Days 16 and 17 Alice Springs

Days 16 and 17 Alice Springs

I had planned in 2 days after our trek as ‘rest and laundry’ days – but, of course, we only really took 1….We get bored VERY quickly…..

We didn’t get up until nearly 9am on Monday – quite a lie-in given how early we went to bed – had a leisurely breakfast, went for a swim, read a book, caught up our emails, did the laundry in the hotel’s facilities (a bit strange….the proprietor insisted I hang the clothes out in the desert sun instead of using the dryer, so I did…with a chicken wandering around the yard, watching my every move…)walked into town for dinner….and went to bed again…..

I haven’t really described Alice Springs.  It is a very odd place, indeed.  We got the first clue on the bus from the airport – early 70s music on the radio – and the architecture of the buildings as we went along also having that mid-twentieth century America vibe.  The main part of the town is a little sad….apparently the population is 30% white and 70% aboriginal, but few of the aboriginal people speak English – and few are employed.  Many just sit in groups along the side of the road or in green spaces, watching the world go by.  It is quite sad – their way of life has disappeared, leaving them behind – and most aren’t given the skills to participate in today’s world.  They have amazing knowledge of the local area - - they are a huge, underutilised resource to bring tourism and prosperity….but without schools for them to attend and without an effort on their part to learn English, their vast knowledge is being ignored and will eventually be lost.  A few of the English-speaking guides are trying to learn one of the aboriginal languages…but there are over 500 different languages, very local to each area – and completely unintelligible to even other aboriginal groups. It is a tricky problem.

On Tuesday we were up, breakfasted and waiting for a taxi by 8 to go to the Alice Springs Desert Park – a wildlife park not far out of town….we’d have walked if it hadn’t already been over 30 degrees C with a baking sun.

The park was a pleasant surprise, given the 1970s delapidation of the town – and we were glad that we had gone by taxi instead of a tour so that we could stay as long as we wanted and see the many demonstrations and exhibits.  We had talks by the rangers on dingoes, birds of prey, kangaroos and aboriginal foods and medicines.  

The birds show was quite special in that the birds swooped in and out of the amphitheatre on cue….you could see close up what is usually a speck in the sky high overhead.  The kangaroo talk was also fascinating…and it was amazing to be able to see a joey just poking out of its mother’s pouch.  I had no idea that female kangaroos give birth to tiny embryos that they can then ‘keep on ice’ to develop only when there is enough food around to ensure its survival.  

The talk on aboriginal foods and medicines was led by an aboriginal guide who explained about the different seeds, roots and leaves – and also about the various tools used and the division of labour between men and women.  I do wish we had had all that knowledge before our trek – so a bit of advice….do the desert park first – and allow at least 4 hours….

The nocturnal animal house was also incredible: bilbies, bandicoots, snakes and a host of other curious creatures hopping about, tricked that it was nighttime in the cool, darkness of the sleek, modern building. 

The park does a terrific job of placing areas of shade, drinking fountains, toilets and air conditioned buildings at intervals that make a visit pleasant even as the temperature climbs to 40 degrees +.  We finished our visit with a film in the centre’s cinema and caught a taxi back to the hotel.  Lots of packing to be done….we’re off again tomorrow!