J: 26 Sep to 1 Oct Katherine to Coober Pedy

Leaving Katherine we noticed this place which could have come in handy:

We stopped at Mataranka for one night and I managed to do some snorkeling in a deep and very clear river in Elsie National Park (of the "We of the Never Never" fame).

The termites at Mataranka prefer to build their cathedral mounds in a deep red colour.

The wallabies are similar to the small Euros found in Western Australia:

Some campervans are well built for off-road and come with all mod cons including a roof-mounted crane for lowering the boat:

We then headed further south to Tennant Creek where we stayed again for just one night. This is the landscape at Tennant Creek viewed from Battery Hill:

The old telegraph station at just north of Tennant Creek:

These words say it all:

We then headed south towards Alice Springs stopping at the Devils Marbles near Wauchope on the way:

What a difference a few days traveling south makes! It is now quite cool at night here in Alice Springs. Whilst before it was too hot to sit comfortably outside now it is quite cool at night. This view is the Todd River in Alice Springs. The Henley-on-Todd Regatta was held here last month:

Thanks to recent rains the desert is now in bloom:

Our ballooning flight was cancelled due to high winds so we went sightseeing and saw:

A Frilled-Neck Lizard:
I had previous wrongly described this as a Horned Toad, and since reliably corrected by the Director of the Alice Springs Desert Park that this fellow is a Thorny Devil:

Likewise the aforesaid director has advised me that what I had described as a "Cute Bird" at the Alice Springs Desert Park is a White-Faced Heron:

Young River Red Gums:
More desert in bloom:

Poached Egg Daisies:

More birds, Alice Springs Desert Park, also since advised by aforesaid director that these are Princess Parrots (Thanks Gary, its nice to get the feed back and to get the names right, its a great park that you manage.):

After two nights in Alice Springs we took a long trip to Coober Pedy. The rest stops on the way are a deep red colour:
At CooberPedy we stayed three nights and did a tour of the sights. This is part of the "Breakaways" a local beauty spot:

The Dog Fence is the longest fence on the planet. It is over 5000 km long:The fence is well constructed and maintained. The roads crossing it have grids which we understand are not dog-proof.
Coober Pedy has lots of underground buildings dug in the opal fields, including homes, hotels and this Serbian Orthodox church:

Bedroom in home:
Altar in Serbian Orthodox church, all the icons are sculpted in the native rock and were done by a parishioner most in the last few months of his life (he had cancer) :