A Town Like Alice

Alice Springs sits on the world's largest known freshwater underground lakes. Some geologists say they believe the lake runs from Alice to Papua New Guinea. Unlike cities across the rest of Australia, Alice is not experiencing water rationing. Alice Springs is in the middle of the Australian desert - how funny is that? Did I mention that over 700,000 wild camels live around Alice Springs? Probably more camels than kangaroos.

I got into Alice Springs via The Ghan on February 6 and finally experienced some sunshine - very welcome indeed. Spent the afternoon touring around the town of about 26,000 on foot - which was hot. And, for the first time in Australia, encountered some of the Aboriginal inhabitants, who make up about 18% of the population in Alice. For the most part they lounged around the street corners and Todd Mall in pairs or in family units. The older people always sat on the ground, though kids and younger adults used the public benches and seats. They interacted with each other, but rarely with the whites - sometimes to buy something at a street-side restaurant... but mostly there was no interaction. I'm not even going to begin to pretend I understand anything about the history and cultural destructions of Aboriginals in Australia - except that I know the first peoples of this country were devastated by the arrivals of Europeans, just as they were in Canada and around the world. There is such a chasm of not-understanding and not caring that has separated our races over the last 200 years...

Interestingly, I am in Australia on National Sorry Day - when the Australian government fomally apologized to the Stolen Generations - Aborigines who were taken from their families to be raised, educated or employed by churches and institutions. Many did not survive, many,many never saw their parents or siblings again. Sound familiar Canada? A little "I'm sorry" doesn't seem to be hurting anyone and many are talking about how important is has been to hear this formal apology.

But I digress ...one of the most interesting features of Alice Springs is the mighty Todd River. It 'runs' through the centre of Alice, they build bridges over it, they build parks and pathways beside it and they run boat races on it. It's on every map. And it is empty! Dry as a bone, but no one ever says this is the Todd Riverbed: it's a river. Each year they hold a boating regatta on the river - participants cut the bottom out of boats and race down the river course. One year the regatta was cancelled due to (I'm not making this up) water in the river.

... after a one-night stop over in Alice I left on my camping trip out to Ulura, Kata Tjuta and King's Canyon, all under cloudy and rainy skies. What a treat to again find sunshine on my return to Alice Springs four days later. Spent one more night and a day in the town - a day spend largely visiting the art galleries and shops where Aboriginal Art, opals and cold drinks are the main commodities. Back on the train Tuesday evening and on to Darwin.