Devil's Marbles

More Travels

Posted Sat, 10/17/2009 - 7:16am by Steven Hechtman

Last night we didn't quite make it to Devil's Marbles, and were forced to stop in Barrow Creek due to a lack of 24-hour gas stations in the outback. Since our scout vehicle was low on diesel and would not be able to go any further without a fill-up, we set up our tent a mile away from Barrow Creek, then woke up early to fill up and make it the rest of the way to Devil's Marbles. Once there, we had a great time climbing the rocks! I should note that we had no injuries worse than a few scrapes and cuts.

Our drive north today took us through Tennant Creek, Dunmarra, and all the way to Katherine--all control stops in the race. On the way up, we ran into some members from the MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team. It was nice seeing them once again, as we had not crossed paths since their last visit to Detroit over the summer. Tonight we will be camping at Katherine Gorge National Park, and tomorrow we will get a chance to enjoy the park.

Traveling North

Posted Fri, 10/16/2009 - 6:17am by Steven Hechtman
We started the morning at Uluru (Ayers Rock), where we again enjoyed seeing the colors of the rock change as the sun moved through the sky--this time for sunrise rather than for sunset. After this, we hiked around Uluru and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) as the day grew brighter and hotter. After spending the entire morning at the park, we hit the road, and arrived in Alice Springs for dinner. We are making our way out of the city (yes, there is civilization in the outback!) but are first surveying the route into the Control Stop in Alice Springs. We will spend tonight at the Devil's Marbles rock formation, and are all looking forward to climbing the rocks in the morning.