Our destination, and home for the week, was Running Waters. It’s a series of permanent waterholes on the ancient Finke River. It’s at the edge of the large Henbury pastoral station, almost on the boundary with Finke Gorge National Park. I had visited Palm Valley last time, but this was something very different.
The rocks of the escarpment were a highlight. Because we were camped beside it for a week, we saw all manner of light play upon it. This was later in the afternoon on our first evening.
The next day I started my camp experience. I was picked up by Deb and Charlie, who ran Larpinta Creative Camps, and after a quick run-around to collect the other participants (there were only 5 of us), we headed down the Stuart Highway. It was 130km of bitumen highway, then 50km of all-weather unsealed road, then 50km of 4WD track.
We stopped for lunch in desert oak country, and the sand here was bright, bright red.
Desert oaks are interesting trees as the juvenile (the punked up version on the left) looks nothing like the mature (the big tree on the right). It’s lean in its youth as it needs all its energy to shoot roots far downwards into the water table.
There was the letting down of tyres, since the going was going to get tougher.
I was impressed that the vehicle was named after one of my favourite mega-fauna, the diprotodon.
After lunch the road became a track.
Soon the escarpments appeared. We were almost at Running Waters.
I’m back from my trip to Central Australia and I’ll be blogging all about it in the next few weeks. Upon landing, I immediately made my way to the Alice Springs Beanie Festival. It’s an annual winter event in Alice that’s dedicated to knitting, crochet, beanies, and other crafts. It’s the one event where you look out-of-place without a silly hat.
There were a range of workshops available, and many industrious people of all ages were about doing their thing.
There were thousands of beanies for sale, knitted by people from all corners of Australia (I bought a few), and the best were displayed in an exhibition at the art gallery.
It’s quite amazing what one can make out of wool. Pigs, people, kookaburras…
Even a frill-necked lizard. Now you wouldn’t like to meet that in a dark alley.
Going back to the desert this weekend, for an art camp. But before I do, time to get in some practice from a photo I took last time.
My teacher had brought in a book of Australian birds, and the cover bird was so cute that I had to try painting it. It’s a Variegated Fairy Wren, and can be found in many parts of Australia.
It’s been awhile since I visited Oatley Park baths, but I have enough photos and memories to recreate the scene.
I have kept up with my watercolour painting in recent months through my arts and craft group, and I’ll share a few with you.
Inspired by the beautiful autumn leaves at Jamberoo Abbey, I painted this wistful scene in watercolours of a walk through the woods.
My father-in-law requested a poppy or two since he marches on Anzac and Remembrance days. I knitted him this poppy that he can wear.
A really quick field beanie, requested by Hubby. He’s gonna need it this winter when he heads out back!
It’s autumn at Kingsgrove, and the leaves are turning.
Then a day later, voila!
Static and Silence 