Messages From Myanmar #17
Australian Vacation
Special - Part 2 of 6
08 September 2016
Photo Update Alert:
“Australia”
Day 4 - Thurs., 08/18
- Alice Springs
After a somewhat restless night (it takes a while to get use to
sleeping on a train), we arrived in Alice Springs, a city that has always
seemed impossibly romantic to me. Sitting in the middle of the continent, in
the outback, on the frontier… we had a fine day there touring the local
attractions:
School of the Air - Established in 1951
and covering an area of 1.3 million sq km (808,000 sq mi), this is the first of
a series of correspondence schools serving the primary and early secondary
educational needs for children living in the outback. Classes were
traditionally taught by radio, but are moving to the Internet.
Royal Flying Doctor
Service Alice Springs Tourist Facility - The RFDS has been providing medical care to
remote corners of Australia since 1928. It is funded by public and private
donations, and an amazing gift shoppe.
Alice Springs Reptile
Centre
- 100+ reptiles: Lizards, snakes (including the most poisonous on the planet),
and an actual saltwater crocodile named “Terry.” What’s not to like?
National Pioneer
Women’s Hall of Fame - Founded in 1993 and located in the former HM Gaol and Labour
Prison. It doesn’t get said enough: Women. Are. Awesome.
Alice Springs
Telegraph Station Historical Reserve - Established in 1871 to relay messages between
Darwin and Adelaide, this is the original site of the first European settlement
in Alice Springs. We had a wonderful “Outback Pioneer Dinner” (the best steak
since Buenos Aires) and watched the full moon and the Southern Cross rise at
the same time. Perfection.
Day 5 - Fri., 08/19 -
Coober Pedy
After a more restful night on The Ghan (I took the upper berth, which
suited me surprisingly well.), we awoke to the setting full moon and a day
visiting Coober Pedy, a place almost impossible to describe. It is the “Opal
Capital of the World” and has (reputedly) 4 million holes in the opal fields to
prove it. The population is roughly 3,500, consists of over 45 nationalities,
and many of them live in below-ground residences called “dugouts” in order to
escape the scorching summer heat.
We took a tour of a mine, ate lunch, hit the gift shoppe, and visited
a church… all underground. But the highlight for me was the 70 km round trip to
The Breakaways, yet another geologic marvel. The Antakirinja Matu-Yankunytjatjara people regard this
as a holy place and I’m inclined to agree. It’s extraordinarily picturesque and
has been used as a backdrop for many movies. (Think “Mad Max.”) I must also note
the dog fence; 2 m high, stretching for 5,300 km (3,293 mi), designed to keep
the sheep to the south and the dingos to the north. The outback is an
overwhelming place.
Day 6 - Sat., 08/20 -
Adelaide
Our third and final night on The Ghan was pretty peaceful (we’d gotten
use to the “clikety-clack”) and we awoke to a landscape transitioning from red
to green as we made our way to Adelaide. Anne had arranged for us to stay
overnight with an old friend from her Peace Corps days and, indeed, he was
waiting for us at the station. After the not-entirely unpredictable cluster of
baggage claim, we bid a fond farewell to The Ghan. This was our first great
train journey and we consider ourselves very lucky to have had such an
opportunity.
Our friend took us on a driving tour of Adelaide, a really beautiful
small city, and then we made for the hills and Mount Lofty (no, really) to see
the panoramic view. Which, sadly, was fogged out. So, we went to his place, did
some laundry, took him and his wife out for Indian food, and watched some
“footy” (Australian football) on the tube. A pretty entertaining sport, I must
admit.
[Medical Update - On our
way, we stopped by a pharmacy where I made two important purchases: (1) An
elastic ankle brace (Yes!) and (2) a package of Glucojel Jelly Beans, made with
30% glucose syrup. Pharmaceutical-grade jelly beans? What a great country.]
To be continued...
Rodger
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