Thursday 18 October 2012

A town called Alice

I arrived in Alice Springs at nightfall and was disappointed that I wouldn't really have much time to explore the town as I had to leave for the airport at 10.30am for my flight to Melbourne. However on chatting to a young man in the bar he offered to take me to a viewing point at 6am the next morning so I could at least see some of the town.


 Saw some kangaroos on the edge of the town. The first ones I had seen in the wild.


This is looking down from the Anzac monument hill to the main street of the town.


The river Todd runs through the town but for the majority of the year it is a river of sand.

There were a number of these beautiful trees with lilac blossom on them but my guide couldn't remember what they were called. It was the same with these birds. He said they just called them 28ers! Maybe someone out there can enlighten me.



 

I loved the look of this saloon but my new found guide said it that some of the drinking places can still become a little 'lively' in the evenings.


 I just had time to visit one museum before I had to leave and with memories of the TV programme about the flying doctor then this place was a must.



 Every homestead in the outback has a medical box full of a wide range of medication. This can only be used under the direction of the flying doctor at the base. this is an example of a one from1958.

This is a slightly more modern one.




 To contact the doctor they needed to use a radio and this ingenious pedal-powered one was invented for that purpose.



This sign was outside a second hand shop!

4 comments:

  1. LOVE the sign to that second hand shop, very original! (if a bit freaky!)

    How nice of the guy to accompany you around town so early! :o)

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  2. The purple tree is a Jacaranda, we don't have them in Europe I think. The birds I don't know. To see the Flying Doctors is fun.

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  3. The purple tree is indeed a jacaranda! This is their flowering time - for the rest of the year they're a nice leafy green, but not at all extraordinary! The birds are called different things in different parts of OZ - but I know them as Mallee Ringnecks (Parrots). '28' is (supposedly) the sound they make!! Not sure about that one ...

    I'm sorry I haven't left too many comments on your wonderful travel posts - I've been travelling myself and haven't had the extra time to comment. Google Reader has a lot to answer for!

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  4. That was really kind of the young man and your pictures show at least a little bit of what you have seen !

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