Alice Springs
Like any of the big towns or cities we’ve pulled into on our travels Alice Springs was a landmark destination. We stayed for three nights and returned a couple of times to restock supplies as we crossed between the West and East MacDonnell Ranges. While we enjoyed exploring the small central town, we found Alice to be more of a gateway or junction, giving access to some fabulous surrounding destinations, rather than a destination in its own right.
Admittedly we didn't visit all the museums or the Desert Park which are supposed to be highlights. We did check out the Megafauna Central, which provided a great insight into the painstaking work of archaeologists and a schooling in Australia's natural history. We walked through the Olive Pink Botanic Garden, most interesting for the life story of the garden's namesake; and the kids visited the Aviation Museum where they got to pilot various aircraft. We also watched the Ghan arrive in from Adelaide, imagining what romantic characters might emerge from the many carriages. It was almost a shock to see the passengers were ordinary 21st century jeans and shirt clad tourists.
I think we missed the Henley on Todd regatta by only a day. Instead we had a picnic lunch in the dry riverbed amused that Google Maps depicts it as a broad stretch of blue. I had the unwelcome task of grocery shopping and felt like a sinner buying alcohol, with mandatory police questioning and ID checks at point of sale. We ate fish and chips at the Anzac lookout while a pair of ballet dancers feigned warmth for a sunset photoshoot. On our final night we ate awesome pizzas and supped top notch craft beer at the Alice Springs Brewing Company.
A lasting highlight for me was the purchase of a new pair of hiking boots, ready to attack the tracks of the MacDonnell Ranges. My last pair of much loved Scarpas packed it in on the walk out of Jim Jim Falls. After nine years and countless kilometres, the already patched sole succumbed to sand infiltration and came away. My newbies are already my favourite possession.
Our home for our three night stay was the Temple Bar Campground, 15km outside of Alice. It seemed to have more permanent residents than travelling guests which made it a quiet park and it had great views of the Heavitree Range. We shared the space with lots of beautiful ring neck parrots and our first pair of Major Mitchell cockatoos.
On the afternoon that we set up camp we went out to Simpsons Gap, our first taste of the MacDonnell Ranges, which was freezing cold but beautiful. We warmed up with the Cassia Hill walk and learned about some of the local plants and enjoyed great views over the beautiful country.
