We made it to Alice!

Well we made it to Alice Springs!  Our sponsors (people who help you when you first arrive) greeted us at the airport.  They were kind enough to have picked up our rental car for us, so after we loaded up our luggage (think Beverly Hillbillies) we were off to see our new home.  The house is on a great street full of kids with the MacDonnell mountain ranges in our backyard.  We were told that you can buy food and go to the base of the mountain at dusk and feed the wallabies, we are looking forward to doing that.

In the front yard I have 2 eucalyptus trees and next to the front patio there is a lemon tree.  The neighbor told me in June I should have 100’s of lemons (lemonade anyone?).  The house is nice but it will take time to get used to living in a furnished home.  Once I have internet installed I will be shopping for slipcovers!!! The boys have already adjusted to the house, they love their bunk beds.  We spent our first day taking a driving tour of the town and we have been told by many we were lucky to be placed in our neighborhood. We are close to the golf course, casino and the highly recommended restaurant – THE JUICY RUMP!

On Sunday I went to the grocery store with one of JD’s friends from many years ago, it was quite the experience.  So many things are different including the option to purchase kangaroo mince, not sure how long you have to live here until that gets added to the grocery list.  One thing I discovered you will not find here is syrup, if the boys want waffles I may have to ship that in from the USA.  Also, at checkout there is no paper/plastic option, you must bring your own reusable bags or purchase them at the store.

The first two days we were here it rained, which surprised JD but today it is sunny and beautiful. Last night the boys slept for 12 hours and were up at 6:30 this morning.  Now that we are starting to catch up to Australia time we might actually start doing some sightseeing.  That also means I have to start driving, not sure how I feel about driving on the WRONG side of the road.  I have been told that cars have the right away here, they do not slow down for pedestrians – I have also been told when you turn the wrong way or block traffic, rolling down the window and screaming I am an American goes a long way!  This week we are planning to visit the reptile center, the aquatic center (pool, waterslide, lazy river) and hopefully the botanical garden.  The garden is less than a mile from the house and is supposed to have a wonderful café for breakfast and lunch.