Thread: Alice Springs.

If I wanted to visit a town, I wouldnt drive halfway across the country to do it.Basically you are going to drive thru Alice and do your sightseeing OUTSIDE the town/city anyway, so whats the big deal? Cross Rocky,Townsville, Cairns, all of Cape York, the entire NT and the Kimberley off your list as well, if your going to believe what you see on tv.

Originally Posted by crump

If I wanted to visit a town, I wouldnt drive halfway across the country to do it.Basically you are going to drive thru Alice and do your sightseeing OUTSIDE the town/city anyway, so whats the big deal? Cross Rocky,Townsville, Cairns, all of Cape York, the entire NT and the Kimberley off your list as well, if your going to believe what you see on tv.

Hear, hear.

I've been all those places bay Cape York and I'd go again. I've lived in Aboriginal communities - and Alice is along way from the bottom of my list.

There are a million reasons WHY there are problems, but if you are visiting, the main thing is - don't do anything stupid. Don't go places the locals don't. Don't pick fights. Don't try to fix problems that have been there since Adam was a lad.

I nearly moved myself and my two young kids to Alice - visiting isn't a problem.

I saw the show the other night. It is always interesting to see what sort of spin is put on your own situation / circumstance.

Having lived in Alice for three years, I can say that I have never felt personally threatened at any time while living here.

However, I can see that there is some merit in the issues brought to light in that report. There IS a big problem with "native" instigated violence in this town. The newspapers are always full of reports and letters to the editor. The local radio shows touch on it most days.

Just because it hasn't happened to me doesn't mean that I am not aware of it and therefore concerned about it. All I do is take the required precautions, as noted by other posters above. A little common sense will help a long way.

As others have also said, don't cross Alice Springs off your travel plans on the dubious merits of one TV show. While the town is OK and has a variety of touristy things on offer, the real benefit is the wide array of places to visit near the town (within a few hours drive).

Originally Posted by mcrover

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)

In NW Qld, the Coles plastic shopping bag with a corner opened out so the tap on the wine bladder can poke out, used to be known as a "gin's handbag".

I was in Katherine in January for a funeral, first visit for quite a while, and asked one of the rellies what pub we were going to afterwards and he said that whites don't drink in the pubs anymore unless they are GJ's or combos. The whites and mainstream aboriginals drink at the golf club, the Katherine Club, etc.

This was shortly after the imposition of a speed limit, and, if a snap election had been called, Claire Martin would not have survived such was the level of anger in the electorate towards someone who was already on the nose as an "abo lover".

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

Claire Martin would not have survived such was the level of anger in the electorate towards someone who was already on the nose.

I have lived in the Territory for over three years and know people in Alice Springs and Darwin. Not one person whom I have talked to about politics in the NT voted for her in the first place.