Darwin to Adelaide

Adventure on the Ghan - Day 2     (throwback memory)

A Town Like Alice

Alice Springs is the half-way point on our journey, as it is an equal distance of  1,500 kilometres between Darwin and Adelaide.   The town straddles the Todd River (usually dry) and is nestled between the East and West MacDonnell Ranges.  It is the traditional home of the Arunta Aboriginal people.

Alice is famous for its beautiful outback desert landscapes, its strong Aboriginal culture and it is the adventure capital for exploring the Red Centre.

We arrived in Alice Springs for an off-train excursion, after breakfast on Day 2 of our Ghan adventure.

We joined the Alice Explorer tour and were driven by bus to the Women's Museum of Australia as our first port of call.  This is housed in the old gaol now preserved as a historic reminder of life for male and female prisoners in the early days.  We saw an interesting exhibition by the National Pioneers Women's Hall of Fame celebrating women of the outback.  These pioneer women were a special breed, tough, resilient and endlessly resourceful.

Our next visit was to the Royal Flying Doctor's Base where we saw a short video to learn about the vital medical care the service provides to those living in the outback. We also stepped inside a replica RFDS aircraft and found it all fascinating.

Our driver then drove us through the town where we could see the shops and then out to the old Telegraph Station which is 4 kilometres north of the town centre.

This is now a historic museum with indoor and outdoor displays depicting the story of Australia's telegraphic connection to the rest of the world in 1871. There is also a small cafe at the site where you can buy refreshments. We spent a pleasant time wandering around and inspecting the various stone buildings on the site.

After leaving the Telegraph Station, our driver drove us back through the town and up to Anzac Hill where we saw good panoramic views of the Town and the surrounding Ranges. There is a memorial on the top to all who served in wars Australia has participated in.
  

Here is part of the Old Gaol where we saw the Pioneer Women's Exhibition.  The Gaol was built in 1938 and ceased operations in 1996.  There is a new gaol south of Alice Springs.

 Ken standing on the steps into the RFDS aircraft.

Alice Springs Railway Station and the memorial to the Afghan workers on the Railway.



It was time to farewell Alice Springs and return to the Train and continue our journey to Adelaide.