Into The Red Centre (Alice Springs)

We spent a couple of days in Alice Springs, staying at Annie's Place. They really have things sussed there, and cater for every backpackers need. We'd booked a trip with them to do a 3 day tour to Ayers Rock (Uluru as it is now known), and other geological sites of the Red Centre. The trip didn't leave until Sunday the 26th, so we had time to chill-out and see Alice.

As soon as we got to Annie's after getting off The Ghan, we were asked if we wanted to do Mulga's $2 tour of Alice. Sounded good so we went for it. Mulga, the owner of Annie's, took a bus load of us on a whistle-stop tour of the tourist sites of the town. We saw a flying doctor plane, Lassiter's grave, the grave of Albert Namatjira an aboriginal artist, Alice Springs telegraph office, the 'springs' themselves (which is in actual fact a billabong rather than a spring), and Anzac Hill for sunset and a beer. Then back to Annie's for Kangaroo Pie and $10 jugs of Alice Springs Bitter.

Next day we went shopping in Alice. We both needed to get hats for the tour, as it's importnat in the desert heat to keep your haed covered. Sam had wanted to get a 'cowboy' style hat for a while. She'd also got into watching Mclouds Daughters, a drama about a cattle station run by Aussie Shelias, and was even more obsessed about the idea. Anyway after a bit of searching through the various shops in the Mall we found her a decent Kanga skin one, that packs down. I'd been after a DRIAZABONE stockman's coat, but what we'd seen had been expensive. In a proper stockman's shop we found one for only $185 (about 74 quid). A bargin, so I got one, along with a hat.

In the afternoon we went to the Womens Pionner Museum, which was a photographic display about women (not suprisingly), who had been the first in their field. Recognising the role of women in the building of the nation. Then it was back to Annie's for some more $10 jugs! We got talking to a real flying doctor that night, he was sat with us on a table outside, along with his mate a 'flying' registered (male) nurse.

We had another day in Alice before our trip to Ayers and around. Mulga suggested that we go to the races, as it was Saturday. Okay we thoght, why not. Kitty Kat, drove us there and dropped us off. We checked out the form of the horses, and had a bet on the first race. We both lost, that was $4 down the drain. The next race we were more scientific about how we picked our horse. Sam noticed that one had glittery stars on its bum, so we went for that one, and picked a random other. The horse with the stars (no.5) came in first, winning us $26. One more race to go, and so we used similar techniques to pick a winner for the final race. YES!!! Another winner, no.8 romped home. Two winners out of three races, we'd won enough to pay for our day out. We were happy campers!

Last night was spent downing $10 jugs again. Early-ish to bed, for an early start on the tour deep into the Red Centre.