A Visit Down Under

To The Red Center

Alex Aitchison, a Newtown Sports Hall of Famer, an Eastern Tennis Hall of Fame inductee, and former president of the Newtown Tennis Association, finally got to visit the “Red Center” of Australia, the country where he was born.

Mr Aitchison and his wife Marjorie, who are now US citizens, had never been to that part of their country and decided to combine the trip with a visit to see family and friends late last year.

A visit to Ayres Rock the world’s largest monolith at nearly six miles around the base, was the first part of their stay. On arrival, the temperature was hovering around 100 degrees F (the seasons are reversed “down under”) and a red dust storm darkened the sky. At sunset and sunrise, Ayres Rock or uluru (ool-or-roo) in the aboriginal language, literally changes color from deep blue to scarlet red as the sun plays on its surface. The Olgas or kata-tjuta (kar-ta-choo-ta) in the same national park are famous for their 36 “domes” that provide magnificent views from many different angles.

Temperatures can range from 115 degrees F in summer — although some recordings have been as high as 126 degrees — down to the 20s in winter. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is one the few World Heritage properties listed for both its natural and cultural properties.

“It is an aboriginal burial ground and ceremonial ground that doesn’t get enough recognition,” Mr Aitchison said.

From there the Aitchisons journeyed to Watarrka National Park at Kings Canyon and to Alice Springs, where the theme for the movie A Town Like Alice was born. Here they took a walk in a rain forest and visited some of the country’s outstanding vineyards and chateaus in the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsular regions outside Melbourne. Visiting some of the old seaside resort areas on Port Phillip Bay also was on the itinerary.

“We had a wonderful time, renewing family ties, enjoying great wines, walking the beaches, and, of course, shopping,” Mr Aitchison said.