Alice Springs

Alice Springs is the heart of Central Australia and the Northern territory. It is made up of cavernous gorges, boundless desert landscapes, remote Aboriginal communities and a pioneer history dating back hundreds of years. Darwin lies to the north and Ayres Rock about 450 kilometers to the south west.

The Alice was first populated by early explorers, wanting to have their share in the promise for rubies and gold back in the mining days, and to this day still remains the hive of activity for this area. It makes for a great travel destination where you can still fossick for gems to try and strike it lucky and explore the Australian desert either by trekking, camping or 4WD.

The East and West MacDonnell Ranges would have to be the most well known parts of the Alice that run for 223km.  Within these areas you can see dramatic scenery, go bushwalking, swim in refreshing rock pools, do some four wheel driving or quad bike riding and witness some of the most breathtaking spectacles in the World. Alice Springs desert climate and landscapes encourage a healthy outdoor lifestyle and sets a great scene for outback adventure. Quad and mountain-bike riding, trekking along the Larapinta Trail, four-wheel driving, bush camping and swimming in lush waterholes are popular activities.

The stories of Australian history and heritage overflow in Alice Springs, with a rich cast of characters, Afghan cameleers, flying doctors and outback explorers. Today it is possible to pay homage to their legacy at various sites around the town and surrounding area. Alive with culture and Aboriginal art, the pedestrian-only Todd Mall gives a sneak peek into the traditions and stories of the Arrernte people with water colours of desert landscapes and dot paintings of the seasons.

The panoramic landscapes of the West MacDonnell Ranges are easily accessed from Alice Springs. Each of the West MacDonnell's chasms and gorges has its own unique character and scenery. Simpsons Gap sports a permanent pool and rock wallabies that live in the gap's rocky ridges. Picturesque swimming holes such as Ellery Creek Big Hole, Ormiston Gorge, Glen Helen Gorge and Redbank Gorge offer refreshing relief on a scorching day. It is also possible to visit the Ochre Pits that desert Aboriginal people once used as a quarry for ochre pigments.

The East MacDonnell Ranges, while not as well known as the West MacDonnell’s, do provide beautiful scenery for bush walking, camping and four-wheel-driving. Visit Arltunga, a ghost town that was the site of a gold rush in the 1930's. Other places of spectacular natural beauty like Trephina Gorge make a trip to the East MacDonnell’s more than worthwhile.

Learn more about the culture and history of this vast area and its people by visiting the Strehlow Centre where you can view various ceremonial artefacts and documentation about the sacred songs and stories of the Aboriginal people.  One of the most well known Aboriginal artists is Albert Namatjira, who is an Arrernte man who has grown up in this area, just west of the Alice, and has depicted the MacDonnell Ranges with startling accuracy, along with other outstanding pieces of artwork that can be viewed at the Albert Namatjira Gallery in Alice Springs.... it is well worth a look!

You can also spend some time exploring the other galleries in the Todd Mall, where you can view awe-inspiring contemporary aboriginal art, and paintings of the western desert and Kakadu.

The climate of Alice Springs is arid, being hot, dry and dusty nearly all year round, except for winter nights, which can have temperatures dramatically plummeting to below freezing. Summers are blistering with the mercury regularly rising to over 104ºF (40ºC), with winter daytime temperatures remaining warm. Rain is infrequent and unpredictable, with heavy showers occurring sometimes during summer.

The climate in Alice Springs, is supposed to be hot, hot, hot. Most people find that day temperatures in the high thirties exceed their comfort level by a good measure. So for most of the year the Alice Springs climate is a bit hot. It is advised that around the month of April is the best time to visit Alice Springs because it is the coolest time of year, and that is also when the tourist season officially starts.  The high rainfall usually happens between the months of December through to February making the following months very bearable and a lot more comfortable for travelling.

The Alice also has some wonderful places to base yourself at, from resorts, apartments, and private hut like rooms where you can sit on your balcony and admire the sunset over the red desert.  Most of the properties have all of your modern amenities to make your stay enjoyable, and all places included air-conditioning so that you have a relaxing place to unwind in at the end of a great day of sightseeing.

With so much to see and do, your holiday adventure to the red centre will be jam packed with so many wonderful activities perfectly suited for the young and the young at heart.  Being such a remote location, Alice Springs really does have the attract ability of a city centre, with its fine dining experiences, luxury accommodation, fun filled attractions and activities you really can’t go wrong with making your next holiday getaway to Alice Springs.