ALICE SPRINGSBY CHARLIE AND SEBASTIAN

WHERE IS ALICE SPRINGS IN AUSTRALIA?

HISTORYAlice Springs was first established in 1871. It was firstly named after John McDoull Stuart so they named a highway after him in recognition. John navigated the track to the north coast so they thought the overland telegraph line should be built. It was finished in 1872 which made it easier for people who wanted to take up leases in the North parts.

Back in that time camels were good help to carry food and essential supplies to people who lived in the far North. The camels walked through the centre of the country. In that time Alice Springs was inhabited by the Arrernte Aboriginal people.

In 1929 camel trains ( camels that transported people and things) were replaced with normal trains. They built a railway from Adelaide to Alice Springs which caused a big population rise. Then in 2004 the railway was extended and went from Adelaide all the way through to Darwin!

So that is a brief history of Alice Springs!

SPORT

The Alice Springs Gliding Club operates out of the Bond springs air strip which is 20km North of Alice Springs. The club is open on the majority of Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays. We take no passengers due to the unpredictable danger of it. This is fun and educational. Just turn up for the enjoyable airshow!

WEATHER

Alice Springs is dry and sandy in it’s deserts. The rainfall yearly is 11 inches. A low average of 5 degrees Celsius in the winter and a high average of 36 degrees Celsius for the hot summers.

In the Winter, temperatures fall below 0 and sometimes there is even frost! When it rains in the Winter it tends to get cold e.g. between 8 and 10 degrees Celsius. But in the dry time, the temperature is usually quite mild.

In the Summer, temperatures reach the high thirties. The air is dry in the deserts at night but it is still very cool there. The climate can get humid, and when it does, there is a thunderstorm risk! You need to watch out for monsoon rains (windy rains from the Indian Ocean) and storms. The temperature can change to in between 15 and 20 degrees Celsius.

CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL

The Alice Springs Christmas Festival is held at the Todd Mall. Some of it’s attractions are buskers, entertaining performers and market stalls. There’s lots of bargains!

There is also fun activities for your little ones while you can shop without any nagging! Isn’t that great! You can enter competitions to win prizes and you can just relax on a chair.

So why not have a day of enjoyment at The Alice Springs Christmas Festival

WILDLIFE

The Parks and Wildlife Commission of the NT have developed some Wildlife Care Guidelines to support the rehabilitation of injured, hurt or in any way, in need of help animals so they can release them back into the wild all fixed up and 100% healthy! Throughout the past few years, Parks and Wildlife has encountered recurring problems/scenarios relating to care and rehabilitation of wild animals. The Wildlife Care Guidelines contains a precise standard in NT.

Here are some of the animals you see in Alice Springs:

• Bilby- nocturnal

• Pig-footed bandicoot- extinct

• Mala-small wallaby

• Barking spider-large and hairy

• Bandy bandy-live on blind snakes

• Smooth knob-tailed gecko-huge, dark eyes

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Sport: www.alicespringsglidingclub.com

Weather: www.weatherzone.com

Wildlife: www.alicespringsdesertpark.com and www.wildcareasp.com

Christmas Festival: www.alicesprings.nt.gov

History: www.toddys.com