The Red Centre has so much more to offer
than just a visit to the Big Rock. There are
stunning gorges, magnificent chasms and
canyons, wonderful red dirt tracks reeking in
colonial history and more desert than you
can poke a stick at. There is nothing quite like
watching an outback sunset, camping under
the stars with a crackling fire beside a
majestic natural monument like Chambers
Pillar. Unfortunately, I got to do none of those
things on this trip through the Centre. My
overweight little companion doesn’t like
getting his tyres sandy and my lack of off-
road ability would likely end up with a Royal
Flying Doctor trip to the closest hospital.
I did however get to experience a dinky-di
Anzac Day Dawn Service atop Anzac Hill in
Alice Springs. I have heard the Last Post in
almost every Australian state and many
European countries but nothing moved me
as much as the distant sunrise over the
MacDonald Ranges to the strains of the
bugler in the still desert air.
Along with a compulsory visit to the Alice
Springs RFDS centre, another must-see can
now be added to the list. The National Pioneer
Women’s Hall of Fame, the inspiration of the
formidable Molly Clark, is housed in the Old
Gaol and has a dedicated area for Australian
Aviatrix. I devoted an entire afternoon to this
fascinating display and still it was not
enough.