Day Two
What can I say about Alice? After another morning on the train with more vast expanses of bush we arrived in Alice.
(The Ghan was originally called the Afghan Express after the cameleers who forged the route - hence the camel.)
I had booked a tour so waited with the other passengers for Gary, our tour guide. From the minute we set off it was apparent that he actually loves Alice. We started off by going to a viewpoint where we could look down on the town. It just seemed so improbable to have a town right in the middle of nowhere. The town nestled in the valley between the ridges on either side and is largely singe storey dwellings with no tall buildings at all.
From there we could see the famous gap where John Macdouall Stuart had marked out the first route through the outback from Adelaide to Alice, the first European to cross Australia from South to North. We were then given a conducted tour of the main attractions in Alice and quite a lot of its history. Gary was a really informative guide and obviously a fan of jails and graveyards! Two of the most interesting places to visit when I return to Alice in May are the school of the air which is responsible for teaching all the children who live in the outback, and the flying doctor service. There is an enormous transport museum too and one dedicated to the Ghan There are also lots of art galleries and shops dedicated to Aboriginal art. After the trip there was just enough time for half an hour in the internet cafe before returning to the train and settling down for dinner and a sleep.
Day Three.
. Our guide explained all about salt and freshwater crocodiles and on the way back down the gorge we were lucky enough to see one on the bank( after a few false alarms!).
After the boat trip we were given tea and scones before being driven back to the train for the last leg to Darwin.I cannot say how brilliant this has all been.I have just been amazed at the huge distances and the unchanging scenery.! It's difficult to describe the vastness of these open spaces. One of the stations(farms) is bigger than Belgium, covering an area of more than six million acres! Despite the size there are only 3000 cattle following the drought of 2008 when the station lost all its cattle due to lack of water. To look after them and the land there are only eighteen people working there. When they round up the cattle they first of all locate them by light aircraft before mustering them on trail bikes. The experience of travelling on the Ghan has been a real journey indeed - and I finally saw a kangaroo!
What can I say about Alice? After another morning on the train with more vast expanses of bush we arrived in Alice.
(The Ghan was originally called the Afghan Express after the cameleers who forged the route - hence the camel.)
I had booked a tour so waited with the other passengers for Gary, our tour guide. From the minute we set off it was apparent that he actually loves Alice. We started off by going to a viewpoint where we could look down on the town. It just seemed so improbable to have a town right in the middle of nowhere. The town nestled in the valley between the ridges on either side and is largely singe storey dwellings with no tall buildings at all.
From there we could see the famous gap where John Macdouall Stuart had marked out the first route through the outback from Adelaide to Alice, the first European to cross Australia from South to North. We were then given a conducted tour of the main attractions in Alice and quite a lot of its history. Gary was a really informative guide and obviously a fan of jails and graveyards! Two of the most interesting places to visit when I return to Alice in May are the school of the air which is responsible for teaching all the children who live in the outback, and the flying doctor service. There is an enormous transport museum too and one dedicated to the Ghan There are also lots of art galleries and shops dedicated to Aboriginal art. After the trip there was just enough time for half an hour in the internet cafe before returning to the train and settling down for dinner and a sleep.
Tuesday morning, after a good nights sleep ,began with a shower then breakfast then preparing to arrive in Katherine. Again there was no gradual arrival into town; indeed there didn't appear to be a town as it is some way from the railway station. The bus arrived to take us to Katherine Gorge and the boat trip. Katherine Gorge was absolutely beautiful. We could only go as far as the first gorge because the water was too high but the scenery was truly breathtaking.
. Our guide explained all about salt and freshwater crocodiles and on the way back down the gorge we were lucky enough to see one on the bank( after a few false alarms!).
After the boat trip we were given tea and scones before being driven back to the train for the last leg to Darwin.I cannot say how brilliant this has all been.I have just been amazed at the huge distances and the unchanging scenery.! It's difficult to describe the vastness of these open spaces. One of the stations(farms) is bigger than Belgium, covering an area of more than six million acres! Despite the size there are only 3000 cattle following the drought of 2008 when the station lost all its cattle due to lack of water. To look after them and the land there are only eighteen people working there. When they round up the cattle they first of all locate them by light aircraft before mustering them on trail bikes. The experience of travelling on the Ghan has been a real journey indeed - and I finally saw a kangaroo!
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