Esther's photos with the keyword: Alice Springs

Raven - Alice Springs, Australia. As they age, their irises turn white. AIMG_6709

Emily Gap is located near Alice Springs, Australia in the East MacDonnells range. It is very significant to the Eastern Arrernte Aboriginal people. According to their beliefs, Emily Gap is where the caterpillar creatures of Mparntwe (Alice Springs) originated. This rock painting is important to the Arrernte Aboriginal people and is associated with Yeperenye (caterpillar) and other dreaming beliefs. AIMG_6677

Crested pigeon and ringneck parrot - Alice Springs, Australia AIMG_6699

Emily Gap is located near Alice Springs, Australia in the East MacDonnells range. It is very significant to the Eastern Arrernte Aboriginal people. According to their beliefs, Emily Gap is where the caterpillar creatures of Mparntwe (Alice Springs) originated. AIMG_6679

Gum trees (Eucalyptus ) line many of the roads outside of Alice Springs, Australia. This is a typical scene with the gum trees, the road empty of traffic and the dust starting to take back the pavement. AIMG_6586

Near Alice Springs, Australia in the East MacDonnells - Jessie Gap AIMG_6671

The East MacDonnell Range near Alice Springs, Australia. AIMG_6617

Corroboree Rock is a large formation made out of dolomite that is located approximately an hour's drive east of Alice Springs, Australia. It is part of the East MacDonnell Ranges. It is of great importance to the local aborigine people. "Just off the Ross Highway, some kilometres northeast of the Emily and Jessie Gaps, is a weathered, rippled rock called Corroboree. It began to be formed some 800 million years ago when a shallow, salty sea laid down a fine silt. Algae grew over this silt and shaped itself into mounds that solidified into rock over millions of years. The movement of the earth caused the folding of strata (layers) of rock into the vertical plane, causing the original horizontal layers to stick straight up out of the earth in the form of a ridge. Wind, rain and sun gradually wore down the ridge, with only Corroboree, a particularly hard section of rock, remaining today. The three predominant colours in the rock are black, orange, and white. The black colour comes from the oxidation of iron particles within the stone, and the orange and yellow are the result of tropical weather conditions." www.expedition360.com/australia_lessons_geography/2001/09... AIMG_6627

Around Alice Springs, Australia in the East MacDonnell Range. Ghost gums are evergreen trees with white bark that are native to Australia. They are mentioned in the Aboriginal Australian Dreamtime stories and parts of the tree had medicinal use for the Aboriginal Australians. Interestingly, if you pat the tree, your hand picks up a coating of white dust. AIMG_6641

Alice Springs, Australia, is the home of the mighty Todd River. It seemed little more than a dusty depression when I visited, but I have been told that at times of heavy rain, water will flow in it. Australians have a marvelous sense of humor and they hold the Henley-on-Todd Regatta, where they race bottomless boats by picking them up and running along the riverbed. The Regatta is an annual event but it had to be canceled one year because there actually was water in the riverbed. To watch a hilarious video about the Regatta, check out www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPmfv3bIEr4 . AIMG_6533

Nile Crocodile - Alice Springs Reptile Centre, Australia How doth the little crocodile Improve his shining tail, And pour the waters of the Nile On every golden scale! How cheerfully he seems to grin, How neatly spreads his claws, And welcomes little fishes in With gently smiling jaws! A poem by Lewis Carroll that appears in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. AIMG_6576

Goanna - Alice Springs Reptile Centre, Australia. "Goanna is the name used to refer to any number of Australian monitor lizards of the genus Varanus, as well as to certain species from Southeast Asia. Around 30 species of goanna are known, 25 of which are found in Australia." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goanna AIMG_6580

Galah, Alice Springs telegraph station, Australia AIMG_6607

Alice Springs Reptile Centre, Australia. "Pogona is a genus of lizards containing seven species, which are often known by the common name bearded dragons. The term "bearded dragon" is most commonly used to describe the central bearded dragon. Members of this genus live in the arid, rocky, semidesert regions and dry open woodlands of Australia. They are adept climbers, spending time on branches and in bushes and near human habitation. Pogona species bask on rocks and exposed branches in the mornings and afternoons. The species are found throughout Australia." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pogona AIMG_6565

Crested pigeon, Alice Springs, Australia AIMG_6583

But it is not one of the heads on Easter Island. This natural rock formation can be found near Alice Springs, Australia in the East MacDonnells AIMG_6639

Frank, the Goanna, at the Alice Springs Reptile Centre in Alice Springs, Australia. Frank wanders loose in the Centre and is not afraid of people. However, because of his size and the fact that he is a reptile, some people are afraid of him. "Goanna is the name used to refer to any number of Australian monitor lizards of the genus Varanus, as well as to certain species from Southeast Asia. Around 30 species of goanna are known, 25 of which are found in Australia." en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goanna AIMG_6542

Bottlebrush tree, Alice Springs, Australia AIMG_6585