Nice Place BUT!

Wombat 280 · Guru

Nice Place BUT!

tonyd · Guru

Thanks, Wombat.
Piece in The Australian today warning against visits to Alice Springs. Apparently it's now one of the most dangerous places on Earth outside Bhagdad, Kabul and Pakistan.
Apparently they are selling T-shirts with the (accurate) message: Alice Springs -- Stabbing capital of the World.
It seems that the population of 220,000 got through a mere 47.2 MILLION litres of alchohol in 2006-07.
It's a sad day when we have to think of adding to the camping list: Take pump-action shotgun.
And what will Dudd and the Ghastly Gillard do about it? Bugger all.
Cheers, Tony

dave06 · Guru

well this is way beyond ANY experience that I have ever had in my many years of trouble free camping, and it is with a saddened heart that I must accept that all is true

I will take alice springs off my list of places to visit and also south west coast

it is a sad day when ones belongings are not safe in ones own confines

not a good way to start a day, with a heavy heart!!

pawsoz · Senior Member

Sorry that your stay got somewhat spoiled Wombat, that really is just not good enough.
As for the Alice, living as I do in the Top End whenever I go any place it means a trip through the Alice once, sometimes twice. I usually independant camp either just South of Aileron or at the Finke or just North of Erldunda camps, but I have stayed in town too and I have never had any trouble at all, oh except once i copped a whole mouth full froma mob of very intoxicated guys in town from a mining camp.
The Alice doesn't worry me at all and last time (September) coming home I shared the Finke camp with a small mob on their way down the track and we all had a great night sharing stories and drinking coffee, yep they were all off a dry community and just found it easier not to drink at all when travelling.

Annie

rocan · Veteran Member

stopped in Dubbo once.caravan park had 6foot fence topped with barbed wire round it.makes one think.but if u worried too much u would never leave home.
live in nth qld for a while and u gradually learn to ignore the problem ones.
rocan

Wombat 280 · Guru

pawsoz wrote:

Sorry that your stay got somewhat spoiled Wombat, that really is just not good enough.
As for the Alice, living as I do in the Top End whenever I go any place it means a trip through the Alice once, sometimes twice. I usually independant camp either just South of Aileron or at the Finke or just North of Erldunda camps, but I have stayed in town too and I have never had any trouble at all, oh except once i copped a whole mouth full froma mob of very intoxicated guys in town from a mining camp.
The Alice doesn't worry me at all and last time (September) coming home I shared the Finke camp with a small mob on their way down the track and we all had a great night sharing stories and drinking coffee, yep they were all off a dry community and just found it easier not to drink at all when travelling.

Annie

Couldn't agree more there are some great ones out there . I've employed and also worked for them and when off the grog a more placid bunch you would take a long days march to find . Once on the grog the picture changes before your eyes .

My experience in SWR isn't an isolated case speaking with other visitors and locals it's becoming the norm and without any permanent police presences they know the lead time for a police response for Kempsey is about an hour plus unless doing there once a day patrol or doing RBT on the highway .

Now our local magistrate is moving to Kempsey court circuit the situation is about to get worse as he is one of these save the world advocates that has allowed the situation to get out of hand up and down the coast .

I just hope we get a kick arse judge in his place.

That 357 I mentioned now requires a belt feed attachment, if anyone has one contact me

Basil Faulty · Guru

Yep it's a sad reflection on society.... Wilcania is such a lovely town with so much history ruined by brawling indigenous people who for some reason seem to be above the law, Likewise Bourke, have you noticed the shutters etc necesarry to protect your proprty in Bourke? Looks like Bagdad after dark....
Recently in Cobar I was chatting to a local about this very issue and they as a town have solved the problem by creating a "Work for Cobar" scheme where the welfare recipient has no choice but to work for his her handout shoveling dirt at the mine, they say 99.9% move on after a few hours any that stay a day or so are soon found worthwhile employment. Sounds to me like a very good solution.
The problem is a cultural one, especially in Alice where the culture is funded by royalties from mines and land aquisition. The only place in Australia where you can acess your bank funds by joining the "no signature" queue...