the Flying Doctors service at Alice Springs started in 1939.
where to go today?
this female Magpie-lark calls downtown Alice home
it's a green town
Alice Springs is a small town located near the geological center of Australia, right in the middle of Central Australia.
The
Arrente Aboriginal people have lived here for probably 30.000 years and call the place Mparntwe.
Alice Springs started
in 1872 as repeater station for the Overland Telegraph Line that connected Adelaine to Darwin.
But only after gold was found
nearby in 1882 the first Europeans settled in.
During WWII Darwin was at risk to fall to the Japanese army and Alice
became an important military base on the Stuart Highway from Adelaine to Darwin.
Alice Springs is the main hub for the
Red Center. Most tourists fly in and board one of the many buses for guided tours to the desert attractions,
many hours away.
Recently Ayers Rock Airport, close to Uluru, is becoming a strong competitor to the Alice Spring tourist industry..
We
were in Alice in July 1999 but did not see much of it, because the buses leave early and arrive late.
We did note the many galleries
with very expensive Aboriginal Art on offer.
the road to Alice Springs cuts through the MacDonell Range
Alice Downtown, not much to do in 1999
the Flying Doctors station at Simpson Street
it's early in the morning, time for a cup of coffee before we board the touring car to Uluru