Up the Centre

 The centre of Australia is dry and yet beautiful with contrasting colours and spectacular salt lakes, rocky outcrops, and changing scenery.  The rocky desert near Woomera makes it a perfect place to test bombs and not much else.  The common theme in all of these photos however is every one reminds us of a place where the flies were bad.  Still you can't have everything in one place.

South Australia's Wave Rock - Pildappa Rock - a good overnight spot with views of the Gawler Ranges from the top

one of many salt lakes north of Port Augusta - this one with an island

the Breakaways outside Coober Pedy

underground Serbian Orthodox Church, Coober Pedy

Ulluru at sunset

in the Olgas

another view of the Olgas

spectacular Olgas showing some of the weathering breaks

inside the Olgas

another of Ayers Rocks' colours

you can never get enough sunsets

....or sunrises

resting chair beside one of the waterholes at the foot of the rock

not near the top but still a long way up!!

some people sat and then continued on and some just sat and waited for their family to come back

on the edge of Kings Canyon with the campground near the shoes

a tree growing out of the rock on the rim walk of Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon from the campground

ghost gums in the Canyon

Stanley Chasm west of Alice Springs at 1 minute to noon

an interesting shaped tree still alive and growing

West MacDonnell Ranges

a huge gum in Ormiston Gorge

Ellery Creek Big Hole - permanent water through the west ranges

Trephina Gorge east of Alice Springs

dwarfed by the largest Ghost Gum in Australia

underground at the Arltunga Gold Mining site 145kms east of Alice, hand dug, not a drop of water for miles around

we were pleased to see many Wedge Tailed Eagles between Port Augusta and the Alice, often in groups of 5 or more

another impressive western desert sunset at Lake Hart; a good and popular free camp south of Woomera.