Day 7 – Australia/New Zealand Adventure – Alice Springs and the Outback

(Thursday, March 13, 2025) by Ann Silverthorn with Jim DeDad

We were up at 3:00 a.m. for a 4:15 a.m. transport to our 6:00 a.m. flights to Brisbane and then to Alice Springs. It was nice that they gave us boxed breakfasts while we waited for the coach. No coffee, though, so that was a priority after reaching our gate. The flight to Brisbane lasted about two hours and the one to Alice Springs was about three-and-a half hours with a 90-minute layover between. 

We’d been told that the weight limit for carryons in Australia is 15 pounds. Virgin Australia, which we were flying, didn’t enforce this rule, but we observed that another airline, Jetstar, made everyone weigh their bags and affix a tag indicating compliance. 

In the “toilets,” there was a sign that instructed you not to stand on the seat while you use it. Personally, I think it would take a lot of effort to relieve yourself that way. There are also signs that check on your mental health and let you know that you are not alone. There’s a QR code directing you toward help. We could use those in the US, I think.

I have to say that the Brisbane airport was not very fun. The lines in the bathroom were insane. There was only one eatery by our gate. 

We had been warned that our plane from Brisbane to Alice Springs would be a prop jet, but it turned out to be an real jet, a Fokker 70, which was so old, it had ashtrays! They were sealed shut though, in case anyone thought they were in the smoking section. 

We toured through Alice Springs in the coach before checking into the Crowne Plaza Lasseter, which has a nice pool with plenty of lounges around. The outside temperature was 101, so the pool water felt cold as did the hot tub’s, even though one of our fellow travelers reported that the temperature of the water in both was around 97 degrees. The pool deck was so hot, that there was no way to walk on it in bare feet. I was reminded of living in Southern California where we couldn’t go outside on some summer days because the sidewalk would melt the bottoms of our sneakers!

At 6:00 p.m., the coach picked us up for a visit to  Earth Sanctuary,  a 100% carbon neutral facility. In 1999, the Falzon family, with three sons, settled there with an aim toward sustainability. 

First on the agenda was a hot-and-sweaty happy hour. We enjoyed the sanctuary’s own brew, Red Centre Devil lager. The back of the can said that it was infused with peach (quandong), which is “high in Vitamin C & creates a beautiful fruity aroma. 

This was our first introduction to Australian flies, which are prevalent in central Australia. They aren’t as big as the black flies we’re used to back home, and they don’t really bite. Tom later advised us that if we swipe them away, we should do it slowly. Otherwise it attracts them! 

After looking around a bit, we gathered for the show. Tom, one of the now-grown sons, and his son, Archie, told us about life out on the bush as we sat on a cement risers so hot I finally had to stand up. There was a demonstration on how to make dough for an Aboriginal flat bread, and the two chefs in the group did the mixing and kneading. Later, we all sampled the delicious bread.

As the sun set on our very long day, we enjoyed a yummy outdoor barbecue buffet, and afterward, stargazed while Tom pointed out the Southern Cross and other astronomical features with his high-powered laser beam. It was a bit overcast, and there was a full moon, so I’m sure without those two conditions we would have seen a better show, but we saw more stars than we ever do at home in the suburbs. Tom also showed us how they use the night sky for navigation in the absence of our North Star.

7,456 steps today

Tomorrow, a guided walk on sacred Aboriginal land!