1 July 2016 – 177 290
Alice Springs Desert Park and Territory Day
Woke early to the alarm on my phone – only to realise after
our showers that my phone had not adjusted itself to NT time but was still half
an hour ahead on Queensland time. We were at Alice Springs Desert Park just
after its 7:30am opening time. https://alicespringsdesertpark.com.au/
We didn’t
leave until 3:15pm – the displays were good, particularly the aviaries. The “Free Flying Bird Show” was great, a
passionate informative presenter who explained the reasons for the birds’
skills in terms of survival as well as showing off their capabilities – one
bird species even uses a tool, for example a rock, to break open emu eggs to
eat as it knows that it cannot get them open any other way. We also went to talks on “The Largest
Marsupial – The Red Kangaroo”, “Aboriginal Survival in the Desert”, “The
Australian Wolf – Dingo Discovery” and “Emu – Desert Giant and Worlds Best
Dad”. I learnt something knew at all of
them, even the Kangaroo one which I did not expect to. We also watched a short clip on the evolution
of the Central Australian Desert.
Next
we headed to Anzac Hill to lookout over the town of Alice Springs – this is a
truly lovely war memorial, with information on all the conflicts Australia has
been involved in. On the way back to the
caravan park, we stopped to take some photos of the “Gap” and the Todd River,
including some of Hayden “swimming” in the Todd. As there was rain only a short time ago, the
silt that was washed into the river has settled and dried on top of the clay
and is now cracking and peeling, making the river surface look a lot like bark.
Today was Territory Day – the one day in the year which
ordinary people are allowed to set off fireworks. We heard the first ones about mid-morning,
but they greatly increased in number from about 6pm and were going continuously
for several hours. The ones on the street outside the caravan park went for at
least two to three hours almost continuously.
I could still hear some going at almost midnight when I got up to use
the bathrooms. The most fireworks I have
ever seen!!
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