Alice Springs, the heart of 'The Red Centre', is the location perceived by many, although not geographically exact, as being at the centre of Australia. However the towns remoteness and fame draws over 300 000 tourists to Alice Springs a year making tourism one of the towns significant industries. In support of this there is an excellent infrastructure including an airport, good roads, a magnificent golf course, casinos, parks, Botanic Gardens and a good selection of accommodation, resorts and hotels.
The Northern Territory town has a permanent population approaching 30000 and is a significant centre in the heart of Australia. Beef and camel rearing, flower and date cultivation are the towns principal industries besides tourism.
Alice Springs is a good base to tour the other famous attractions in the south of The Northern Territory and most visitors to Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Kings Canyon go via Alice Springs airport. Ayers Rock is the most visited site in Australia so the airport and town can cope with significant numbers of visitors.
The local Aboriginal tribe is The Arrernte and they have lived in the area for over 20 000 years. There is much to see and learn from the Aboriginal culture which is around you. Alice Springs is a compact town and all the attractions are within walking distance. These include the Aboriginal Arts and Culture Centre, the Reptile Centre, three art galleries featuring works of famous local aboriginal artists, the Museum of Central Australia and the Royal Flying Doctor Service Base.
The predominant colour in this part of Australia is red, from the sand and dust, creating a striking contrast to the blue sky. The natural beauty is astounding, some of which includes The MacDonnell and James Ranges, Standley Chasm, Kings Canyon and mysterious meteorite craters. The Alice Springs Desert Park has displays of desert animals, plants and aboriginal culture.
The town is laid out around the Todd River, which is dry for much of the year and only flows following heavy rain. In September the world famous 'Henley On Todd Regatta' is held to parody the famous rowing regattas held on Henley on the River Thames in the UK.
The dry river bed of the Todd River is used for the course and teams compete by running in open bottom 'boats'. Prizes are given for the best boat and for the first team to complete the course.
First run in 1962 the event now has become renowned throughout the world and usually attracts heavy media coverage. Various events are staged including the ' 8 s' and '4 s. The event is a lot of fun and raises money for charity.
Alice Springs also has its own excellent golf course. This is a well designed and maintained course featuring some unique challenges you only find in the outback. The course was recently voted as one the top 80 golf courses in Australia.
Alice Springs is a popular tourist destination in its own right. However, the numbers are increased as most vistors to Uluru (Ayers Rock) transit via Alice Springs Airport and many also choose to visit the town. A selection of Hotels Alice Springs is shown below. For a full list please visit our Alice Springs Accommodation page.
Throughout the Northern Territory, distances between townships or settlements can be great and there are vast tracts of largely un populated land which may require permission from Aboriginal Land Authorities to access.
Travel through the Northern Territory should be treated with the utmost respect. Careful preparation must be made if you are thinking of venturing out alone as people have been known to succumb to the conditions in just a few hours. In addition, during the monsoon season, some roads throughout the 'Top End are often made un-passable by flooding.
Driving through the Australian Outback is Not recommended for the inexperienced and un prepared
Alice Springs Airport is around 15km (9 miles) south of the city. By car, the journey into the city should take approximately 20-30 minutes depending on traffic conditions. Taxis and hire cars are available.
As a guide, the approximate flying time from Alice Springs to Perth is 4 hours, to Melbourne 2.5 hours, to Sydney 3 hours, to Brisbane 3 hours and Cairns 2.5 hours. Times do not include travel time to and from airports and adequate time prior to check in etc.
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