Third time's a charm.

On Sunday, it started to rain. Here in Alice Springs, when it rains like this - heavy, drenching, soaking, straight-up-and-down rain - there's one thing that everyone hopes for. Most of the year, the river is a wide, snaking bed of sand, presided over by majestic river red gums, lined with motorbike tracks and dotted with coals from campfires. There are bridges and causeways and boom gates that seem redundant for the majority of the time. More than a day or two of rain and people start to speculate; some confidently dismissive, others quietly hopeful that the rain is falling in the right places and maybe, just maybe, the Todd River will begin to flow.

There's a local myth that says that when you see the Todd River flow three times, you'll never leave Alice Springs.

On Tuesday, my ears pricked up when I overheard someone say there was water over one of the causeways. I jumped in the car and headed straight to the main bridge to see what was happening. Could this be it? There was water but it was 'run off', streaming into the river from a creek that had quickly filled with the onslaught of rain. I've been duped by this before, my hopes mercilessly dashed by the realisation that water in the river is not the same as the river flowing.

Yesterday, I left work just after 5.30pm to head to a work function. In between, I detoured to do a check of the causeways. Apparently it's 'proper' flow when all three causeways are closed and the water flows past the Telegraph Station (or something along these lines). Nothing - not yet.

Then, on my way home from the function, I saw the telltale sign of police lights flashing at the junction of the Wills Terrace causeway. The boom gates were down and the water had just started to stream over the road. This was it! I drove around to cross the main bridge and around to the northern-most causeway at Schwartz Crescent. Yep - the lights from St Philips school were glimmering, reflecting on the inky dark body of water, the Todd River. An actual river! I raced home to grab the dogs and walked them down to see the river gaining speed and crashing over the causeway, smashing torridly against the drainwater pipes on the other side.

The most glorious part of the river flowing is the next morning. All up and down the river, people come out to splash around - children paddle, dogs leap and bound through the coffee coloured water. The river is more than a flow of water. It brings rejuvenation. It refreshes the heart and soul of the place, and its people. It brings people together to watch the speed of the water - will it break the banks? - and everyone stops to have a chat as they stand on the bridge, watching this life force.

Today, I rode home from work alongside the river, water glimmering where it's usually sand. I reached the causeway and there was only one way to get across. The water sprayed up and soaked my boots - wheeeeeeeee!

The river flowed the week I moved here to Alice Springs, and a second time later that year in December 2012. So this week is the third time I've seen the Todd River flowing. Maybe I'll be here for a while, yet.

Outback beach.

We've been lucky enough to have some mid-summer rain to break the relentless heat that is the norm here in Central Australia. Not enough of a downpour to flood the usually-dry Todd River, but the right amount to create a 'beach' of sorts. The claypans are a great local spot to take the dogs for a decent run off-the-leash, and they are just that - a series of expansive, circular pans of clay. After rain the pans collect enough water for the dogs to get gloriously muddy and soaked. Which they adore!

Muddy dogs and a long weekend
Doggies and dusk

Middle summer reprieve.

On my wall at work is a beautiful Jukurrpa calendar, a farewell gift from a lovely friend at my previous job. I've been waiting since August to be able to finally use it and have a year's worth of stunning artwork to look forward to each month.

In this calendar, the Central Arrernte names of seasons and times of year are featured month by month. January is uterne mpepe, or middle summer:

Uterne irrentyeleke rlke urnipele wernetyeke tharte-irreme arewampe anthurre ilemele rlke aretharrele.
Hot wind begins to blow from the northwest. We call that the bad wind, making people tired and irritable. It may bring rain clouds, thunder and lightning.

As southern Australia grapples with a heatwave, here in the centre we have seen a refreshing break from the usual scorching temperatures of middle summer. We've still got a luxurious forecast of at least a couple more days of the reprieve, before the inevitable hot wind begins to blow once more and we all become tired an irritable from the heat.

Stay cool, wherever you are.

Stills: Alice Springs rain.

 

Oh, how I love love love the rain here in Alice Springs. It doesn't happen often (in fact, I've probably blogged about every spot of rain this year - this post and this post at least) so it's delightful to breathe deeply and soak in the heady scent of petrichor (a fancy word I learnt from this sweet lady!). Friday there was a shower in the late morning, and Sunday the skies let loose with a pelting storm - there was even some hail. Although, as it turned out, the hail storm was extremely localised (to which fellow Alice Springs blogger Girl in the Pjs can attest). Fingers crossed there's some more where that came from.


P.S. You may have noticed a little spot of advertising somewhere there on the right hand side. I'm on my way to becoming a blogging millionaire (cough, cough) so if you see an ad for Twinings tea, or the like, feel free to click through and contribute to my blogging fortune. Of course, I'm joking - about the millionaire part. Feel free to let me know if you totally hate it and will never visit my blog again because of it. (Or not!)

Linking to Em at the Beetle Shack for her weekly linky!