Wed 8th – After packing up we called into the Old Telegraph Station a few km’s out of town. $9 per adult. It was a really lovely spot, so peaceful, in a tranquil bush setting. If you have stopped at some of the old telegraph stations in other places it’s well worth stopping at the Alice Springs one, it ties in all the other points along the old line. Puts thing into perspective, lots of information boards explaining the history of the place. It was actually the Telegraph Station that was name after Mrs Alice Todd, the town we now know as Alice Springs was actually called Sturt and renamed Alice Springs when the telegraph station people moved, something like that anyway.
The station was open in 1872. There are several restored buildings including the Station Master’s residence, the kitchen, barracks, post office and telegraph office, battery room, shoeing yard and buggy shed and store. All set on the banks of the Todd River with a water hole that was the reason for naming the place Alice Springs.
There are several walks and lots of tress and green grass to have a picnic in the lovely setting.
After lunch we pushed north and stopped about 20kms outside Wycliffe Well. We did have a look at a rest area called Taylor’s Creek but it didn’t do anything for us, so we went on a bit further. Our spot was private, not seen from the road and no one else was there.
