DAY 12 – Alice Springs

Good Morning Alice!
 
Low 7°c (45°F) – High 25°c (77°F)
53km
 
Up early again this morning but this time I took the walk to the top of the hill to see if there was any chance of a sunrise shot.  There was minimal colour but no clouds so not a lot of colour reflected.  Still a pretty outlook over the caravan park and I was surprised how large the park looks from the elevated position.
 
We had to start breakfast early as our little green guests arrived and we were a little concerned if we didn’t come forth with the goods they would end up INSIDE the caravan.
 
It was still fairly cool early to mid morning so we decided to go and have a look around town while it was comfortable for Kitty to be in the car.  We were really surprised and disappointed to see so many shops closed and the streets and shopping centre mostly deserted.  A couple of our favourite stores were no longer there including Uncle Eddy’s Ice-Cream store which another store assistant told us had closed down due to implications of Covid. That the lack of tourism had reduced the owner’s income so much that it was cheaper for him to close the business and just pay the rent on the building than to keep the business open.  There were also a couple of souvenir stores that I loved to look around each time we have been here, both of which are no longer here.  Thankfully the store selling aboriginal pattern fabric was still there and I was able to pick up a few more small pieces to make some art pieces.
 
We took a drive out to the Historic Alice Springs Telegraph Station with the intent of taking a few photos.  On arrival the only signage directed visitors to a car park which turned out to be an extremely long way from the café/entrance.  We decided for Shane to drop me off at a designated drop off point some 50 meters from the entry and then go to park the car and stay with Kitty as there didn’t appear to be anywhere in the shade to park.  On walking to the entrance I spotted a sign which advised entry to the station to be $16.50.  Given I had left my handbag in the car with Shane, I wasn’t about to walk back to the car and come back so my photos ended up being taken from the drop off point.  You would think there would be some indication of the entry fee before people got to the café.  A lady came out telling me that there was a sign right there at the door – I responded with “well yes but it’s about 1km back to the carpark from here – I’m not walking all the way back to my wallet and coming back again!”.
 
From there we took a drive up to ANZAC Hill (608 meters - 1995 feet tall), a moving memorial to those who have served and in particular lost their lives, in the many battles and wars that have taken place.  Around the site there are small historical depictions of those battles which the memorial itself, unveiled on Anzac Day 1934, contains plaques remembering Korea 1950 – 1953, Malaya 1950 – 1963, Borneo 1962 – 1966, Vietnam 1962 – 1973, Afghanistan 2001 – present, Iraq 2003 – 2009 and for all Australians who have made the ultimate sacrifice on peacekeeping missions.
 
The view from ANZAC Hill takes in most of Alice and it is here that you get perspective on how large the city is and the imposing ranges that line the southern edge of the main part of her.