a casino. Alice Springs is set between the outcrops of rock know as the MacDonald Ranges. Its difficult to describe how beautiful this town is. The rocky outcrops which run oranges and reds are lined by white barked ghost gums and set against a sky so blue it must have a lens filter on it. The soil out here is a magnificent red, deep rich luminous earthy red. I never become tired of being in this part of the country; it?s too spectacular.
At the end of each day we attend a community event: sausage sizzle and cold drinks. Today the cars were parked in the city?s Todd Mall and it was great to mix with the locals and to see their interest in the cars. I find great enjoyment dispelling mistaken beliefs about these cars. ?How often do you have to plug the hybrid to recharge it?? is a particular favourite. It seems that there is a much work to be done when it comes to the average person?s understanding of alternatives to the fuel guzzling petrol engine.
