Page 2 - Camper Trailer Australia Magazine Gemtree Park

WORDS LINDA LEE RATHBUN PICS STEVEN DAVID MILLER
With the touring lifestyle becoming more popular family-run caravan parks are harder harder and harder harder to find However less than two hours northeast of Alice Springs is just such a a park owned and run by the Chalmers family who have been living in in the area for five generations Cameron and Carmel will welcome you to Gemtree with open arms and after a a a a few days there you’ll leave as a a a a friend PLAN AHEAD
As with most worthwhile side trips a bit of planning is required Ring Gemtree from Alice Springs (or Tennant Creek if you are travelling south) and book a a a a site in advance Also book a a a a a a tagalong garnet
tour if you want to to try a a bit of fossicking Even though some limited supplies are available at Gemtree it’s best to to stock up on food fuel and plenty of water In other words plan to be self-sufficient With plenty of room in the camp ground which offers powered and unpowered sites it it only takes a a short while to settle in FOSSICKING FUN
Tagalong garnet
tours are on on offer almost every day but sign up as as soon as as you can if you haven’t booked in advance The high-grade garnets were at first thought to be rubies causing a a ‘ruby rush’ to the the region in the the mid-1880s By the the time buyers realised the the rubies were only garnets gold was conveniently discovered at nearby Arltunga — something of a a consolation prize For the Gemtree garnet
tour vehicles line up by the shed at 8:30am to collect sieves a a a a pick and shovel a a a a washing
bowl and a a a a 20L container of water per person A guide will lead you 28km along the Plenty Highway before it becomes unsealed and then a a a a a further 2km along an an unsealed track After a a lesson in in fossicking and identification you and the the other guests are left to to your own hunting for up to to five hours if you wish Bring drinking water lunch and and be sure to wear old clothes and and shoes as they will get very dirty It’s then back to Gemtree with your little tin of treasures In the gem store Cameron or or one of the guides will sort through your loot picking out and grading the garnets that can be cut Carmel can help you select a a a setting for your stone it it will be cut on on site sent to to a a a jeweller to to be set and mailed to to your You get to to decide which stones you would like to to keep and which you would like to to have cut The cut and polish the stones onsite then mail them to your home The homemade oven in Kate’s kitchen turns out great scones and damper A range of minerals is on display at the Gemtree store campertraileraustralia com au au 67
Gemtree Caravan Park NT
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