It is a long way to Australia,
but so very worth the trip!
In June 2001, while son
Martin was taking his exams for his semester abroad at the University of
Sydney, I took the opportunity to fly to Adelaide, spend a few days there, and
then get on the Ghan to Alice Springs.
From there I went to Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock) for a few days to
learn about the aboriginal and geological history of this area. Back in 2001, visitors could still climb up
Uluru, although it was discouraged because tis area is sacred to the
Aboriginals. I didn’t make the climb (of
course … respect!) but went on many wonderful walks with Aboriginal guides and
learned about their culture and arts including the caves and rock faces with
ancient tribal paintings on them.
This year, 2018, I decided
to complete my South/North transect of Australia. The Great Southern Rail company completed the
tracks from Alice Springs to Darwin, with line construction beginning in in
July 2001 and the first passenger train reaching Darwin in 2004 (A nice Wikipedia article on GSR and the
Ghan’s history is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ghan
And
so…May 11, 2018, and Off to the Outback today! Alice
Springs is the closest city to Uluru (Ayers Rock)aka “the Red Centre”. Great
Qantus flight, only 3.5 hours from Sydney to the middle of the Australian
continent. Views as we fly over the Outback help to remind us of the vast
desert here.
ALICE SPRINGS AND ITS ENVIRONS
But wait!… why is this part
of Australia called “the Red Centrer”? I did a bit of research and the best
answer I can give is that the rock that makes up Uluru is akrose, and the red
color is caused by the rusting of the iron element in the akrose. Regardless,
it is a beautiful sight rising from the relatively flat red land around it.
Uluru is a UNESCO world heritage site.
McDonnell Range
A great day tour to the West
McDonnell Range near Alice Springs. Although the Outback is a desert for the
most part, age old riverbeds are everywhere and they can flood when it rains.
The result: some amazingly beautiful (and swimable) waterholes exist year-round
in remote chasms.
Alice Springs
There is actually quite a lot to see in Alice Springs! Viewed from Anzac Hill, it's eye-opening to see how extensive this major city of the Outback is.
I only had a few hours to tour Alice Springs city attractions and museums before getting on the Ghan, and Filippo Gelado’s excellent tour got me to all the attractions on my list (School of the Air, Royal Flying doctors, Telegraph station, Pioneer women’s museum, Anzac Hill) AND allowed me to stop at a shop for last minute toiletries etc. Filippo suggested lunch at a small cafe with good but healthy food, across the street from a non-ripoff Aboriginal art gallery. Looking for a great guide? His big SUV is immaculate, as is he, and he speaks clearly and with expert authority. And he even transported me from my hotel to the train station in plenty of time to beat the crowds boarding the Ghan. I’m recommending him to everyone who wants to tour Uluru and the Red Center! https://www.outbackelitetours.com/ +61 429 263 43
There is actually quite a lot to see in Alice Springs! Viewed from Anzac Hill, it's eye-opening to see how extensive this major city of the Outback is.
I only had a few hours to tour Alice Springs city attractions and museums before getting on the Ghan, and Filippo Gelado’s excellent tour got me to all the attractions on my list (School of the Air, Royal Flying doctors, Telegraph station, Pioneer women’s museum, Anzac Hill) AND allowed me to stop at a shop for last minute toiletries etc. Filippo suggested lunch at a small cafe with good but healthy food, across the street from a non-ripoff Aboriginal art gallery. Looking for a great guide? His big SUV is immaculate, as is he, and he speaks clearly and with expert authority. And he even transported me from my hotel to the train station in plenty of time to beat the crowds boarding the Ghan. I’m recommending him to everyone who wants to tour Uluru and the Red Center! https://www.outbackelitetours.com/ +61 429 263 43
Alice Springs got a boost in
importance as a telegraph repeater station. The museum at this location has
beautiful grounds on the banks of the Alice river; a popular place for families
to enjoy picnics and local festivals
At the museum dedicated to
the Royal Flying Doctor service, I learned about its importance to health care
in the remote corners of the Outback. Fascinating! The invention of a
pedal-powered radio allowed Emergency calls. Landing strips were either
improvised or roadways!
The
School of the Air began radio broadcasts from Alice Springs in 1951, mailing
lessons to children in this huge area of the Outback making it the world’s
largest classroom. From the beginning it followed Australia’s national school
curriculum. In 2001 it pivoted away from radio and now broadcasts interactively
via the Internet; enrolled families have satellite dishes.
BUT I don’t want to overly
glamorize the experience of travel in the Outback. There are the pesky small
black flies that descend on you like a cloud in the McDonnell ranges, looking
for moisture in the corner of your eyes, your nostrils, and ever ready to land
on your tongue when you sneeze or gasp. All along the Stuart highway from Alice
Springs to Darwin, now (May) at the beginning of the dry season, the aboriginal
owners of the land and other owners, are setting fires to control the
underbrush before it gets out of hand — I saw 20 foot tall grasses at the side
of the railroad tracks. The smoke is noxious and dims the afternoon sky. My
guide Filippo talked about the 12 foot snake that slithered across his backyard
in Alice Springs recently and wondered if it was the one that had killed six
dogs in his neighborhood recently. The boat launching area at Nitmiluk has
warnings about saltwater crocodiles. Every silver lining has a cloud, it seems.
That’s just life happening. Wouldn’t want to miss one intriguing second of it!
Travel on, says that wandering angel on my shoulder!
A treasured souvenir from my 2018 TRIP TO AUSTRALIA was
acquired during a visit to the Alice Springs Women’s Museum. I didn’t write about this thought-provoking
museum in my blog, but if you go to Alice Springs, it is highly recommended –
so much to see, and learn. This treasure
is a book mark created by prisoners at the Alice springs correctional center.
The center is committed to reducing repeat offending through providing quality
employment, education, and training Programs.
Many Aboriginal men are imprisoned here… a commentary on injustices of
the past and ongoing inequality. But
hats off to Australia, where an authentic effort is being made to reduce
inequality with its first peoples, and awareness is key to that. You’ll find many references in my blogs that
thank the TRADITIONAL OWNERS OF THE LAND for the privilege of visiting those
lands. Thank you, anthropologist Shirley
Campbell, for increasing my awareness and empathy as a traveler to your
country.
This bookmark was made by Vincent Nipper of the Pitjantjatjara language group, Aboriginal peoples who lived traditionally in the Central Australian desert. They refer to themselves as Anangu (people). The land is an inseparable and important part of their identity, and every part of it is rich with stories and meaning to Anangu. The sacred sites of Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) possess important spiritual and ceremonial significance for the Anangu.
This bookmark was made by Vincent Nipper of the Pitjantjatjara language group, Aboriginal peoples who lived traditionally in the Central Australian desert. They refer to themselves as Anangu (people). The land is an inseparable and important part of their identity, and every part of it is rich with stories and meaning to Anangu. The sacred sites of Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) possess important spiritual and ceremonial significance for the Anangu.
THE GHAN TO DARWIN
This
is really train travel at its best! A
comfortable cabin with en suite full bathroom.
A dining car “The Queen Adelaide restaurant” with wonderful food. Stewards who are knowledgeable and
helpful. We embarked mid-afternoon,
traveled the night, and then did an excursion before arriving in Darwin the
next afternoon. Learn more at https://greatsouthernrail.com.au/trains/the-ghan/the-ghan-expedition From Alice Springs to Darwine is 915 rail
miles and 22 hours.
But I was very comfortable with my companion, the doll, Pippi
Longstocking, “the strongest girl in the world”, who gets to travel with me. Pippi has other admirers, and got a cuddle from her admirer Rosalyn Stallard of
the Ghan’s staff before we enjoyed another fabulous meal.
Katherine
Our off-Ghan excursion in
mid morning was a stop at Katherine, the fourth largest town in the Northern
Territories (the NT includes the Outback). Nitmiluk National Park located near
Katherine is home to the spectacular Katherine Gorge, a series of large
sandstone rock formations; there are 13 Gorges in the park. Nitmiluk is home to
the indigenous Jawoyn people. A cruise to the First Gorge and a short walk took
us to two fine rock art sites. More than 700 rock art sites are found in the
park. These paintings pictured below are 8000-10,000 years old. Our guide
informed us about other aspects of his Jawoyn culture and gave a demonstration
on the didgeridoo, an indigenous instrument which requires circular breathing
to play. For the video of thd didgeridoo playing, go to
DARWIN
This city, capital of the
Northern Territory of Australia, is
closer to Jakarta than it is to Sydney. Located on the Timor Sea, It’s warm and
tropical here but not much humidity: lovely! Barrimundi is the favored local
fish. Exquisitely oven baked by PeeWee’s, on the opposite side of Darwin
“uptown”. Great place to watch the sun set!
I love natural history
museums and so today I went to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern
Territory. I’ll talk more about aboriginal art when my ship gets to the Tiwi
area, but of course I had to pose in this interesting art exhibit.
Many
interesting exhibits in this friendly and free museum, but I was fascinated by
the preserved saltwater crocodile on display. “Sweetheart” had been harassing
fishing boats in the late 1970’s and was being relocated but sadly died in the
attempt. He was 16 feet 10 inches long, 1720 pounds and 50-80 years old. The
photo with children at his dockside retrieval gives a good perspective.
So ends my excursion in the
Outback and up to the Northern Territory and Darwin. Next part of this fabulous adventure in
Australia is …The Kimberley! Click here to see the PART TWO
