Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Alice Springs

This place is a bit of a shock to the senses. Wretched-looking Aboriginal people are wandering aimlessly about, often drunk. I’d heard there were problems but I didn’t know Australian society had failed so miserably in its treatment of the indigenous population. The white people here carry on like nothing is the matter. I can sense the racial tension and it feels like a powderkeg waiting to explode.

2 comments:

  1. A special category of hell is reserved for the petrol smugglers, who charge exorbitant prices to circumvent the ban on regular fuel so Aboriginal petrol sniffers can get their fix. The fuel sold legally in the region is a special non-addictive blend.

    http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/600ml-bottle-of-petrol-costs-50-for-sniffing/2005/10/28/1130400363820.html

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  2. Hi Simon. Good thing you aren't travelling in Europe at the moment - looks like trains will be a very popular mode of transport for the next couple of weeks!

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