2 (feels like -2) - 18 deg C, another crisp morning followed by a beautiful day
After our separate walks (yes, Wendy braved the cold), and breakfast we hopped on the bikes and headed out to the Araluen Cultural Precinct. First order of the day was mornos at Yaye’s Cafe where the coffees and savoury eats were great warming up food. We then perused the displays in the Galleries, that included a number of Albert Namatjira’s paintings. One gallery was dedicated to indigenous women’s softball in the Red Centre and was quite well done.
We briefly visited the Sculpture Garden before moving on to the Central Craft building which had a variety of local arts and crafts made by the Members. Very nice stuff indicating a lot of talent, but nothing that we couldn’t live without. Empty handed, we moved on to the Central Australian Aviation Museum which consisted of the Kookaburra Memorial, Conellan Hangar and the Bellman Hangar. The Kookaburra memorial housed the remains of the Kookaburra aircraft that was flown by Bob Hitchcock and Keith Anderson and crashed in the Tanami Desert in 1929. Sadly it was in the process of searching for Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulf. The two pilots of the Kookaburra died in the crash that was found 14 days later. Dick Smith recovered the wreck in 1978. Both of the hangars are home to various old aircraft. We then went in search of Albert Namatjira’s grave which we found in an old cemetery adjacent the hangars. We will come back another day to do the Museum of Central Australia which is in the complex. These are all things we did not do last time we were here in the Alice.
We returned to the van the long way, out past the Gap. Lunch was consumed, then a little rest before heading out to have our final COVID vaccine. We are now fully-vaxed!
Back to the van to get spruced up before hitting Uncles Tavern for Thursday pub night. We had dinner here in 2018 with Gunther and Yvonne and it was good, so we thought we would try it again, just to make sure. And, it was.
Stuarts Desert Pea
ANZAC Hill
Peacekeeping Ops
Pictorial depictions of the various ADF campaigns
Vietnam
WWI
Mr Hippo at Araluen Arts Centre
A face only a mother can love, is cute though
Indigenous Women's Softball
As Emily flow so flows Emily - graphite on Waterford paper
Mulga seed dreaming
Albert Namatjira works
Zebra finches
Cassowary in thread
Pandemic portrait
Joy flight
Dreaming of dog rock
Steel sculpture - Spring beckons
This is apparently art
Pottery - Pink Galahs in my country
Port Lincoln parrots
Stained glass window
Close-up of the detail in the window
Grass trees in the sculpture garden
Brolga sculpture
A 300 year-old tree
A hoofless horse and rider
The Caterpillar is a major creative ancestor of Alice Springs and one of the most important Arrernte totems. It is evident today in the form of the MacDonnell Ranges
Big Sister Hill
Kookaburra memorial
C.A.C Wackett - used as a RAAF training aircraft in WWII
A scale model of the Kookaburra
Some of the aircraft in the Bellman Hangar
A QANTAS cargo aircraft model made by school children
One of Connellan's aircraft
Aircarft seating has not changed much, except there is not as much leg room now
Murals in Alice Springs
