Alice Springs

 Morning run beside the Todd River. Upside down river. River bed on top. Water deep undergrown.

A few cyclists. No dogs being walked. That means no locals. All tourists.

 

The Todd river meanders between trees. Many flies and ants. The bottom of the food chain is very active. Birds everywhere. They are well fed.

 

We walk to the Olive Pink Botanical Gardens.

 

Attractively landscaped with indigenous plants. Rock wallabies attract us and other tourists. We see a sign saying Café shut ever Monday and head towards the CBD.

 

We see what we are looking for. A busy café. Lady says: We are out of food and about to close. It is 12:10 pm on a public holiday. The streets are deserted. We head towards another café containing people eating and sitting.

 

Lady says: We can only give you a BLT sandwich. Everything else is gone. Maybe the café down the road will help you.

 

The café down the road has no empty tables.

 

In the heat we keep on walking and finish up in a half empty pub at the end of the street. Inside it is cool air conditioned with really good food. I discern the reason it is not full. The pub is not centrally located.

Streets are deserted apart from loitering tourists and a few crowded cafes looking for staff not customers.

 

Beside the Todd River we see a couple of aborigines selling paintings. They are trying to be the middle men. Their culture is many things not including wheeling and dealing.

 

Under a bridge over the Todd River I see a few aborigines doing what they do best. Cooking over an open fire. The smell of meat cooking wafts everywhere and smells good.

 

We depart Alice for Uluru and return a few days later. After a tiring bus trip, we arrive back in Alice at 7:00 pm. Two local restaurants are fully booked. They tell us there is a lack of staff. Nothing we can do about that.

At the Casino we are given two options. Wait 50 minute for a platter or buy a drink.  All the tables are full. Tourist are all polite, tidy, wearing light dresses or shorts.  Drinking beer or wine.

 

The platter is deep fried prawns, little pies, deep fried something, garlic bread, sausages on a stick.

Lots of children. Mainly retirees.