March 7 – Alice Springs

March 7, 2016 – Alice Springs
Having read the Nevil Shute book “A Town like Alice” any years ago and seeing the TV movie, I was looking forward to this stop.
We left Adelaide at 10:45am, set our watches back one hour, and arrived in Alice Springs at 11:45am. Right now we are 17 1/2 hours ahead of Oakland Ca. (Or 6 1/2 hours behind and a day later).
It was 97° when we arrived. We drove to the hotel so our bags could be left and headed out for downtown. This land has a large number of indigenous people and some tribal ceremonies still take place. This is the first time I felt “in the outback”.
It was lunch on your own. Four of us joined Troy for a pub lunch. We had about 45 minutes after lunch to wander. Many in the group picked up gifts for family.
Next was a visit to the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia museum. They have network of offices and planes to make sure that all people have access to health care.
After this we went to The Old Telegraph Station where Alice Springs was first settled at the inception of the Overland Telegraph which allowed Australians to rely messages to the coast and onto England. We also learned about the lost generation. When aboriginals and half-castes started to out number white in the Northern Territories, the government took the children away to be raised “white”. This didn’t end until 1970
On the way back to the hotel we stopped at the war memorial which had great views of the city.
Dinner was a “bush tucker” meal which just means typical bush food. We started with a tray containing something like pita bread, beet and cream cheese spread, yam and jalapeño spread, pesto, smoked kangeroo, and arancini. The smoked kangeroo tasted like pastrami. We had our choice of entrees: barramundi, kangeroo, or pasta with grilled vegetables. I had the kangeroo with was accompanied by quandong chili glaze, yam and salt bush friiters, and broccolini. Everything was very good. Dessert was Sticky Date Pudding.
Tomorrow eleven of us are doing an optional tour “Desert Park Aboriginal Tour”. We will be guided by an aboriginal through a garden of bush plants and trees. After joining up with the rest of the group, we will go to a dialysis center for the indigenous and then visit School of Air which broadcasts classes to children in the outback.
We have all chipped in and tomorrow night Troy is making us an Australian BBQ including many native meats. He is also having a native Digeridoo player who will give us a lesson and play for us.