ODD MALL IS ALMOST DESERTED. I have arrived into Alice Springs/Mparntwe on a hot Thursday in the aftermath of the last of the COVID lockdowns, and it seems to be taking the Central Australian town, which sits on the Traditional Land of the proud Central Arrernte people, a while to get its mojo back. The international backpackers and modern nomads who swell the population here as they come and go with the seasons haven’t made it back yet, and the pervading vibe on
