Today we were up a bit earlier than we’d normally get up on a holiday! Our cabin attendant work us at around 7:00 am, which was a bit anti-social. But given that he brought espresso coffee with him, that did ease the pain a bit!

We all met up for a nice breakfast and then got off the train for a bus ride into Alice Springs.

Our first attraction in Alice Springs was the School of the Air, which provides remote education for students that can be hundreds or even thousands of kilometres away. It was a surprisingly interesting visit!

At the School of the Air.
At the School of the Air.

We then headed to Desert Park for lunch, after which buses were waiting to take people on various tours around the town. However, Peter and Joy’s daughter, Madeline, had entered some of her art in a local competition and it was still on display in the main town council building, so we headed there instead.

Viewing Madeleine's art.
Viewing Madeleine's art.

Just around the corner from the art exhibition was an aviation museum, so we headed there next. It’s far to say that enthusiasm for this idea was somewhat mixed!

At the Alice Springs aviation museum.
At the Alice Springs aviation museum.

We decided that we should explore a little more on our own before heading back to the train so we called a taxi and headed up the best vantage point to get a view of the town.

Looking over Alice Springs.
Looking over Alice Springs.

We decided then that we should head back to the train to shower and change for dinner.

Back at the train.
Back at the train.

Tonight’s dinner was at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station. Construction of the Overland Telegraph line began in early 1871, involving around 500 men in three teams. On 11 March 1871, once of the project’s surveyor’s came across a water hole that he thought was a spring (although it’s not a spring, it’s just a depression in the riverbed where water gets trapped on top of some granite). He named the water hole Alice Spring in honour of Alice Todd, the wife of Charles Todd, the Superintendent of Telegraphs. Interestingly, Alice Todd did not ever visit the “spring” named in her honour.

Apparently heavy rain had fallen in the weeks before the arrival of the surveying team at the place they named Alice Spring and the river flowed and filled the water hole. However, on our visit today, it was less impressive than we expected!

Alice Spring.
Alice Spring.

We enjoyed a lovely dinner under the stars while we were entertained by local musicians. Andrea even convinced Joy to go on a camel ride after dinner!

Joy (somewhat reluctantly!) getting on a camel!
Joy (somewhat reluctantly!) getting on a camel!

After dinner we hopped back on the bus and headed back to the train to retire for the evening. However, we ended going via the bar for a glass or two of Bollinger before finally getting to our cabins to get some sleep.

Tomorrow we head further south, where our main stop will be at Coober Pedy.