Alice has seen better days

I was in Alice Springs just before Xmas 88/89. It was a fun place, e. g. boat race in bottomless boats in the dried up river. The food was great. The main negative was the poor state of the aborigines and their alcohol problems.

This visit to Alice was interesting, but as far as I could tell, all the charm has gone . The better off are fenced in, in the suburbs. The poor hang out in a city centre that has a dilapidated feel to it.

The interest lies in the magnificent visitor centres for the school of the air, the flying Drs, and at least for the kids, the reptile centre.

The level of innovation, driven by necessity, is quite remarkable.

The school has developed over its long history, best practices for distance learning. It has 113 children spread over an area that is bigger than central Europe . The main problem the school has is staff turnover. The guide suggests its down to video not giving the teachers the rewarding contact with the children. I suspect it's also that Alice is no longer a nice quaint place.

The Drs of the air is just as impressive and innovative, covering remote diagnosis tools and remote treatment . It also has airborne emergency rescue. It's helped optimise aeroplane design for such purposes.Read more