Our morning began with a tour of the town, the main service centre for the vast Outback region.  Alice Springs is set against the rugged mountain backdrop for the magnificent MacDonnell Ranges 1500 kms from the nearest capital city.  Our tour included a visit to the Royal Flying Doctor Service to see how this marvelous facility operates to provide medical aid to those who live in the remote ‘outback’. This service was founded by Rev. John Flynn in 1928 and services 250,000 Australians.  There are 24 planes manned by specially trained pilots and nurses who are also trained extensively in midwifery.  Doctors provide medical advice by phone from the hospital and fly to patients about 20 pentcent of the time.  Here is the central office in Alice Springs and one of the old radios used to communicate.

Here are the airplanes that are fully equipped flying medical facilities.

Next was a visit to the School of the Air where we learned how children who live beyond 50 kilometers from the nearest school are educated remotely by computer (originally radio).  Here is a teacher who is connected live to her students daily.

Above is a quilt the students created and our ‘teacher’ who was telling us about the school.

After our tour, we transferred to the airport for our flight to Adelaide.  Upon arrival in Adelaide, we dined at the First Lounge Bar at Hotel Richmond where we enjoyed porcini muchrooms balls, chimichurri chicken, salmon, steak and pumpkin risotto.  We had so much fun that other visitors to the restaurant wished they were with our group!  We are staying two nights in the Crown Plaza Hotel.

Tomorrow we head out on a wine tasting excursion.