Since my Uluru tour didn't leave until the next morning, I had the day to see what Alice Springs has to offer. Our hotel was outside the town center but it was a pleasant walk especially after a morning of flying. Alice Springs, like the rest of the Northern Territory, has a strong Aboriginal presence. The town center is Todd Mall and has many stores selling Aboriginal artwork. The patterns were brilliant and I wanted to buy them all. Katie and I went into a gallery and the large canvas painting I liked was oh $899. I settled on a painting a lot cheaper ($20). It depicts a dream story about thunder and lightening.
Walking around the city, we found the following historical buildings and sites:
Old Stuart Town Gaol
Completed in 1908 and remaining in service until 1938, this gaol (how weird is that spelling!) was built of mostly local stone from the MacDonnell Ranges. This is the oldest building remaining in the Alice Springs town area. Fun fact: You could go to gaol if you branded cattle incorrectly.
Royal Flying Doctor Service
Opened in 1939, the RFDS is a living legend of the Outback and is still fully operational today. Because Alice Springs is in the middle of nowhere, it's vital that medical care is mobile.
Anzac Hill
Giving a superb view of the ranges especially at sunrise and sunset, this visible landmark has a memorial to lives lost in all the world conflicts. The words "Lest We Forget" really get me.
The town is small; the afternoon was the perfect amount of time to spend in Alice Springs.
Cheers for now,
Kim
{Hotel Review: By booking our tour through Alice in the Territory, we got our night before and after for free. You can't complain with free! The place was a hotel though it has a few backpacker rooms with bunks. Our two German roommates were doing the same tour and had been traveling around Australia for six months. Our room had a TV, bathroom and pool but no kitchen. Overall it was nice.}
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