Alice Springs (Australia)

I went to Alice Springsduring aroad tripin the centre of Australia. The town fascinated me as much as it repelled me. Alice Springs is located in one of the most hostile areas of the world and at first sight looks like a charming small town, with late 19th century English colonial architecture, numerous cafes, aboriginal art galleries and tourist excursion agencies.

However, behind the facade I saw they had real social problem with the integration of the aborigines. They represent 20% of the population, have serious drug and alcohol problems, and don't appear to benefit from the local tourist industry which nonetheless is based around their art and culture.

It's a virtually obligatory stop during an Australian trip, and while there you will be hit in the face with one of the stain's on Australia's conscience. Very instructive. 

Alice Springs is a must see on a trip to Australia. Completely isolated from the big cities on the east coast, Alice Springs stands out for being different.

I spent one week in Alice Springs and I immediately felt very comfortable there. From there, I advise you to rent a car and explore the region. Ayers Rock and Kings Canyon are 450 km away for example. This is a short hop for a country-continent like Australia. Without needing to leave the town, I had plenty of things to do in Alice Springs. I recommend that you visit the Royal Flying Doctor Service tourist facility, the Alice Springs Reptile Centre, and the baby kangaroo sanctuary. You can also discover Aboriginal paintings in one of the town's art galleries. Unfortunately, the Aboriginal people that I came across in the streets were mostly adrift, in the clutches of alcoholism. A real problem here. All around the town, the ochre desert extends out of view and lends itself perfectly to your first hot air balloon flight. In terms of gastronomy, the restaurants serve emu, kangaroo, camel, and crocodile. At least you'll be eating the crocodile and not the other way round! Grub's up!