Thread: Alice Springs.

I didn't see the show, but from the information you have supplied, it appears to have said nothing new about the situation in Alice Springs.
As others have said, like a lot of places it has good and bad. I spent a couple of weeks there last October and saw mostly the good side. I was aware of the social problems, but they didn't affect my enjoyment of my time there. I didn't walk down dark streets late at night, but I wouldn't walk down dark streets late at night in parts of Sydney or a hundred other places.
I don't think changing the laws or building bigger gaols is the answer. There are some better solutions that I don't have the time to explain at the moment.
I believe that one of the reasons that Alice Springs suffers some of the social problems it has is because the people who are troublemakers in the outlying aboriginal communities are encouraged to leave and they finish up in Alice Springs.
Don't wipe Alice Springs off your list of places to see just because there are some serious social problems there. You can avoid them in exactly the same way you can avoid them in other places all over Australia. Alice Springs has a lot to offer.

Alice is a fantastic place to visit and I have several friends that will say it's also a great place to live and work and we loved it there last september when we were there.

We did play a great game going out to one of the georges we named count the goon bag (the bladder out of the cask wine) and I think if they only sold expensive alcohole in Alice and not that brand of goon then there would be half the problem.

We met several of the locals of many nationalities including Aboriginals who were really nice, pollite and helpful as well as seeing a few of the less privilaged individulals that would be the trouble in the area.

It was nothing compared to Cooberpedy where my wife nearly ran over an agoriginal women who stepped out onto the road at the round about just in town, we had just got there and she abused the crap out of us.

The local coppers used to drive out to the settlements and then straight to the glaziers to get the windows replaced in the troopies.

There is a bad crowed in Shepparton which is about the same size as Alice but nobody hears about that.

Dont be scared off, you can work around it and there were no murders that I heard about while we were there so it cant be that bad.

If you go on the Ghan, go luxury as the cattle class seats are way less comfy as the disco. You are better driving it as you cant get any sleep in the horrid seats and then when you get there it takes a couple of days to recover and it costs you about the same as the fuel.

Also when you go to the Rock, take LOOOOOOOOTS of money, everything is expensive.

It was our honeymoon and on our last night we decided to have a nice dinner in one of the restraunts that another couple had recomended and it cost us over $200, It was a great meal but maybe $100 to $120 but not $200, thats a months groceries for us.

You dont need too long there either as once youve seen it and the ulgers then there isnt that much more to do.

Deffinatly put it at the top of your list, it is a must to see both The rock and Alice and everything around Alice will take you at least 2 weeks taking it easy and make sure you go to Kings canyon, we didnt make it there but wish we did.

I would have to agree with what has been said, Dont let the upbeat current affairs program put u off.
I was there 2 yrs ago & absolutley loved it. It is a wonderful place, As some of the guys have said u just need to be aware of certain times & places not to be..just like Sydney at times..lived there too.
Dont put it off, go there, go now....

I lived in the alice for ten yrs as a child, and it had to be the best time of my life, the freedom and the people were great. The only thing I say that these days with tourism and such like any town that gets bigger comes crime. The cities are still no better, I love the Alice its a top spot..

I was visiting some good friends who lived in the Alice a few weeks ago. And the alarming thing he said was "I won't let my wife walk down the mall in the daytime anymore, the whole of Alice is heading downhill really fast" when questioned what he meant, he cited the fact that the aborigine troublemakers are now moving about in gangs not in ones and two's anymore. In addition a dentist was walking in the mall at lunchtime a couple of months ago and was set upon by a gang of aborigines and he was bashed then cut up really badly about the head with a broken bottle for no apparent reason. The other thing that he mentioned that surprised me, was that the old timers (long time Alice residents) are leaving at an unprecedented rate due to the increased violence. It is a common occurance to see copulation in the parks and the mall during the day, defacating anyware anytime and random violence. I didn't see the program but from what I saw whilst I was there and what he was telling me, it is definately going down hill fast.


Doc

Originally Posted by Handbrake hates Camping

I was visiting some good friends who lived in the Alice a few weeks ago. And the alarming thing he said was "I won't let my wife walk down the mall in the daytime anymore, the whole of Alice is heading downhill really fast" when questioned what he meant, he cited the fact that the aborigine troublemakers are now moving about in gangs not in ones and two's anymore. In addition a dentist was walking in the mall at lunchtime a couple of months ago and was set upon by a gang of aborigines and he was bashed then cut up really badly about the head with a broken bottle for no apparent reason. The other thing that he mentioned that surprised me, was that the old timers (long time Alice residents) are leaving at an unprecedented rate due to the increased violence. It is a common occurance to see copulation in the parks and the mall during the day, defacating anyware anytime and random violence. I didn't see the program but from what I saw whilst I was there and what he was telling me, it is definately going down hill fast.


Doc

You seem to have confirmed what the show was indicating and until the place is reformed I will take it off my places to visit.

The others that have been thee a few years back or lived there years ago I think you will find things have changed there in the last 18 months and the town is going down hill, not good.

It would be safer to go to Bali. At least you only might get blown up once a year not bashed and mugged every day.

Morning All

I was reading this with some interest. I spent 3 days there about 6 weeks ago and it seemed fine. Compared to Katherine on payday it was positively civil.

I have had some professional dealings with Today Tonight and I have to be completely honest and say that they are blatant tellers of mis truth on the odd occasion. I suspect the truth of the matter lays somewhere in the middle.

Regards,

Hello everyone

My wife and I moved to Alice from Johannesburg in 1998, we moved to Adelaide in 2001 and returned again to Alice in January 2006. I won't say the town isn't having any problems with anti social behaviour but no more so than a lot of other towns, suburbs or cities in Australia.
The "murder capital of the world" handle is pure media hype and has never been quantified (as someone else on this thread pointed out, the same honour was bestowed on Adelaide a while back)- As Alice has a population of around 30,000 at any one time, but as half of them are tourists they were not counted in the "per capita" calculations- probably more for shock value than anything else.
For all prospective visitors don't be put off by the TV reports.
Any occasional anti social behaviour is generally restricted to the dry river bed or around the bottle shops at opening time. Other than that common sense will keep you out of trouble. Besides most of the places a Land Rover owner would want to see are outside the town anyway. (Boggy Hole, Ellery Creek, Wiggley's Waterhole and more await you!)
The locals (and I count myself in this group) are doing everything in our power to bring some order to the town (and are making slow inroads) for the benifit of our own futures as well as to retain the visitor numbers that are so important to our economy.
Claire Martin (NT Cheif Minister) needs to do a bit more for the towns below the Berrimah line - but thats another chat for another day.
But in short, yes the town is not quite as great as it was in 1998 but it is still a fantastic part of the country to visit.......Don't let a slow news day article put you off seeing some of the best spots in the Red Centre
Heck....I'd even be glad to show you around!

Jason7001