Today,
Alice Springs is the main town in central Australia. There are heaps of things
to do there and I couldn’t do everything I was planning to experience.
Surrounded by a sea of red sand the size of Europe, Alice Springs attracted
many famous pioneering characters. Alice Springs began its modern history as
Stuart, a telegraph station on the Adelaide to Darwin line. Before that, the
region was inhabited by Aboriginal people believing in an important figure
there, the caterpillar (MacDonnell Ranges), amazing view from the airplane. I
spent there only 2,5 days that wasn´t enough for me but and I can suggest some
activities, such as:
Great for
the nature lovers! It’s a huge area introducing to Central Australia - plants,
animals, landscapes and people of the desert. There are more than 10 shows per
day! Every half hour you can learn more
about the animals, aboriginal survival in the desert, kangaroo, dingo, etc. My
favorite was the free flying bird show.
There are
shows with the pet snakes, lizards, crocodile where you can give it a go to
touch and work on your phobia. This park enables visitors to get up close and
personal with these creatures. Due to the fact I am freaky about snakes, I
could at least try to not die in front of one of them and it reduced my fear of
them just a little bit.
Since I
arrived in Northern Territory I was keen to eat bush food and I asked everyone
how I could make it until I found Kungkas Can Cook cafe. OMG it makes me
crazy!!! I tried fruits, bush honey, seed and heard the history how to get
them, etc. It was so much new that I wrote in another post about bush
tucker. I wish I could share this food with every friend I have.4. The Didgeridoo Workshop
The
workshop occurs every day in the city and explains how to play in one of the
world’s oldest instruments. I’ve been playing wind instrument since I was a
child and I confess that didgeridoo is not as easy to pick up as I was
thinking. Trying to make different
sounds, vocalizing, harmony and taking in the tips on the rhythm, it is definitely
something that you really need to practice much more.
It’s an
amazing experience to learn about the stars over our heads. I had the
opportunity to see the moon, Saturn, Antares in a stethoscope and ask as many
questions as I could about our space.
20 minutes
walking from the city, there’s a huge area to experience the Art & Culture
of Central Australia. The Museum of Central Australia, Aviation Museum,
Theatre, Expositions, Sculptures are held in this area that provides an integrated
visitor experience. You can spend all day if you want, how many things you have
in just one area.
7. West Macdonnel Ranger National Park
I didn’t go
there but sounds like an amazing spot to see. The ranges stretch over 640km
running east-west through Alice Springs. It is 250km west of town with many
spots to climb and swim. In the desert there are not too many areas where you
can find waterfalls, natural swimming holes and lakes so it is worth it.
8. Trail
It is a
challenging 242km trek from Alice Springs towards the West, along the spine of
the range, immerse in chasms and gorges. It is one of Australia’s most
spectacular bushwalking and trekking experiences. No public transport runs to
this area. I didn’t do it, maybe next time.
9. Olive Pink Botanic Garden
This
itinerary you can do by yourself with a guided book showing you every wild
plant from the desert (now boast over 600 plants). Don’t expect to see a huge
rose garden but a lot of desert bush that maybe you’ve never paid attention to.
10. Anzac Hill Lookout
I don’t
know what makes the sunset in the outback look like the moon so I
wholeheartedly recommend you to see it in every opportunity you have there. One
spot in Alice Springs is the Anzac Hill Lookout where you will have a great
view of the town and the surrounding landscape.
11. Gem Cave Jewellery
This store
in the city specialises in Australian Opal. It is so beautiful that I recommend
10 minutes to see the colourful and shiny Opal and the different types such as
black opal, white opal, etc., which a little stone can cost more than AU$20,000
(Opal is one of the 10 most expensive stone in the World).
Apart from
this, there are plenty of activities that I didn’t have time to do. Alice
Springs is a modern town rich in history, attractions and offers different
tourism. Each place has its own story to tell, for example, a doctor who had saved
the lives of those living in remote areas with his airplane. There is also an innovative project, which makes
it possible for children living in remote central Australia to participate in
school classes called the School of the Air.
What do do near Alice Springs
When people
decide to go to the Red Centre, the most common place to visit is Uluru and the
rest is plus, including the city Alice Springs. But there are too many things
to do there that you can save more time to exploring the region. Ok, let’s
start with the most famous icon of Central Australia.
One of
Australia’s most true blue Aussie icons of the outback is World Heritage-listed
Uluru. You cannot miss seeing the sunrise and sunset on “the rock”.
Before the
journey to Uluru, all visitors are invited to visit the Cultural Centre where
you can understand about the importance of this region for the local
environment and aborigines.
Uluru/Ayers
Rock rises 348 metres from the desert (higher than The Eiffel Tower), 3,6km in
length with a circumference of 9,4km and it is believed that Uluru extends for
5 km below the surface (Uluru is like an iceberg where most of it is under the
soil).
At
different times of the day the colours shift constantly, from pink to blood red
to mauve, and the sky reflects also an indescribable colours composing with the
rock. Looking how one big rock is in the middle of nothing make me astonished
of the powerful God who put something so special there.
 |
| Uluru from the airplane |
Uluru is so
far the World’s most famous monolith and this is the reason of thousands of
people from all over the World go there every day. Everyone has a spot that is
not in front of the others where you are be able to peacefully enjoy every
moment.
13. Kata Tjuta – Valley of the Winds
 |
| Uluru and Kata Tjuta - separated by 30km |
Both of the
complexes of rocks have water pool where animals come at night to drink it,
which makes these areas sacred for aboriginals.
The
Australia’s Grand Canyon in the Watarrka National Park reminds me again Chapada
Diamantina – BA (Brazil). Walk around the rim of the canyon allows you to gaze
down in awe at the sandstone chasm plunging 270 metres to the canyon floor.
Into the depths of the chasm, there are luxuriant cycads around the permanent
waterhole in the Garden of Eden with a tropical climate (only in this oasis, by
the way). The Lost City is a breathtaking spot that looks like a huge beehive.
The amphitheatre is also spectacular. Kings Canyon is my favourite track in
Australia for sure.
I was
impressed about the facilities in this remote area. You see stairs, bridge, signs,
easy access into the valley of water holes and pool and smoking bins. The
Garden of Eden is also a sacred place because of the pure water and people are
not allowed to swim there.
15. Mount Connor/Atila
An imposing
mesa located on a flat salt pan. The tourism bus stops there and I really
wanted to walk in the salt dry lake but I couldn’t (no time for it). It’s look
really nice and shiny in the distance. Some people commit mistake thinking that
this pan is Uluru because is also something enormous in the middle of a big
desert.
So, I
described the famous spots and something I’ve learned there but if you know
anything else, I’ll be glad if you share with me. I hope my
purpose was achieved – share my experience in an inhospitable area in Northern
Territory and learned a little about aborigines, history and ways to survive in
the desert. I’m sure you will be surprised as I was after seeing it with my own
eyes.
Ps: If you want to know 25 things to do in Darwin, see in this post.
And experiences in outback, click here.
Ps: If you want to know 25 things to do in Darwin, see in this post.
And experiences in outback, click here.
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