Having just returned from my short trip to the centre of Australia, I am pretty sure I would like to return some day. Especially as my stay was brief and most of the time was taken up with work related functions. However my day spent in the West Macdonnell ranges was truly spectacular. The colours of the rock formations are quite exquisite. A mixture of reds and oranges the many gorges and chasms in the ranges will take your breath away. And thankfully there weren't a lot of sightseers so the tranquility could just wash over you. Alice Springs itself felt like a big country town (I think the population is 20,000) with its languid pace and friendly atmosphere. I don't think I could ever possibly live there but it makes a great base to witness the beauties of our outback. Uluru is a five hour drive away, so time prevented me going there but I would like return one day, take in the Rock and also explore further the many other sights in the area. The only disappointing aspect is to see the majority of the indigenous population in a perpetual state of aimlessness. There still seems to be a huge gulf between the white and black cultures and I wish there was some easy way to break the cycle of poverty and despair. I wouldn't even pretend to know enough about the situation to offer a proper opinion, but it just seems sad to me that in the 21st century we seem no closer to the solution of having an inclusive and equitable country.

I have some more photos at my Flickr.