Kim – Getting ready to leave AS – POP 27,000. yesterday we spent some time with the Royal Flying Doctors at their AS headquarters. An amazing organization and entirely supported by Gov’t grants and donations from the public. They maintain a fleet of 50 aircraft across 27 centres and cover all of the interior of Australia. Each aircraft costs about $50 million to fully equip with medical equipment and supplies. The work they do is incredible and leaves me wondering why we haven’t done something similar in Canada – similar distances and remote locations, similar kinds of challenges with weather conditions etc. The difference may simply be that the Australians worked for the betterment of all while Canadians squabbled over provincial jurisdictions and grants and such.
Alice Springs is a pretty town, lots of water and GREEN grass, we spent the better part of the day touring around some of the spectacular mountain ranges, chasms and gorges, and looking for Black Footed Rock Wallabys – Very rare and endangered and of course we didn’t see them at all!
The afternoon was devoted to lessons on the Didgeridoo – I haven’t laughed that hard in ages! Chris turned out to be the best at “playing” of us all – she actually got recognisable sounds out of it. All I managed to do was make my nose vibrate!
Late afternoon we lazed at the pool and had a Thai banquet with 14 courses for dinner – got to stop eating – clothes are going to stop fitting pretty soon!
Time to go! Off to Boulia now.
Smith the Traveller
"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." Marcel Proust
Smith the Traveller 
Hi Kim and Barb,You two sound like you’re having a wonderful time. I would be lieing if I said I wasn’t completely jealous!! I am and I am not sure you’ll be easily forgiven.It’s Sunday in Toronto, it’s raining which I understand will be followed up with freezing temps then 10 or 15cm of snow. We’ve already had 3 times the normal amount of snow for February and it doesn’t look like it will let up any time soon. They finally came and cleard your street. It was little better than a cattle trail for a few days.The beasties are all OK. Sam had the runs for a few days (ick) but seems to have put that behind us – thank God. Port is not as happy as he could be. Between the nasty cold I had for 10 days and the snow he hasn’t gotten as many walks as he thinks he should. That will get better now though. It’s staying lighter longer and it’s been milder so I am more imclined to fight the elements. Garrett is being great. His arm is healing nicely. His buddies helped me dig out my truck and shovel the walk and driveway. I promised to buy them a case of beer. I am now elevated from “she who must be obeyed” to “she, who’s OK and nice to hang out with once in a while”. If I make them food they hang out with me in the kitchen and chatter like a bunch of geese. They are VERY VERY funny.Kate is, or will be, the proud new owner of a trailer in Florida. She sent me pictures and other then being poorly decorated it looks pretty good. I think it’s a good move for her although some of the logistics will be difficuly (not impossible). The temperature is typically between 75 and 80. She can’t take extreme cold or heat so that sounds like a happy mediu. There’s talk of Bernice and her sharing. I have told both to be very careful and make sure they work out all the details befor committing. Kate managed to buy it for 10,000 vs. the original 12,000. Wheeler dealer!!