After sending the girls off safely home, we stayed in Yulara for another day (taking advantage of the fourth day free) at the caravan park.  We restored the bus to its natural order and the following morning headed north to Alice Springs. 

While in Melbourne, we secured a job about 300km north of Alice on McDonald Downs Station, acting as relief manager for Redgum General Store, servicing mostly the remote indigenous communities.  But we still had a couple of weeks to kill before heading up there and I had arranged an interview for a job in Alice at one of the remote service shires. 

First stop Curtin Springs just for a look.  A little roadhouse and camping area along the way.  A Fuel stop at Erldunda and picked up French backpacker Alex and gave him a lift to Alice Springs.   Then not far out of Alice Springs, Brad didn't want to stop for another "smoko stop".  Demanding as I am, we stopped, and luckily so, a very flat tyre was identified.   It was bloody hot, so all hands on deck to get the change done asap and back on the road. 

Arrived in Alice, hot and tired.  Said farewell to Alex and spent the first night at the Showgrounds.  We usually prefer to free camp, pulling up where we can or where we like.  But it is so hot, the next day we checked in to the only caravan park in town that has both a pool and dog friendliness.   So this here is home for the next couple of weeks before we head up north to Redgum.  

I spend time preparing a required presentation for my interview, dress in "city clothes - with shoes" for the first time in a while and head out for my interview. It went well, I am now the Business Manager at Central Desert Regional Council for the next 12 months.  I start as soon as we get back from Redgum.  So I guess we are calling Alice home for a while, I think we'll put Lola in school for a bit and I've negotiated some regular time off during the year so that we can still start the bus up and do some local adventures and not feel too trapped in the 9-5.    Aaah, job obtained, time for a swim, and little checking out of the town.