 Places
Of Interest In The Red Centre
Alice Springs -
major centre for the region. Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre to try your hand at a
boomerang, spear and didjeridu.
The Alice Springs Desert Park for the flora and
fauna of the desert and the traditional Aboriginal land management
techniques. Anzac Hill lookout to
get your bearings with views across the
MacDonnell Ranges. Araluen Arts and
Entertainment Centre to see the paintings of
Albert Namatjira
and local artists.
The Central Australian Museum
for fossils, native animals, meteorites, Aboriginal art and culture. Visit the grave of John
Flynn, founder of The Flying Doctor Service. Take a camel ride or visit the local casino.
West MacDonnell Ranges -
some of central Australia's most spectacular desert scenery. The
West MacDonnell
National Park is a day trip from Alice Springs and is home to Simpsons Gap,
Standby Chasm, Ellery Creek Big Hole, Ormiston Gorge, the Ochre Pits and the Glen Helen,
Redbank and Serpentine Gorges. Pockets of permanent water dot the ranges and sustain many
unique animals and plants.
Further afield and to the south is the
Finke Gorge National Park, best
known for the unique and rare palms in Palm Valley. This is a 4WD area. Visit the nearby
Hermannsburg Historical Precinct Lutheram Mission and home of the famous Aboriginal artist
Albert Namatjira. Further west to Gosse Bluff, the site of a meteorite
impact with its 25km crater diameter. Best seen from the air or Tylers Pass to the north.
East MacDonnell Ranges -
does not have the same wealth of attractions as its western counterpart but more people
are now discovering its attractions. Good bushwalking and 4WD exploring countryside.
Arltunga ghost town and the outback bush pub. Try gem fossicking at The
Gemtree. The Ruby
Gap Nature Park, strictly 4WD, for the adventurous. Camp out at Trephina Gorge with its
quartzite cliffs and river red gums. Spend some time with the locals at Ross River
Homestead.
Uluru, The Olgas and Kings Canyon
- the instantly recognisable icons of
the Northern Territory and central
Australia. Uluru
or Ayers Rock as it was known before handover to its Aboriginal owners,
is the most famous rock in the world. It is 348 metres high with a girth at ground level
of 9.4 km. It has been estimated that only one-third of the rock is above ground. Best
viewed at sunset.
To climb Uluru requires some effort and should be done early in the
morning to avoid the heat later in the day. Carry plenty of water. An Aboriginal sacred
site with guided tours available. Tour the area by Harley Davidson.
50 km to the west is
Mt Olga (aka
The Olgas), or Kata Tjuta to give them their Aboriginal name, meaning "many
heads". A collection of 36 weathered red domes, also best viewed at sunset.
Considered by some to be even more impressive than Uluru. Walks available for both novice
and experienced walkers. North of Uluru and The Olgas is
Kings Canyon in
the
Watarrka National
Park.
A spectacular formation of weathered red sandstone faces
dropping 300 metres vertically to rock pools and lush vegetation in the canyon floor. Take
the 6 km return walk to the canyon rim.
The Simpson Desert
- a Northern Territory travel destination for the 4WD enthusiast
wanting to see remote regions that have not changed through the millenia. The desert
spills over the border into Queensland and South Australia. A region of searing heat,
sandhills and herds of camels.
The 50 metre explorers navigational aid in the shape of
Chambers Pillar, the Ewaninga rock carvings and the banded sandstone layers at sunset in
the Rainbow Valley Reserve.
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