In the Park we met people that live within 1 km of our home,, it is a small world. we have travelled, so far, two thousand km to meet them..:)
It's the heart of Australia, the capital of the Outback and the most romantic country town in the world. It's where the 'Arrernte' Aboriginal tribal group have lived for 20,000 years and where pioneer men and women gave "tough" a new meaning. It's where they race camels, hold hilarious holiday regattas in dry river beds and where Peter Finch finally caught up with Virginia McKenna in the 1956 film classic "A Town Like Alice".
Alice , With a population of over 27,000,the town is a self-contained business community catering for its population and the many thousands of annual visitors. Visitors to this great Outback town can experience the $19.6 million Alice Springs Desert Park, Aboriginal culture, visit the world's largest classroom - the School of the Air and is the perfect base to tour the Eastern and Western MacDonnell Ranges, the famous Uluru (Ayers Rock) , Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Kings Canyon . Hermannsburg a German Mission Station, Simpson's Gorge and Stanley Chasm . a 360km round trip, that is well worth the trip.
The sites of Interest around Alice ..include the
'Truckies' Hall of Fame Click side photo The 'Telegraph Station' one of the earliest Stations in Australia,, as it was used to Link the London Adelaide Telegraph link in the 1880's. A special place of interest was the 'Panorama Art Gallery' where the Artist Henk Guth is still in residence. (A must to visit) We Bought two of his Paintings, and will frame them for our Lounge wall.
Royal Flying Doctor Service At Alice
One of Australia's most legendary organisations, the Royal Flying Doctor Service , is on show at the RFDS Alice Springs Visitors' Centre. The Visitors' Centre at Alice Springs commenced operations in the late 1970s and since then has grown to become one of the most popular attractions in Central Australia. The television series based on the RFDS has made the Base a 'must see' attraction on all travellers itineraries. Last year over 100,000 people visited the Centre which was recently redeveloped and extended including the addition of a Cafe and Bush Kitchen.
In a recent tourism visitation survey, the Centre also maintained its status as Alice Springs pre-eminent attraction with many repeat visitors coming to see the expanded range of displays.
We went to a very special Gorge called Ormiston Gorge , a unique oasis in the desert, with sandy beaches and COLD water, all surrounded by gigantic wall faces of marble, with rock wallabies clambering up and down the gorge faces, further along the gorge area was what is called the 'Ochre Pits ' where for many centuries past the original Inhabitants scaped out the Yellow, red, and white ochre to use in their ceremonies.
We Now say goodbye to the Alice, and set out for Tennant Creek. aprox. the dead center of Oz, passing Barrow Creek. the site of the mystery murder in March this year of the boyfriend of the English tourist. We had a look at the 'Devils Marbles' on the way, a rocky outcrop that stand out in the desert. comprising of hundreds of Very Large boulders sitting on top of each other
