2 July 2014

Today has been a very laid back and relaxed day I must say, there hasn't even been a great degree of picture taking, mostly because it is actually a small town and there isn't a huge amount that grabs my attention building etc. wise, mostly it is a relatively new town, there isn't all that much of any "old" stuff left. Not that this is a bad thing, it seems to work and as I said yesterday there is a quite relaxed good feel to the place, despite one of the locals advising me it is the stabbing capital of Australia and that I really should not go out walking at night. During the day everyone seems very easy going and fine and all the cafe and eateries are packed during lunch spilling out onto the footpaths.

I started the morning with a visit to the car wash next door to where I am currently staying, which was a very good thing as the poor Count was looking a bit shabby and dirty, that red dirt certainly stands out against the green paint and the rear hubcaps are still chrome after all. That done it was onto a drive up ANZAC Hill for a look over the town. You can certainly get a great view all over the town and beyond from up there and looking out the other way highlights just how small the town actually as the hills are just there and the town just stops.

 ANZAC Hill

 From the top

 Looking north from top of ANZAC Hill

Looking south from ANZAC Hill

All of Alice Springs Pano from ANZAC Hill

On coming down from the hill it was off to south side so that I could go out to the transport museum which I had been informed by another Count chat friend was really worth a visit and had quite a few old cars out there. Turns out it not too far from town and there is a Ghan railway museum and a Transport Hall of Fame and Truck museum, with a purpose built Kenworth section, there are a few cars but not quite a few by any stretch. Lots of trucks about the place and from all over the place too, some interesting old English ones, but if trucks are not really your thing, then it's probably not worth the $15.00 to get in, because if it is cars your after then there are relatively few to see. There are two minis though and one is an Austin Cooper S, which was more expensive that your average Holden for sale at the same time.

The old Ghan

"S" Series Valiant minus an engine by the look of it on a, oh sorry some truck

 Fabric bodied Rolls Royce, withe a couple of 27 Chev Tourers, Ford T Runabout, Dodge Roadster

 Small selection of trucks of all ages in one of the sheds, that is the back of an Austin Cooper Mini

 Chrysler Roadster

 Couple of Model T Fords

 I am hoping I am wrong but by the looks of the radiator this is a Vauxhall, what a waste

Buick

Following on I went back over to the Cultural Precinct from yesterdays walk so I could have a look at the Aviation Museum. It was a free entry thing and it is good that it was really, there wasn't a huge amount of information about anything inside that I had not already learnt yesterday from the sign outside, but there were some interesting pictures and the main aircraft was good to see, even if there is a heck of a lot of work before it could ever be given a chance to fly again.

Aviation Museum on the site of the original Aerodrome, the hangar was bought as a prefab kit.

Beech 18 built in 1946 for the USAF and bought by Connellan Airways of Alice Springs in 1960 and used till 1967.

RFDS plane, looks better with a Morris in the picture though 

This afternoon I just wandered about town and had another look around , different with more people about today as yesterday afternoon was fairly quiet being Territory Day, everyone must have been home waiting to let off their fireworks. Lots of tourists about today, but I am not sure what time things start around here in the mornings as I had time to get moving, wash the car and still there were nearly no cars on the roads. Anyway it is a nice place to look at and walk around, very relaxed pace here. It looks great in the sun, but were there ever old buildings here?

Random sunny street shot, I did well to just crop out the Lollie shop don't you think

Another long day driving tomorrow, off to Uluru for as look, oh but for the folks that think it is just up the road, well in the scheme of my trip it is, but in reality it is 443 kilometres one way and they recommend it is a 6.5 hour drive. I am hoping they mean it is 6.5 hours at normal Australian standard speed limits, because the normal speed limit in most sections of the Northern Territory is 130 kilometres per hours, though there are section that are actually "Open" limited, so you get to drive to the conditions and your ability. You should have seen the speed some cars passed me at on the way here, almost Autobahn speeds and we're talking a standard two way road, one lane in each direction and not the greatest road surface in all places. So at 80 kilometres and hour at standard Australian measurements I should be looking at about 8 or so hours to get there, so it will be another two night stop...