The View From My Beer
After another long day it’s time to enjoy a cold Carlton Draught at Todd Tavern in Alice Springs. With the death of NT Draught, there doesn’t seem to be a local beer. It’s easy to tell it’s an Australian pub, cause there is lots of betting options available at each table.
Alice Springs
Located in the centre of Australia, Alice Springs (Mparntwe), has a population of 28,000. It serves as an administrative hub for much of central Australia, being the home of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, and School of the Air. Prior to 2004 it was also where the original Ghan train from Adelaide terminated.
My Walk
My trip to Alice Springs was part of a round-the-world ticket returning from London to Australia via Singapore. Never having visited Alice Springs before, I originally planned to spend three nights here. Later I decided to use two of those days for a trip to Uluru and Kings Canyon. I arrived back in Alice Springs late on Tuesday evening giving me just enough time for a quick walk to a nearby pub. The next morning I got up early to explore Alice Springs as I had a flight to the Gold Coast (via Sydney) leaving at 2PM.
Alice Springs
Alice Springs has a lot of character. Its central location makes it a unique city. There was the strong presence of aboriginal culture and art. The harshness of the surrounding desert is perhaps best exemplified by the dry river bed of the Torrens River on which the famous Todd River regatta is held mid August each year. It was a shame I had missed the world’s only dry river boating event by a few days. The remoteness of Alice was reflected by the road signs pointing out how far away the rest of Australia was, and the massive road trains that carry goods to those cities.
I was told to be careful when I visited Alice Springs as there had been a lot of trouble in the area. I didn’t gomlooking for trouble, and I didn’t find any. There were signs of indigenous people being homeless and/or having problems with alcohol but I was never threatened in any way.
Aboriginal Art
I am a big fan of traditional Aboriginal Art. I like the patterns and colors created by a collection of dots. There was a lot of street art on display around Alice Springs and a lot more to explore in its many art galleries.
Flora and Fauna
Being an oasis on the edge of the Simpson Desert, there is a lot of wildlife in the area. As the sun begins to set each evening, parrots, cockatoos, and kites would gather in the trees and start making quite a loud raucous. On my way back to my hotel I had time to make a quick visit to the Alice Springs Botanical Gardens, which featured desert plants.
Alice Springs Airport
Alice Springs wins the prize for the most interesting baggage carousel, with a kangaroo and emu hovering over the baggage claim area. Given its location, surrounded by desert, the airport was used to store aircraft that were not being used by their owners.
