a window seat so that I could gaze upon the vast area of Australia called
the Outback. The route took us over Australia's largest lake, Lake Eyre,
which is a salt lake that varies in size from season to season. This section
of the country had received an abnormal amount of rain in the last couple of
months, so I was able to see it at one of it's larger states. It was such a
beautiful scene, the dark shadows of the small clouds floating over the
stark white background of the salt lake.
I arrived in "The Alice", as the Aussies call it, in the middle of the
day, and the climate and environment change was immediately apparent. Alice
Springs appeared from the plane out of nowhere, and it was surprising to see
a city in the middle of nowhere. The air was hot and crisp and had a
definite fragrance, as many of Australia's bush plants are very aromatic.
The Alice has only a population of around 30,000, but it is by far the
largest city in the Central Australia region. The population is 35%
Aborigine, and it is the Northern Territory's second largest city, after
Darwin (90,000), which is 1500 km away. Alice Springs is located on the Todd
River, which is hardly a river since it is dry 95% of the time, and can go
years without seeing water flow. This city got it's start after the
government in Australia decided to lay a telegraph cable across Central
Australia, no small feat considering the desolate conditions. The man chosen
to find the path was John McDouall Stuart, and explorer and adventurer. It
took him three times to cross the vast interior, and nearly killed him every
time he attempted it. The line was finally finished in 1872, and cut the
time getting a message to Britain from 11 months by sea to 11 days by
telegraph. The telegraph station at Stuart, as the town was known until
1933, was set near a freshwater spring which was named Alice Springs after
the wife of the first telegraph station manager. It was such a popular title
that the town took its name in 1933.
and it stretches for 3 blocks. At the end of Todd Mall is Anzac hill, a
great vantage point to take in the town, and also a great place to watch
sunsets from. The town also has a number of other sights. It is home to The
School of the Air, a school for the children living on the cattle stations
scattered all over the Outback. Lessons are transmitted by radio, and the
teachers do fly around to the stations to make do some private lessons with
each of the students. The bill it as 'the world's largest classroom', which
I'm sure it is. Alice is also home to a base for The Royal Flying Doctor
Service, which is used to treat emergencies on the stations and in other
regions of the desert. Both of these are fascinating and a tribute to
Australian ingenuity. The Theodore Strhelow research center is a museum
dedicated to this man who spent his life working with the Aborigines. The
elders gave Strhelow many of their sacred items when they realized their
culture was in danger. These are not open for viewing by the public due to
aboriginal beliefs, but are housed there to protect them so that the next
generation of children can be kept informed on their culture.
Alice Springs finest sight has to be the Alice Springs Desert Park, which
houses a amazing array of desert creatures in an environment designed to
simulate their natural habitats. Most of the mammals of the desert regions
are nocturnal, so the park has a great nocturnal house which allows people
to see the creatures they would have little chance of seeing in the wild. My
favorite are the Bilbies, which are like small desert mice with oversized
ears.
I know I told a number of you that I'd never try Australian animals for a
meal. In Alice I went to a pub which was serving an 'Australian' plate of
Emu, Kangaroo and Camel, so I figured it wouldn't kill me to try. Emu was
good, a soft white meat with an odd taste I can't quite put my finger on,
but I won't use clichés and compare the taste to chicken. Camel was actually
a fine meat, the best tasting of the three. It was also the least fatty,
because the camels that were introduced to Australia and now roam the
outback in the wild are the one hump kind and almost all of the fat is
stored in the hump. Kangaroo was, well, gross. It was greasy and gamy, two
things I don't really like in meat. Maybe it was they fact that they are
also cute in the wild, where as camels and emus are really ugly, but who
knows.