Ever been to Australia (or live there) ?

[A HERETIC I AM]

14. 1 Aldridge St., Alice Springs, NT 1972 - 74

http://goo.gl/maps/RVNdJ

My dad was assigned to Pine Gap

Went to 9th and part of 10th grade at Alice Springs HS. Had the fortune of looking after and riding daily a 16 hand gelding thoroughbred named Robber Boy;


(That's not me up)

Dad bought a Land rover like this one;


Visited and climbed Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the Olgas, traveled in that Rover quite a bit in the outback near Alice. Had the good fortune of staying on a station during Xmas, 1973. Jinka Station was on the Plenty Highway, about 4 or 5 hours north east of The Alice.

Never got much further north than about 100 miles or so, so we never even got to Tennant Creek, the next major town north on the road to Darwin. The rail line carries on all the way north, but when we were there, it ended in Alice Springs. "The Ghan" was a regular thing. When the rains were heavy the rail line was cut because it was laid directly on the riverbeds in many places. The town went for a period of about a month one time without a train. EVERYTHING came by the train, except meat and some locally grown produce.

I worked in the town Abbatoir at 15 years old.

In the 1990's I visited Surfers Paradise 4 times attending the Indy Car race there. Last time I was down under was 1995.

Oh yeah....I was a participant in the "Henley on Todd" Regatta!

http://www.henleyontodd.com.au/