Alice Springs, Northern Territory   

(Written by Steve Oct 17, 05) - received Oct 18

So, here we are, smack dab in the middle of Australia. This country has everything that you can imagine, and I just can’t say enough about it.

It does have a few problems though, like the size, Aboriginal issues and water supply. Traveling around a country that is the same size as the Continental United States is quite a feat. When you drive through the outback you can see that nature is still in control and humans are no match.

The Aboriginals in this country have been screwed and some are having a problem adjusting to the life of the white man.

And the biggest problem that Australia has to deal with is water. This country has enough water for 5 million people but currently has a population of just over 20 million. Forget about oil, this country is going through its worst drought in 100 years; scary.

The Todd River is flowing

So having said all that let me tell you about Alice Springs, or as I’ve heard it called: “A little hick town in the middle of nowhere.” I kind of resent the “Hick town” label because the city (Surrey B.C.) I live and work in has that same label and I don’t like it.

Yes, Alice Springs is located in the middle of Australia, but I would not say in the middle of nowhere. I would say it is a pit stop for folks heading to Darwin, Cairns, Adelaide, Melbourne, Perth or Sydney. Nikolas would call this place a checkpoint and I have to agree. I would not want to live here but I’m very glad we came to see it. You know that drought I talked about?  Well it was put on hold while we were here.  The Todd River has not flowed like this in almost 4 years. The few days we were here, the city kind of flooded and it was a tad unnerving. The locals were not worried but we tourists were waiting for one of those flash floods our bus driver warned us about. The next day the sun came out and aside from the major puddles and all the leaks in the hotel, you would have never known it rained.

Today we went to the Desert Park located just north of the city, it was so cool. If you are truly interested in learning about Australia’s land, culture, and evolution, then this place is a must see!

Tomorrow we head out to Kings Canyon, then Ayers rock and then down to Coober Pedy.

The only problem is that Nikolas is sick and has a fever and we are going to be spending the next week in the desert and 40 degree temperatures. We were going to sleep outside in Swags, but with his temperature we have now booked accommodation.

Well, if you get the chance, get out to Alice Springs and Kings Canyon and Ayers Rock, I think it is worth the trip.