Alice Springs and Ayers Rock, Australia

City Guide

The red centre of Australia can be a surreal, almost Martian experience. For those with a sense of adventure and exploration Central Australia is tough to beat.

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Attractions
The Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve features historic buildings showing the pioneering construction and history of the overland telegraph line. The Old Telegraph Station on the north side of the town marks the original settlement and the freshwater creek that lent Alice Springs its name in 1872.

Impressive Olgas rocky domes

Opened in 1926 as an outback hospital, Adelaide House is now an exhibition centre of local history. Incorporating an ingenious air-cooling system for patient comfort, the museum features the Rev Dr John Flynn's collection and the history of the Australian Inland Mission.

The 1909 Old Stuart Town Gaol is the oldest building in Alice and is found along Parsons St. The nearby Old Courthouse dates from1928 and houses a permanent photographic exhibition of the pioneering women of the region.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service provides medical service to the vast outback and is well worth the trip. Exhibits, antique equipment and presentations outlining the history and challenges of the service give a good insight into its unique role.

The School of the Air broadcasts education to children dotted around the sparse territory. Visitors can watch lessons go out live during the day and learn about the school's past.

The Museum of Central Australia has an informative mix of aboriginal relics, natural history and meteorites. Some enjoy the Aviation Museum but others bail out early.

A few km out is the award winning and highly recommended Alice Springs Desert Park. This impressive site has magnificent displays of rare indigenous reptiles, mammals, marsupials and desert plants in three regional habitats and a large nocturnal house. The park outlines their aboriginal uses and helpful guides give great bush presentations and displays of birds of prey.

The MacDonnell Siding portrays the history of the grand old Ghan Train, the former lifeline of the town. Here also is the Road Transport Hall of Fame, an impressive exhibition of Australia's transport history.

Close to Alice and also popular is Simpsons Gap, home to the black-footed rock wallabies and over 40 rare and protected Northern Territory plants. The striking gap is located only 18km west of Alice Springs with a cycle path connecting the two. Several scenic walks among the ghost gums provide spectacular views. Barbecue and picnic areas are nearby.

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The Desert

Ghost Gums

Most sights lie within The West Macdonnells, Uluru-Kata Tjuta or Finke Gorge National Parks. These are deceptively far from Alice, Uluru for example takes 4 hours. The tightest itinerary would include Ayers Rock, The Olgas and King's Canyon.

Note: Temperatures flip from one extreme to another and some sights are not accessible after heavy rain. Always keep an eye on the weather.

The rugged King's Canyon (Watarrka) is a magnificent valley plunging over 300 ft. There are walks for all abilities, taking in the desolate scenery and isolated leafy outcrops. At least a night is required to do the canyon justice.

Arguably the icon of Australia is awesome Ayers Rock (Uluru). The world's largest monolith thrusts 345m out of nothing and is a truly inspiring and humbling sight. At dawn or dusk sunlight and shadows blend with the deep colours of the rock. It's possible to make the exhausting climb, although the local Aborigines object to this. There are trails and guided walks around the base exploring the geology, caves, paintings, nature and cultural significance.

Half an hour from Ayers Rock are The Olgas (Kata Tjuta). The Olgas are an equally impressive and charming collection of 36 rocky domes. Hikers can enjoy the serene tranquillity of the 'Valley of the Winds', a worthy 7km circuit amongst the mysterious formations.

Chambers Pillar is an isolated monolith at least 4 hours into the desert by 4WD. According to legend, the rock monolith is all that remains of Gecko ancestor Itirkawara who married against family advice after being banished. Castle Rock about 500m away is his wife. The lonely formations were famous landmarks in the pioneer days and the names of explorers are cut into the rock.

The Finke Gorge National Park includes the oasis Palm Valley. The park is home to the red cabbage palm and many other unique and rare plant species. Nature lovers and hikers enjoy the various trails highlighting the unusual flora.

Trephina Gorge National Park includes two gorges - the wide Trephina and the narrow John Hayes Rock Hole. The magnificent gorge rock formations are complimented by the water holes that support interesting birds and plants.

The West MacDonnell Ranges includes the Ormiston Gorge and Pound, popular for a 14m deep waterhole framed by natural escarpments and majestic gums. Apart from the drier months when the water gets dirty, this scenic spot is great for swimming, canoeing and relaxing.

The legendary Ghan

Note: Rock pools in the desert can be ...very cold take care.

A few km from Ormiston Gorge is the timeless Glen Helen Gorge. This gorge offers magnificent views from the top and is a good place to swim. Helicopters enable tourists to see both gorges from the air.

The Artlunga Historical Reserve is an interesting window on the past. Officially the first town of Central Australia, Artlunga boomed with the gold rush in the 1900's. Today it's a ghost town and very much the way it was. Optimistic visitors also may pan for gold.

For photographers Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve with its spectacular and colourful sandstone ridges and bluffs is perfect at dawn or dusk. Aptly named, the spectacular valley is only 75km from Alice Springs and can be reached by 4WD.

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Tourist Information Offices
The tourist office in Alice Springs is near the taxi rank on Gregory Terrace. Permits are available.

The Cultural Centre between Ayers Rock and Yulara provides an insight into the national park and piles of information.

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Entertainment and Eating Out
Alice Springs has a reasonable range of restaurants including Chinese, Mexican and Italian. Try the Overlanders Steakhouse where the Drovers Blowout menu includes weird and adventurous local fare - crocodile, emu, kangaroo and camel .

Take an aerial tour

Art lovers should see the Araleun Arts Centre which displays work from famous aboriginal artists. The Diarama Village offers an interesting 3D portrayal of Aboriginal dreamtime.

Panorama Guth has an impressive 360° landscape painting of the Central Australian landscape. Also displayed are Aboriginal artefacts.

Alice Springs has a fair range of entertainment to choose from including piano bars, karaoke, nightclubs and festivals. Andrew Langford gives superb didgeridoo demonstrations at the Sounds of Starlight Theatre.

Naturally there's not much going on in the desert, but Yulara close to Ayres Rock does offer a reasonable choice of places to eat.

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Shopping
As a major tourist destination Alice has a deluge of Aboriginal artifacts and opals. There is a good selection for all budgets around Todd Street Mall.

Necessary everyday items are available in supermarkets, chemists or small boutiques. Shopping for clothes and luxury items is fairly fruitless.

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Cyber Alice
Within Alice Springs there are several places offering net and e-mail facilities. A good one is Byte Me on Todd Street, which has relaxed internet lounges and fair rates.

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Getting From A to B
Alice Springs is a small town and very easy to get around. Further out, the vast expanses of the national parks are only tentatively explored by simple roads and tracks. Public transport to many famous places is not in place - to see them visitors must take tours or arrange their own transport.

The easiest way to get around Alice Springs is by taxi and ranks are found on Gregory Terrace and Bath St. The town has a few public buses pulling away outside the Yepperenye shopping centre. A useful tourist bus does a circuit of the major town attractions.

Bikes are a good way to nip around town. Alice Springs is small, level and there are some good cycle paths. One quiet and scenic 18km track leads out and towards Simpson's Gap.

World's largest monolith Ayers Rock

Driving to Alice Springs from anywhere takes a long time. Hire cars are a great way to explore the surroundings but out here rates are high. 4WDs are necessary for the more rugged and remote spots. One interesting and useful track is the Meneerie Loop Road which passes through the wilderness up to Kings Canyon.

National coaches provide the most useful mode of long distance travel for those with time on their hands. Coach travel is competitive and cheap in Australia and some companies offer discounts and passes.

There is only one rail line and it runs south to Adelaide. This track features one of the world's great rail journeys - the legendary Ghan. Named after the Afghans who once plodded through this arid region on camel trains, the Ghan remains an epic trip. Travellers must go via Adelaide to reach other cities by rail.

Domestic flights arrive daily at Alice Springs Airport, 14km south of town. For Ayers Rock, Connellan Airport at Yulara connects with all Australian international airports. Shuttle buses or taxis head from the airport into Alice and Yulara.

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Tours
The easiest way to see the main desert attractions is to grab a tour. Tours are by no means cheap, but the scenery is fantastic and there's a wide range catering to all.

Plenty of campsites exist in the National Parks so those taking caravan tours can see a lot of the outback without ever leaving the main roads.

Since Central Australia is one of the world's emptiest regions, the only way to really get your teeth into it is to take one of the 4WD tours. Outback camping and safaris are also available.

Some operators offer private 4WD charters and experienced guides for more independent exploration. Possibilities for the adventurer are endless and include trekking and rock climbing.

The vast plains are great for biking. There are several companies offering cycling tours in the outback. Cool Harley Davidsons provide a less strenuous way of taking it all in on two wheels.

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Events

Transport or menu

In Alice Springs boats are raced in the absence of water - although there are rivers of beer. Daft and colourful boats are frantically carried by competitors across the normally dry Todd riverbed. The tongue in cheek Henley-On-Todd Regatta is held every October.

Each July Alice Springs is host to the world's biggest camel race, the Lions Camel Cup. The charity event also features other entertainment including 'camel polo' and helicopter rides.

The Alice Springs Rodeo kicks off in August and attracts professional ranchers who compete in various roping and racing.

The Finke Desert Race is a two-day desert race for motorbikes and cars between Alice Springs and Finke around the Queen's birthday in June. Facilities are available en route and anyone can enter. The winner of the tough 460 km outback race is the first survivor to cross the finish line at Alice Springs.

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