That still stands I am afraid, it is less than interesting. I am not really sure what it is about the place but it really just isn't working for me at all. I am not sure if it is the fact that I don't feel comfortable about just taking random pictures anywhere because I don't want to upset or make anyone angry and there are just people hanging about all over the place, like there is rarely a building that you'd want to take a picture of that doesn't have groups of people just there hanging about, maybe there is not a lot of jobs here and there is a lot of unemployment, I just don't know and lets be honest I am not really motivated to find out.
I started the morning heading out to the visitor information centre and Battery Hill Mining Centre, where you're supposed to be able to experience the gold rush era and even do and underground mine tour. There were lots of things to buy and it seemed like a big place though I was the only person there, there wasn't much in the way of local tourist attractions (probably because there aren't many), so basically I bought a badge and left. I am not certain what it is about the town but there's a bunch of old rusting machinery lying around on the sides of the roads. I wasn't till I got to the Visitor Centre that I realised, from their "inspired" gardens that these rusting hunks of old machine are supposed to be artistic/historical installations, placed there deliberately, rather than junk that someone has dumped so they didn't have to get rid of it.
Hmmm I am being rather harsh on the place I does have some features that are good, it is a nice, quite, tidy place and the people all seem very laid back and relaxed and there is a great Cafe/Deli on the main street that I had a hamburger at that would have to have been the best I have had in years, so that is pretty good I think! Additionally so is the Telegraph station, they have put a lot of effort into looking after that, though it is just a bunch of empty buildings, interesting none the less.
Then after driving back to town, the Telegraph Station is actually about 7 kilometres back to the north of town I was able to stop at the tourist information board that was at the edge of town and locate the lookout that is mentioned on the town and region guide though not identified on the map on it. So I drove up to the lookout and this is basically the view and landscape of the area.
That is the town over there
Then it was back to town to have a walk and look around, though I tried to take really general photos of the place cause as I didn't want to be taking pictures of people and there were groups of people everywhere. I have never been comfortable taking pictures when there are large groups of people about, I even have the problem in Melbourne sometimes and it is easier there as people generally don't even notice you cause they are too wrapped up in their own business, but I guess being one of the only people walking about with a camera and driving a Morris Minor sort of make me a lot more obvious and so people are watching what I am doing and I just get stressed and uncomfortable, silly really. Look at most of my pictures though and you'll notice I rarely like to take pictures with people in them, I think people just get in the way of the interesting stuff haha.
Paterson Street (Stuart Highway) looking south
Paterson Street looking north
Same street further along looking south
again but north again
One of the murals about town
Alice Springs (Mparntwe, pronounced m'barn-twa, in the language of the local Arrernte, pronounced arrunda, people) tomorrow...
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