Shiraz Grapes and the Deep North

Shiraz grapes - Barossa Valley

While the little shiraz grapes were getting ready to produce another batch of that lovely, anti-oxidant filled red wine, I was heading north to Alice Springs along the Stuart Highway, a trip I've done hundreds, if not a thousand times. 

If you've never visited South Australia's north or the Northern Territory, it's probably of great interest to see the thousands of square kilometres of nothing. After a few times it becomes fairly ordinary and perhaps boring.

There are several landscape and vegetation changes and some large salt lakes that are interesting to see and knowing that you are driving through the Woomera Rocket Range prohibited area is probably a kick to some people, although one never sees any rockets, UFOs or anything else.

Here's some footage of the vast emptiness within and around the Woomera Rocket Range.

If nothing else, it's an excellent road and in the Territory the speed limit is 130km/hr if you are happy to burn up a shipload of fuel at $1.49 or $2.07 per Litre at Erldunda in the Territory.

This trip, the only kangaroos I saw were road-killed, but I did see a huge perentie lizard and half a dozen frilled neck lizards on the road which I managed to avoid. No emus, a few horses, some cattle, and dozens of cars with NT number plates heading south for Christmas.

Those heading south to their loved ones probably hoped they'd avoid the 43° Celsius heat of Central Australia only to find that temperatures in Adelaide and other southern towns and cities are equally hot.

Summer isn't called the Silly Season in the Top End for nothing.

Robin