Day Two on The Ghan, started with breakfast in the Dining Carriage, to be more precise the Queen Adelaide Restaurant carriage.
Three meals a day with three courses at each meal would certainly mean that any thoughts of healthy eating have now gone out of the window until we land back at Birmingham.
We were off train and coached into Alice Springs. Alice Springs is in the centre of Australia. Technically, as we were told by one guide, the actual scientifically calculated centre of Australia is about 60km away from Alice Springs but most tourists embellish the story and claim that Alice Springs IS the centre. So, for the purposes of consistency amongst tourists, I shall do the same – we have been to the centre of Australia!
Our tour guide was excellent, he took us on an extra drive around Alice and almost got stuck up a narrow side street but with some shunting back and forth we popped out the other end! Then on to the river, a dry river bed was staring back at us and we were all looking for the water. He told us that the river only flows after heavy rainfall. Apparently, the river through Alice Springs last flowed in January but didn’t last for more than 2 days. The river flows underground at a depth of about 6 to 8 ft down. The guide told us that it is dry season all year around in Alice Springs and temperatures can reach 50 degrees plus! I shall not be relocating to Alice Springs!
A little bit of entertaining trivia… There is an annual boat race in Alice Springs and the participants use bottomless boats. When the whistle goes to start the race, they pick the boat up and run with it! One year there was rain, the river flowed and they postponed the boat race! 😂
After our entertaining tour around the town itself, we went to the Anzac Monument. Not only was this an educational visit and for us to gain a greater understanding of Australia’s role in various world conflicts but we could see the town from above and for miles around. On a clear day from the top of Anzac Hill, we could see for 100 km!
Our day then took us to visit an Art gallery We were treated to a talk about the gallery, its owners, resident dog and the art work that it sold. The Yubu Napa gallery gave us the opportunity to learn how to read aboriginal art. Of course, we are now fully qualified and can decipherer any aboriginal art that is sent our way, but fear not, we won’t be giving up our day jobs just yet, as its really quite hard!
The horse shoe shapes that so often feature in aboriginal art, are not representing horses but people. This is the shape we humans leave when we have been sat cross legged in the sand. Making sense? The circles represent water holes or central shared meeting points. The story being told below is that there are a group of woman around a central cooking area, their meeting point, and each one has a cooking pot in front of her. Of course, this may be completely wrong but it was fun learning!
We then visited Flynn’s Monument, an opportunity for more learning about the history of Alice Springs and the surrounding area.
A buffet lunch was served at Alice Springs Desert centre where I was able to meet a 10 year old Dingo. Interestingly, we were told not to touch the top of his head as Dingo’s don’t like that. His behaviour was described as being like a Kelpie on speed and the keeper went to great lengths to tell us how bright Dingo’s are. For me, that seems quite obvious, you don’t evolve over thousands of years to become Australia’s largest mammal carnivore without having something between your ears! This is an interesting article about the dear Dingo
After lunch we were coached off to another nature reserve for a short walk. We were told prior to our departure off The Ghan that long trousers, socks and proper walking shoes were the order of the day. When we enquired why? Snakes, was the answer.
I went about that day with my vest tucked into my knickers, my blouse tucked into my long trousers and my long trousers tucked into my socks and the biggest, longest pair of wellington boots I could find! (another embellishment of the facts but this is one imaginary picture which entertains me greatly so it stays in this story of mine!)
Following our short walk around a nature reserve we then walked for about an hour up to and back down from Cassia Mount. The view from the top was spectacular, our guide shared with us information about the flowers and plants as we climbed and also about the geography of the area. We also had a view of our final destination for today Simpsons Gap…
Simpsons Gap was unbelievably beautiful. I shall leave you to see this for yourself in the pictures that The Other Half took. My photos do not do it justice…
We were coached back to the train to change for our evening out and what an evening out it was. I think of all the things I experienced in Australia, none impacted on me in quite the same way as this evening under the stars did… it was like we had stepped back in time and we were part of history. We were treated to a phenomenal evening.
We tasted some of the most flavoursome food, experienced excellent entertainment, heard history about the hills we sat beside and gazed in wonderment at the world above our heads. This was dinner under a million stars…
Dinner at The Telegraph Station had been billed as dinner under a million stars and as my friends knew this was another highlight I was looking forward to. As we climbed off the bus, we were serenaded by 2 guitar players, offered wine or beer and escorted to our tables. Tonight, we would be eating outside under a million stars!
The other half and I took a right turn before the dining tables and scooted off to have a look around The Telegraph Station. This was for us, history that could not be ignored. We saw the telegraph room where the first telegraphs were sent and received. These basic communications, which took 5 hours to go from Alice Springs to the UK, revolutionised communication between the UK and Australia.
Prior to the telegraph, you had to wait 2 to 3 months for the boat to take your letter to the UK, possibly a month for it to be processed and responded to and then of course, another 2 to 3 months for a reply to come back to you via boat! Not a situation that is conducive to progress!
Once we had taken the photos you see above, we joined our table and had yet another wonderful meal. It was as if by magic the theatre of dinner under the stars was unfolding! Everything around the serving of the food to 180 guests, all seated as you can see below, took place like a well oiled spring, it went without spillage, without hitch and with great pleasure to all the guests present. This for me was a massive part of The Ghan, the service that we received was seamless.
Once we had eaten and copious amounts of wine and beer had flowed, we were treated to a tour of the sky above. One of the band took centre stage, candles were blown out and with a laser pen, he lit up the night sky. His tour of the sky took us from confirming common constellations to discovering distant stars on the fringes of our expectation and experience.
We stepped away from the tables afterwards and sought out a corner of the Telegraph Station that didn’t have any candles or lights, from this new vantage point we looked skywards and we really could see a million stars. What you can see without light pollution, without candles flickering and without laser pens, is quite mind blowing.
This was another spectacle that will sparkle in my memories for ever.
Comments