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| Alice Springs center |
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| Alice Springs center |
Alice Springs is a small town in the middle of Australia. It is nestled in a valley and has a very isolated feel. Alice Springs is also known as The Red Center, this is because of it's location and the red color of the soil. It reminded me of Sedona, Arizona. The photo at left shows the Heavitree Gap in the background. We had the opportunity to observe a number of birds, including falcons and gallahs, and a wide variety of plants. I can recommend The Mediterranean restaurant at Todd Mall. They offer home made dishes, including many vegetarian selections.
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| Standley Chasm |
We went out with a local tour company, Smarty's, to view Standley Chasm and Simpson Gap. The hike to Standley Chasm reminded me of Oak Creek Canyon in Arizona. However, the chasm itself was very unique. You find yourself surrounded by red rock faces that reach several stories above you. It would make for terrific rock climbing, but it is not permitted. We observed black footed wallabies, a gold weaver spider, golden finches and many more plant varieties than what we saw in town. Standley Chasm is named for Ida Standley, who in 1914 came to the area to teach the aborigines.
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| Simpson's Gap |
At Simpson's Gap we overheard an older Aussie couple ask the guide if it is similar to The Grand Canyon. The gap is unique but nothing on the scale of The Grand Canyon! It's hard to capture the gap on film. It is a narrow gap between towering red cliffs. When you pass through the gap you get the feeling the sun has never reached the floor. Once through the gap, it opens into a large valley rimmed by red rock.
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| Ghost Gum Trees |
On the road between Alice Springs and the chasm and the gap, we stopped to admire two stately ghost gum trees. These trees were made famous by a local aborigine artist named Albert Namatjara. His painting of these two trees gained him international recognition. There are many fine local artists in this area. Visit the galleries and find something special to take home to commemorate your trip.
A couple notes, squash is called pumpkin, rashers are sort of a cross between bacon and Canadian bacon. Coffee is very strong because Aussies always take theirs with milk. Milk is also put in tea, but not Billy tea.