Alice Springs 24/4

We saw the famous Ghan train leaving Alice Springs station. The train runs from Adelaide to Darwin through the centre of the country.



The Royal Flying Doctor Service does an excellent job in providing health care for the outback communities and travellers. They cover a vast part of the country and rely on donations in order to cover their capital costs. The base here in Alice Springs has just 2 planes but is solely responsible for an area larger than the whole of the UK.



The view from Anzac Hill (the day before Anzac Day) over Alice Springs, towards Heavitree Gap where we were camped.



The telegragh station was why Alice Springs was formed. We met some old 'Diggers' (Australian soldiers) who showed us how the telegraph system worked. They used morse code to relay messages and had learnt and used this method themselves during the war for the Australian army.



Here's the spring from which Alice got it's name, "Alice Spring". This was near the telegraph station where the first Alice Springs town was built. There were still a couple of original buildings remaining. The town was moved to it's current location as it grew.



Having seen enough snakes on the road to satisfy Jayne for the rest of her life she took a well deserved rest, whilst David ventured to the reptile centre. Here there were all of Australia's venomous snakes. This one was having its tea.



There were also a wide variety of lizards.






And the first sighting of a "Thorny Devil".