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Published: March 4th 2005
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Well, enough of the cappucccinos, the beach by day, freshly grilled barramundi washed down with a decent chablis by night, urbane lifestyle of the Australian eastern coast cities - it was time to see the real Australia - the vast emptyness of the virtually uninhabitable middle. This tortured land, only pioneered by europeans 2 generations ago, is still frontier country, where men are men, and sheep are worried, and a bloke would never be seen dead drinking wine.
Firstly, a flight to Alice Springs - the heart of the outback - and the furnace like heat (46 degrees) hit us like a brick when we got off the plane. The red dust all around gave the impression we were on mars, just with a bit of scrubby bushes lying around. The town itself is a huge metropolis compared to the more remote outback towns, mining colonies and cattle stations, but it was small, quiet, and with just enough buildings with air con to make it liveable.
The next morning, we set off on a 3 day tour out into the desert - we went on some unchallenging hikes (though even walking 5km in that heat was tiring). We slept out
under the stars, were driven insane by the flies... God, the flies! and drove around the main sights of central australia in a mad rush over 3 days. Along with 20 other backpackers, we visited the Kings Canyon, the highly impressive sandstone domes of the Olgas, and of course, Uluru, or Ayers Rock.
We had been told that Uluru was a sacred place, and the aboriginals rather you not climb it (but they cant tell you why - it's a secret) - but upon arriving at the huge monolith, we saw a clearly defined walking trail, covered in scores of Japanese tourists. Now I wanted to do the right thing, and not offend the aboriginal sensibilities, but I was then told that the no climb request was based on safety concerns (its a seriously tough climb, and it is very very hot, with no shade) and since I was in a competitive mood, and wasnt going to let a load of Japanese teenagers get all the glory, up I went. I appreciate my own hiking vanity got prioritised over respect for a 10,000 year old tradition, but there you go.
Now, we had done the dutiful thing, and
visited all the Aboriginal museums, visitors centres and craft shops - we had read the displays, seen the videos, and been very impressed by their amazing art - but I felt still detached. The problems of the Aboriginals (I wish I could save my fingers extra hardship and type "Abo" as a shortened version, but that is considered offensive in this ridiculously PC country) are well documented, and it seems strange that a country as vibrant, energetic and succesful as Australia has really failed to accomodate the needs of its oldest inhabitants. Having said that, the shuffling, lost looking souls who you see looking vacant in the shopping centre car parks of Alice Springs are not indicative of their whole society. European Australians only see these victims, the ones who cannot cope, and base their opinions on them - they dont see the good side of Aboriginal communities - no one does, really - they are shut away on their inaccessable reserves, and you're not really welcome just to drop by.
But it wouldnt be true to say that there arent problems - basically you have a stone age level society, used to living on the land, and with
no concept of writing, a numerical system that goes 1,2, many.. and most incomprehensably, no concept of time. And all of a sudden, only 60 or 70 years ago, the 20'th century is thrust upon them. Added to the mix is the introduction of Western food -from having an Aboriginal life expectancy of over 80, it has reduced to around 53 in the last 4 decades. Having evolved with no sugar in their diet, the modern western way of living is literally killing them. And their problems with booze are even worse - hence the shuffling, bandaged characters on the streets of the towns.
So with this new perspective on the margins of australian society, we killed off the rest of our time in the red centre, going bowling, visiting the flying doctors, swimming, and anything to keep cool, before boarding the train to Darwin.
Now, to give you an idea how hostile the country up here is, the train link was only finished 2 years ago - over 80 years after it was started. Named the ghan, in honour of the Afghan camel herders who it eventually replaced, it took us through a 1000 miles of hot
bush country to the tropical north - the Northern Territory, and Darwin.
Darwin is a pleasant city, but a long way from anywhere - very hot and humid - it is nearer to Singapore than Sydney, and has a history of disaster - it was repeatedly bombed by the Japanese in the War, destroyed by a cyclone in 1974, and has all kinds of things that can kill you - from the salt water crocodiles that occupy the rivers and marshlands of this area, to the box jellyfish and sharks that prevent a casual dip in the Ocean. We didnt have long in town, but visited the excellent museum, and took a day trip to the lush Lichfield National Park, to swim in it's lovely waterfalls, and even taste termites and ants. We stopped on the way to do the obligitary tourist trap of a crocodile boat trip, but it was well worth it, as a 6metre monster called Hannibal the Cannibal paid us a visit.
With Darwin done, we then jumped on another plane to the clean, unhurried city of Perth. On the west coast of the country, it is rich from the mines and minerals of
the Western deserts, and nestled on the swan river has consistently hot weather with just a hint of a sea breeze, lovely parks, anglican churches, and no litter. It lacks a little spark compared to Sydney and Melbourne, but you cant really find anything to moan about. After a few days sightseeing, lounging on beaches, and staying with a girl we'd met in Bolivia, we then hired a car to see the area to the south, Margaret River.
The Margaret River region is a bit cooler, a bit greener, and is renouned for it's wine and culinary treats. As well as the spectacular coast line, we managed to visit a few wineries, test the produce, scoff local cheeses and venison, and generally have a lovely few days to end our time in Australia.
It has been a fantastic few weeks here, and we have been spoilt rotten by the hospitality of our friends, both new and old. In a way, it has been a real break from proper backpacking, and it will take a lot of motivation to get on our way again - but go we must, and on to the exotic promises of South East Asia.
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anonymous
non-member comment
I like your descriptions but the term "Abo" is very offensive. - Nicky