Alice Springs-should I or shouldn't I

[MARYROSE02]

I know that. I actually quickly looked up both Walgett and Alice Springs and Walgett, although much smaller than The Alice has a much larger proportion of indigenous to whites population - 77 per cent in Walgett I think compared to about 30 per cent in Alice Springs. I only stayed in Walgett for a night and I drove from the motel to the golf club where all the whites go to eat. I suppose if I am honest, I probably would not like to live there, BUT if I had the opportunity, I would not turn it down.

[bev1978]

Hey THANKS for this,

its looking like I might just go for it so I'd love to meet your daughter x

 

Ill let you know as soon as I know xxxx

 

bev

[Guest Bazinga]

I wouldn't, I work with a nurse who is on sabbatical from there and she has said the abuse towards nurses is just something else. She can't believe how little trouble she has down here.

[Jobo]

We live in Darwin and I have never been to AS so cannot tell you from experience. I have friends who lived in AS for years but left when their friend was murdered after trying to stop one of the regular fights between local drunks so they have quite strong views on the town's social problems. I also have lots of friends (many police) and colleagues who say that around Alice is absolutely beautiful and that Alice is a nice friendly town where most people know one another and you can have a great social network of friends and activities. the trouble really is the anti social behaviour, mostly at night.

The issues in Alice are quite different to many other Australian cities and probably very scary for many people.

 

That said, when we lived in the UK we always locked up all the doors and I wouldn't walk home on my own at night. Crime and anti-social behaviour was rife and poor medical and emergency services staff had to take loads of crap from people they were trying to help. So while Alice does currently have significant problems, perhaps a little perspective is needed.

 

All the best, whatever you decide

 

Jo

[Guest]

Healthcare in The Alice will be an eye opener for you. Go for it if your well up for a challenge but I wouldnt be thinking of hanging around long. Good opportunity to save some cash mind you:-)

[pegasuss]

Bev,

 

I have lived in Alice when growing up and it was great back then. Only about 5000 people. Now about 25,000 and it has lost that country town feeling and more people know less people. Back then we all knew pretty much what everyone was doing and where they fit it. So it's deteriorated in that way. Been back about 20 times, passing through on business usually. It was a real communiety whereas now it's just a segregated town. Black and white do not mix.

 

Alice has always had problems with aboriginals drinking since they were given that right. Whites of course do the same, but in their homes. The aborigals do it in the dry creek bed that runs through the middle of time. Some live their and their was great humour way back when one of them woke up surfing the Todd River on his mattress, still drunk. It wasn't bad when I grew up but today is is a burning hot issue and whites and non whites do to not mix. There's a real barrier there. And I must say those who are partly of each race have the biggest chips on their shoulders and are aggressive about it. It's like they want to ensure they are not accepted.

 

The town itself has detiorated out of sight due to this and financial greed of several people but there's nowhere in the world that offers proximity to so many natural wonders. From Ayers Rock (that is still it's official name) to the batcaves just south of Alice. Every gap in the Mcdonnel ranges offers great sight seeing and camping and is magificent. Standley Chasm is the most magnicent sight and is closest to alice, about 30 miles or so. In a 300 mile radius you can see so much variety (No snow though!!!) that you could spend a years of travelling weekends seeing it all. I saw it as a kid as my fathers job involved wide ranging bush travel. We even spent a couple of weeks camping out in the Simpson's desert. That's where there are only those big red sand dunes. You can drive down the middle of the break between each wave. Unbelievable. No flies as there is no vegetation to speak of. Mosquitoes though? Millions.

 

For a 34 year old single female pom you will find it hard to fit in. A lot of the social life for new people is pubs only and they tend to be backpackers or itinerants. So a week is a long relationsip. The long term residents have well and truly defined their boundaries and rarely go outside that. And are very stuck in their view of the world.

 

IE, It's very insular. I agree, start with a city and go for a visit first and go see for yourself.

 

Weather of course is a big issue. About 40 in summer is very common while in winter it gets down to below freezing at night but is sunny and hot by midday. Desert weather. It is a dry heat though so you don't need refridgerated air conditioning. The cheaper version is extremely effective.

 

I say, don't just drop yourself in the town and hope it works. Check it out first, OK.

 

Best

 

Ross

 

PS a lot of my mates growing up were poms, the 10 Pound money variety as we were looking for immigrants.

[Nantucket]

Life in Alice Springs is......different! I try to convince myself that it is not a bad place to live. Sometimes it' hard because it seems like we are lost in the middle of nowhere. But the good point is that it's easy to meet people and to find a job....I'm here since une 2012....and should be here 2 more years!

[carol1988]

Hi, I have only just found this post. My partner and I have been in Alice for nearly 2 years and I agree with a lot of the above comments. I am just wondering Bev did you take the leap and come to Alice?

I would say although it has been a huge culture shock for us, we do not regret coming over and know we won't be here forever so you have to make the most of it while you can.

[pegasuss]

Reading from the beginning there is a very skewed view of the Alice. Whoever it was who never read "A Town like Alice" doesn't know this but the Alice is probably in the movie for about 5 seconds. It's actually about female POW's of the Japanese being marched around Asia constantly as they die off. A habit of that wonderul culture.

 

Sammi is far closer to correct than the woman whp tries to romanticise it. And no, The Alice is NOTHING like any other town at all.

 

It has a number of distinct communities and they do NOT mix. There's the oldies, lived there forever and done nothing but complain about the new people, you know, only been there 30 years stuff.

 

There's a number of differing groups of abotiginals but they all share the same problem. Booze. There are those that live in the dry creek bed and get drunk as soon as the pub opens each day. They do have a habit of killing each other, Other people? Not so much but it happens. As a kid I used to walk across the sandy parts and sometimes step over someone out cold, I hope they were. These people in the creek have been rejected by their communities which are dry and threw them out. White society doesn't want them as they are a social nightmare. Drunk aboriginals on the street? No way. If they do that they go to jail. Stay in the creek and they are usually OK, except from each other.

 

Then there's those that come into town from the nearby town camps. Supposed to be dry too but what's a short walk matter when you need a hit? And usually stagger back home later and beat up and rape anyone at his camp. If he can.

 

Then there's those that have obtained houeses and employment. Two types there too. One has rejected the life of booze and are good citizens. The other lot do have a house but they act just like the creek people. How do you know one from the other? Only by getting to know them and if you are a single female that's a huge risk.

 

Then of course, the holier than thou whites. They do the same as the creek aboriginals but keep it inside until they really lose it.

 

Drinking is the only common activity in the Alice. Everything revolves around it and if you don't drink you are spurned. Or you hang around and wonder what the hell they are talking about as it's all dribble.

 

Yes, there are great sights to be seen and places to visit just to see it. About 300 miles betwen each one though and usually on dirt roads so don't drive yourself. Take a tour, at least first time round. Climbing the mountains around Alice? There is only one, split by The Gap. The McDonnell ranges. Believe me if you have climbed left or right, then you have done both.

 

When you say you know you won't be there for long that is the sign you are on your way.

 

Another group, who I also was part of, when older, is the backpacker but with friends type people. Like I knew plenty of people and always had somewhere to stay and made great friends with other casuals. They are the best people in the town. They just change every few months as they run out of things to do and get sick of the constant booze. I was there abiut 6 months before another friend asked if I wanted to hitch to Darwin, I sure did, only 1000 miles. It was great fun being around him again. But it broke my connection with Alice and while I did go back for a short period I then hitched to Adelaide. Another thousand miles of nothing.

 

To me the Alice is now dead, just tourist trash and developer's in cahooots with Council type stuiff.

 

But it is still my heart. I live with a lady I knew when I was 14 but never talked to back then. We now have 2 kids, together 22 years but met in Darwin. Second time we met in Alice when I was hitching we had a 3 week fling and she told me it was over, so Darwin and onwards. She had a baby and yes she is mine, No one told me. I ran into her while working in Canberra and visting Darwin. I found out she had a kid so I checked and the dates fit and yes, she was mine. It does happen for real. My life IS a soap opera. I married not too long after leaving the Alice as I went up to Sydney and met a girl. We married and had two kids then she stole them and all I had. So my eldest and youngest are with my current partner and the other two with the ex.

 

I can't stay away from Alice, I just have to see it again and again. First thing is up Anzac Hill and spot the changes. And it's fast growth too.

 

Growing up there was the greatest No TV, just the radio with one station, the ABC . But the Beatles happened so who needed TV, right? When I went back as older and stayed a while I never even talked to my old girlfriend who I had loved so much, as you do at 15. I decided she can come see me if she's interested. She didn't but it was cool as I had that fling with the lady about a metre to my left right now.

 

So the Alice WAS great but now it's a tourist trap and a place for the older inhabitants to die. Someone mentioned not going out at night. That's wandering around. Sure you can drive to a restaraunnt and so on. But walking? Hope you knew Bruce Lee. The sun does get to you too. Better than humidity but some days it feels like you could just crack an egg in your hand and hold it to cook it. That sun really does burn hard.

 

You can make friends with those who work with you etc but not if you don't drink too much regularly. They'll call you a coward and gutless and ignore you unless you throw up regularly like you should, according to them.

 

Quite a few of the local white boys hang around to pick up strays from tourist buses. No evil intent, just sex, Perfected the art they have. Only some of those girls think it's love. What can you do?

 

Most of the unique things about Alice have been touristed, meaning destroyed.

 

But go, for a visit as someone above wrote, after settling in Sydney etc.It's extreme out there. A thousand miles from anywhere And no, you don't fly to Darwin for the weekend. You drive. Used to be open speed limits you see.

[GarethKatieandRhys]

Could anyone give any advice on a young family of four moving fro the UK to Alice Springs? on things such as schooling, employments sorted, where to live without being killed or burgled (I read the whole thread, interesting reading, very mixed opinions) Thanks