Sunday, November 3, 2019

DARWIN 2019 Day 20 - Sunday 3rd November

ALICE SPRINGS TO COOBER PEDY

Awaking early to a windy, dusty morning, we left Alice Springs shortly after six o'clock. The wind and dust continued for some distance but then cleared under a clear blue sky and cotton wool clouds. 
Our only diversion from the road was into the Breakaways just north of Coober Pedy.
















Saturday, November 2, 2019

DARWIN 2019 Day 19 - Saturday 2nd November

ALICE SPRINGS

A morning visit to the "Olive Pink" Botanic Gardens, the Old Telegraph Station and Anzac Hill then a lazy cruise around some of the parts of the town that we want to remember or discover, followed by relaxing over lunch and the afternoon before getting ready for our departure in the morning.

The gardens are named after Olive Pink who was a well known woman of the bush with a special interest in arid land plants. Early on a Saturday morning it was busy with groups of people there for the coffee rather than the plants.


There is quite a collection of sculpture, mostly whimsical.

Recommended walks and information boards lead one through different arid land environments.

A windy change had come in overnight bringing with it a pall of dust.

A new walk-cycle way along the river adjoins the gardens.

We were mostly interested in the location and presence of the old telegraph station so did not pay the $25 that it would have cost us to enter the compound and participate in a guided tour.

The Anzac Hill memorial is notable in that it represents all of the conflicts in which Australians have been involved, not just the World Wars.

A street in one of the fairly recent residential developments.

Friday, November 1, 2019

DARWIN 2019 Day 18 - Friday 1st November

ALICE SPRINGS

A lazy day in Alice Springs - up late, a leisurely breakfast, a drive around the residential area near "The Palms" and a wander around the Todd Mall, especially some of the numerous galleries featuring indigenous art. We especially wanted to visit the newly opened "Megafauna Central"Museum.

Some of the residences near "The Palms".

Looking across part of the golf course.

The Todd River near "The Palms"

Memories and changes from when we were at Amata, with Alice Springs our closest town.

Flynn Memorial Uniting Church. We sometimes attended church here when we were in "Alice" and were visited at Amata by the minister - Rev.Jim Downing.

The radio hut from which one of the first bush radio contacts was made by Traeger and Flynn to the Hermannsburg Mission.

A variety of accommodation from Youth Hostel to expensive motels and hotels - a bit different from "Griffiths House" where we stayed a few times - now demolished to make way for Woolworths supermarket.

The new Supreme Court building.

 Megafauna Central.