Camper Capers: A Town like Alice

Friendly Big Red

We were both very impressed with Alice Springs. Green lawns and tidy homes line the suburban streets and the city centre has every conceivable need catered for. The Cultural Precinct houses some amazing artworks, both indigenous and western.
However, Alice does have a seedier side. Littering the Mall are aborigines cast out from their own communities. Taking solace in alcohol, it is a sad sight, their faces and bodies ravaged by this drug. However, it has only been a mere 137 years since contact with white man in these parts and perhaps even a shorter time with alcohol. For a race that has lived and survived here for 40,000 years, it will be a few more generations yet before this clash of culture is steadied. But, it will happen.

Warrior Dave, Desert Park

Central Australia is desert country, but still very much alive. A trip to the Desert Park, gave us a chance to get up close and personal with local kangaroos, birds, lizards, snakes and the Thorny Devil.

Thorny Devil, Desert Park

We also enjoyed a bird of prey show and a talk and demonstration of aboriginal culture, by a local 'Arrante'.

Balancing a Coolamon on my head, Desert Park

Not far from Alice is Hermannsburg- established in the late 1880’s, it was the first Lutheran Aboriginal Mission. The town is restricted aboriginal land (and looks like a dump), but the historical precinct is open to all and includes the church, school, tannery and various whitewashed German farmhouse style buildings from the early mission times.

Hermannsburg Mission

It is also here that the famous aboriginal watercolour artist Albert Namatjira was born. In honour one of the buildings has been turned into a gallery displaying Albert’s and the Namatjira family’s work. Albert produced some great landscape paintings of the local area and was awarded citizenship 10 years before any other aboriginal. With a foot in each camp, the strain became too much and was a contributing factor of his early death.

Albert Namatjira's grave

The desert region contains many secret places. Palm Valley, in the Finke Gorge National Park, 20 kilometres from Hermannsburg is one such place. Palm Valley is a fascinating relic from literally millions of years ago, when Central Australia was covered in rainforest. With the gorge protecting from wind and the sandstone rock housing constant water, these Red Cabbage Palms have survived from the dinosaur age and are found nowhere else in the world.

Palm Valley

Sounds all very exciting, but here are the facts. The palms are not red, as the name suggests, and the 4WD track is diabolical. We abandoned the car with 1km to go and walked the rest of the way into the valley. The track is actually the dry Finke River (which is the oldest river in the world), and not really a driveable road at all. Some cars did attempt to drive all the way and were rewarded with damage to the underside.
At least on the way home, we toured a more sedate road and visited Simpsons Gap, another pretty waterhole.

Simpsons Gap

As it was now close to dusk, we also got to see the black footed rock wallaby. I am still amazed at how sure footed they are on the rocks.