Cairns to Alice Springs

On May 14th we boarded a plan and flew from Cairns to Alice Springs.

This was an extreme change in climate: from the rainforest region around Cairns to the near desert region around Alice Springs. . Because this is fall in Australia, the weather has not been that hot around Alice Springs: High during the day of 70 – 85 F with lows at night of about 43 – 55 F.

Didgeridoo

We stayed at Toddy’s which has a restaurant that often has entertainment in the evening.

We were lucky enough that a very talented aborigine was playing didgeridoo that evening.

He invited several of our students on stage to learn to play. . The aptitude to play a didgeridoo varies from person to person, but all those who are working on it are making progress.

Termite Nest

We visited the Museum of the Desert – just outside of Alice Springs. (This museum is very similar to the one in Palm Springs, California.)

One of the exhibits was a termite nest. In some areas of the desert region you see 10s to a hundred of these termite nests per acre. For that reason, many of the electric and telephone poles are made out of metal in the desert region. Wooden poles are quickly eaten.

Panther Skink

A Panther Skink is one of the animals which inhabit the desert regions.

Birds in Flight show (a)

This museum also had a very nice birds in flight show. The purpose of this photo is to show that our students are still alive and doing well. (More in next picture.)

Birds in Flight show (b)

More students pictured. (Although only 23 are in the pictures – all 24 are doing well.)

Use of a Tool

This bird uses a tool !

Emu eggs are too hard for the bird to peck open, so it picks up a rock and uses it to break open the egg ! . (Bird brains are not helpless. )