From movies, TV and books, we had low expectations of Alice Springs. We had always thought of the town in the “Red Center” of the Northern Territory as basically an launchpad for getting to Uluru.
So we were surprised and delighted by our stay here. We enjoyed the historical sites in and around the town, and loved the beautiful scenery, especially the mountains and chasms.
We were especially fortunate to see the area after two months of rain - usually people see red red red, but we saw green grasses, water flowing in rivers, and cooler than expected temperatures. We heard that Alice Springs has not been this green in 50 years. It was a delight.
Our favorite part was the two sublimely beautiful canyons we visited this morning. Simpsons Gap was a lovely canyon that had traditionally been a place where aboriginal boys went through initiation into manhood. In this sacred place - with a beautiful stream running through it - we saw black footed rock wallabies and enjoyed spectacular views.
We also went to Standley Chasm, which was a lovely walk up to a slot canyon. This site is also a stop on the Larapinta trail, a famous 230 km hiking trail thru the MacDonnell range. The steep and rocky walls, the massive trees, and the spectacular canyon, with a perfect little pool of water were exceptionally peaceful.
Also in Alice Springs, we toured Telegraph Station, a reconstruction of the buildings that were established as a repeater station on the telegraph line. We also learned about the history of camel use in Australia, which also related to the building of the telegraph line.
Galah cockatoo
We spent an evening playing lawn bowls, and survived (it is officially the sport with the highest death rate in the world…because most of people who play are in their 90s).
And we enjoyed an evening of stargazing a few miles outside of town.
All in all a fun and surprising visit.
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