Due to a fortunate combination of a strong Australian Dollar, low taxes and a lot of work available, Australia in general and Alice Springs in particular turned out to be a great place to recharge the very empty bank account. At some point I was working so many hours that by the end of the day my legs would feel considerably more tired from standing up than after 150 km of cycling.
In the beginning I used to stay at a camp site. And boy was that a place where you would meet some alternative personalities.
The big guy with the beard worked as Santa Claus in shopping centers around Christmas and for the rest of the year he was touring around Australia on his motorbike. There was also a guy from New Zealand who claimed to have worked as a secret agent in Israel and now had come to Australia because he was convinced New Zealand would blow up and disappear into the Pacific Ocean in the near future. He recommend me not to go there with the bike! Finally an Australian couple one day arrived and claimed they had found a dead body in the bush. After some discussion they agreed not to call the police because the guy apparently had some outstanding issues.
Discussions around dinner table were never boring.
Apart from the interesting blend of personalities described above, the camp ground also functioned as a magnet for more sane(?) long distance cyclists. Probably because it was the cheapest place in town. At one point we were 5 cyclists at the camp ground and our tents outnumbered the number of tents from the non-cycling people. There was Graeme who had cycled from Canada and was going to Asia next, and the Swiss couple Patrizia and Bro who had cycled from Europe on a tandem. Finally John was riding around Australia.
Long distance cyclists are clearly more interested in eating than posing for the camera.
One week I worked painting a house for an elderly couple. They normally lived in Melbourne but had an extra house in Alice Springs that they wanted to rent out. After the painting job was finished they asked if I wanted to stay in the house for free until they would find new tenants. One day living in a tent, and the next having a key to my own house. Life is full of surprises.
