Alice Springs
Hidden in the heart of the continent a long way from any other major signs of civilisation, the premier outback destination of Alice Springs was originally established as repeater station on the Overland Telegraph Line in 1871. Stunted by its remoteness, the town struggled to develop with it's population only reaching a meagre couple of hundred by the late 1950's. Finally in the mid eighties, the Alice was connected to South Australia by shorter, sealed road, and it's new accessibility helped promote the town's rapid growth to it's present size.
The other related factor in Alice Spring's progression is its proximity to some of the country's most famous and spectacular natural wonders. Tourism is the town's most important industry, and the facilities and tour services for visitors wishing to experience Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon and the Outback are extensive.
The centre of Alice Springs lies in between the usually dry Todd River and the Stuart Highway, and contains the majority of the accommodation and eating out options. This compact and modern downtown area also features contemporary shopping plazas, art galleries (focusing on opal jewellery and local Aboriginal work), museums, and the Alice's small but lively nightlife scene.
Not far from the town centre, there are a number of other attractions dotted around the outskirts worth visiting. The Old Ghan Museum & Transport Hall of Fame ten kilometres south of town, displays an amazing collection of old vehicles, some early roadtrains, and a myriad of other transport paraphernalia. A local group of railway enthusiasts have also restored several historic steam locomotives which are used occasionally for old-time train rides on repaired section of the old Ghan Railway. Close by, the Frontier Camel Farm gives visitors an opportunity to try the traditional form of European transport in the Territory. The farm is also home to a cold-blooded menagerie of arid zone snakes and lizards, in the Arid Australian Reptile House.
On the opposite side of the Alice, The excellent Telegraph Station Historical Reserve lies between the Charles and Todd Rivers two kilometres north of town. The original stone relay station contains a small museum, portraying the difficulties the harsh interior presented to the unfortunate workers laying the Overland Telegraph Line. The reserve also encompasses the actual Alice Springs, a popular picnic area and a great place for a refreshing dip.
At the base of the reserve and the northern end of Todd Street, Anzac Hill is a traditional Aboriginal site associated with a story from the Corkwood Dreaming. You can walk or drive to the steep accent to the top, where the lookout offers superb views over Alice Springs to it's southern boundary of the rugged MacDonnell Ranges.
Directly west of Alice Springs, the long finger of the West MacDonnell National Park is an easy and memorable place to begin your outback adventure. Following Larapinta Road less than 10 kilometres out of town, the first of many attractions in this wide wilderness area is the Alice Springs Desert Park. The world's original "bio-park" is an amazing integration of Australia's desert plants and animals, sustained by the local Aboriginal people who apply their traditional methods of management. Several different ecosystems make up the major exhibits and these vary from walk through aviaries to the unique endangered species section.
Only a few kilometres up the road, Simpsons Gap is one of a number of breathtaking narrow gorges in the area, showcasing the power and persistence of Mother Nature. Less than half an hour from Simpsons Gap, Standley Chasm is probably the most spectacular of all the gorges around Alice Springs. Less than seven metres across at it's widest point and 80 metres deep, sunlight illuminates the bottom for a mere fifteen minutes a day! Visitors timing their trip with the suns mid-day passage are in for quite a spectacle.
Six kilometres past the turn-off to Standley Chasm, Namatjira Drive branches off Larapinta Road, providing access to the attractions in the western stretches of the West MacDonnell National Park. Ellery Creek Big Hole is 42 kilometres past the junction, and offers basic camping facilities as well as a large permanent water hole ideal for a cooling swim. Further west before the road turns into a sketchy track, there's a traditional Aboriginal site at the Ochre Pits, along with another series of picturesque narrow gorges.
