Olive Pink Botanic Garden

Day 97 – Alice Springs, Australia

I’m continuing my run of botanic gardens. This one, in Alice Springs, is dedicated to Miss Olive Pink, who campaigned for the conservation of native species (and the respect of Aboriginal rights, but that has less to do directly with the botanic garden).

The garden includes the Annie Myers Hill, itself a reserve for the black-footed rock wallaby, of which I have seen quite a few this morning. Because, having woken up early, I took advantage of the cool morning temperatures and went visiting. That means that I went up the hill while the wallabies were still active (nocturnal animals, these beasties).

Black-footed rock wallaby

Of course they don’t let themselves be approached, so my pictures are either blurry because of the zoom, or you have to squint to see the tiny dot that represent said animal.

Annie Myers Hill – Wallaby

The botanic garden here has “only” local species, but it also preserves endangered plants. I haven’t bought the booklet, so I don’t know much about it. I spent only around two hours in it, and I have still a bit to see. But since I intend to stay a while in AS, I will probably go back.

See the pictures in the gallery.

The picture heading this article is the labyrinth. There is a “bird attracting garden”, and I took the picture of a few birds, including an almost real ostrich. There are seats and shaded tables throughout the gardens, which is quite welcoming.

Olive Pink Botanic Garden – Ostrich

Being up the hill and watching the scenery, the local arid land and small bushes, I was living my dreams. This trip is in part about going to places I dreamt of seeing after reading, hearing, watching a movie about them. It is both about specific places, such as Angkor Wat, Uluru, Easter Island, Machu Picchu… and about… concepts? Or regions? The “red centre” of Australia is such a milestone, and seeing the red soil, the endless sky, the local art, meeting Aborigine people, is the realisation of that dream.

McDonnell Ranges (East and West), from the Annie Myers Hill

(Getting an Australian saying he was “shouting” me a hot chocolate is part of the fun. You shout a drink when you pay for it, and when out with friends, each take a turn, or shout, in ordering and paying for everybody. In that case, I was out of the Greyhound bus for breakfast, blurry-eyed, cold in the morning cool air, and desperate for something hot and sweet. The prices weren’t on the board and the attendant just gave me the hot chocolate.)

The temperatures getting warmer, I left the garden and went for a spot of grocery shopping. Since I’ll stay quite a few days here, I can buy fresh food to keep in the fridge and everything. I also used my new hat, with the usual problem that with a wide-brimmed hat, I can’t keep my headphones on to listen to the latest Eve Dallas mystery, and at the same time, the wind likes to knock said hat off my head (I have a cord tying it up under the chin, but still).

Alice Springs – Endless sky

I booked a three-day tour to Uluru, the Olgas, and King’s Canyon, starting Friday. Living the dream! I won’t blog for these three days, and I expect to come back with plenty of pictures.