Alice Springs (The Ghan Part 2)

On the second morning, we arrived in Alice Springs, which is the second largest city in the Northern Territory with about 25,000 inhabitants.

We had booked a trip with three different hikes in the area.

First, we drove to West McDonnell Ranges National Park and saw white "Ghost Gum" trees that protect themselves from the sunlight with their bright bark.

Our next stop took us to "Simpson Gap," a gorge with a permanent water source in the mountains.

In the rocks in the gorge, there are black-footed rock wallabies, of which we were able to spot three.

Finally, there was a slightly longer hike up Cassia Hill, from where we had a beautiful view of the surrounding landscape.

While it was mentioned on the train that sturdy footwear and long pants are essential due to the venomous snakes in the area, our guide was much more relaxed. He said that he had rarely seen a snake (usually when he had just told a travel group about them) and that they are very venomous but not at all aggressive - quite different from Africa or India... Obviously, everyone thinks their own country is the least dangerous.

We were not bothered by any venomous snakes and returned to the train unharmed after a short walk through the city.

In the evening, we went to the former telegraph station, where we enjoyed an Australian barbecue with live music.