That’s the second time in a few weeks that Dipidyoo have had to make apologies to ACDC. This time it’s Ilze and Pete off to Alice Springs for an outback break and the Alice Springs Masters Games.

In the planning stages, a guided bus tour from the Alice to Uluru with a sunset dinner, sounded like a good thing. No need to take two days from our schedule (you cant drive yourself there and back in one day, outback night driving in a rental car is not permitted.) We didn’t read the very, very, very fine print (this is the worlds longest one day guided bus tour. 1106kms)

With breakfast proved, we avoided the cheap hotel coffee and departed a 6.05 am. “Only 265 kms to our breakfast stop” the  drivers told us. Drivers, plural, three of them in 2hour shifts. Still it was worth the weight (no pun), sausages, bacon, fried eggs and hash browns, no skim milk for the non existent muesli. Gotta love the outback road houses. With several pit stops and photo opps we arrived  in the National Park just after 12.00 then off to Kata Tjuta, no sightings of Princess Olga, back via the compulsory stop at the Cultural Centre for a culturally significant Vanilla Magnum then off to the big rock. Two guided walks with rock paintings, a full history was only just a bit tedious because by now it was 38C and there was a storm brewing. A storm had come through the previous night bringing the first measurable rain in 168 days. This had made for terrific photos at the rock pool, one of our driver/guides had only been working there for three years and he had never seen water in it.

We were the first bus into the sunset viewing area and set ourselves up in the shade watching with growing trepidation as our guides set up the BBQ and the clouds gathered. Actually the first of a fears were assuaged when after cooking a mound of sausages and steak they produced the worlds largest esky with wonderful salads, even more wonderful icy cold champagne with real glasses. Even the cold lamingtons for desert were not disappointing, however the clouds also did not disappoint us and hovered threateningly until it was time to go.

The trip out was filled with wonderful scenery, the trip back in the dark was only lightened by watching the contortions of German tourists as they tried to sleep in a bus seat or counting moths strikes on the windscreen. (I gave up at 607400).

Not getting back to Alice and in bed until 12.35am on the morning of the Masters Orienteering Sprints did not seem to be ideal preparation, however so it seemed to be. A second place medal for me in M70 in a hot field ( in more ways than one. 32C ) Only beaten by the swift Ewin T from ARDF and getting revenge on a few who had beaten me in Aus Champs last week. Ilze went out later and got beaten by the heat and gave up. Off to by her a bigger sunhat and to remember her camel-pak for Wednesdays double header. A 45 minute bush score with a 7.30am mass start on the Telegraph Station map and then backing up at 7.30pm for a night event on the golf course.

Course setter’s note include the hazard warning to avoid treading on snakes or golf balls.

Don’t you just love this sport.

Pete