OUTBACK ODYYSEY - ALICE SPRINGS

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Day 10 - Alice Springs

Today we originally planned to go out to Palm Valley and Hermannsburg then take a drive through the Owen Springs Reserve but having driven around 3000 klms by this time, we were kinda sick of driving. So we decided to hang out in Alice and see what else was on offer.
We ended up at the Alice Springs Desert Park which is run by the Territory government, similar to the Territory Wildlife Park that we went to in Darwin. I can't stress enough how good these parks are ... there are so many amazing plants and animals in the outback and you have very little chance of seeing any of them in the wild but these parks provide you with the opportunity to see them and learn more about them at the same time. At the park entrance, you are given an audio player with earphones so that you can hear more about what you are seeing as you walk around the park.

Fortunately for us, there had been rain a few weeks before and it was wildflower season so there was a fantastic display of desert wildflowers on show. One thing that really amazed us was the brilliant colours of the birds - you expect to see that in tropical birds but I thought that desert birds would be fairly boring so that they blended in. We saw bright blue wrens, and Port Lincoln parrots with their emerald green tails. Even the desert pigeon is a beautiful bird, having zebra strips through its light brown plummage and a jaunty red cap to top if off. Unfortunately, despite their very "upmarket" appearance, they are still as dumb as their city cousins. 😱

We went to hear an indigenous Arrente man explain about his culture. It was one of the most eye-opening and interesting talks Ive ever heard. I came away with a brand new respect for the way indigenous peoples managed to survive in the desert for thousands of years and their incredible knowledge about genetics, biology, pharmacology and a whole bunch of other "ologies". These amazing people understood their land and took responsibility for their actions. If they cut bark off a tree to make a carrying bowl, they were careful to take responsibility for looking after that tree afterwards. They moved around their land, camping in one area for several weeks before moving on to another area, then backburning the area that they were leaving so that when they returned there several months later, the land would have had opportunity to regenerate. This "walkabout" was really an organised seasonal circulation of their area, similar to the way that farmers rotate their cropping and allow fields to lay fallow for a period of time. He also explained about the different boomerangs that were used in Central Australia (the number 7 boomerang for example) and gave a demonstration of how the woomera was used. This talk is an absolute "must do" if you ever get to visit Alice Springs but its only on once a day so check the website for talk times.

In the nocturnal house, we saw a Thorny Devil lizard - one of the highlights of the trip for Caitlyn. Theres an enclosure that has red kangaroos in it which you can walk through. I felt quite comfortable walking through there in the middle of the day given that kangaroos tend to be pretty lethargic during the day but Im not sure Id want to walk through there late in the afternoon as reds can get a bit aggresive.

Kevin and I spent the remainder of the afternoon shopping while the kids played and swam back at the caravan park. We really could have spent another couple of days here as there is so much to do and see and you really do need a day or two to just chill out and relax when youve been driving for so long.

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Photos

Black Cockatoos at Desert Wildlife Park
The Alice Springs Desert Wildlife Park is well worth a visit, especially since you get to see the desert animals all in one place. The birds in particular are spectacular.

Handheld audio device
These are issued as part of the entrance fee. At various points along the walks, there are signposts with numbers. You dial the number into the device and an audio plays, giving some background to what you are viewing.