Alice Springs
Alice Springs
The bright and clear desert air gives the Outback town an energy that is simply not present in the languid, tropical north.
The bright and clear desert air gives the Outback town an energy that is simply not present in the languid, tropical north.
Alice Springs is often described as the heart of Central Australia and is probably the most culturally significant location in Australia for aboriginal arts and culture. Your Australia holiday to Alice Springs will see you travel into an area surrounded by red desert and with a population of only 22,000. You will quickly realise during your Alice Springs holiday in Australia that although the town was once a remote outpost; today it has all the conveniences of a modern city.
Alice Springs is often described as the heart of Central Australia and is probably the most culturally significant location in Australia for aboriginal arts and culture.
Your Australia holiday to Alice Springs will see you travel into an area surrounded by red desert and with a population of only 22,000. You will quickly realise during your Alice Springs holiday in Australia that although the town was once a remote outpost; today it has all the conveniences of a modern city.
Alice Springs holidays in Australia are an excellent base to explore Australia’s red centre with its location in the midst of the MacDonnell Ranges. During you Australia holiday in Alice Springs, you will notice that the bright and clear desert air gives the Outback town and its inhabitants an energy that is simply not present in the languid, tropical north.
Alice Springs has been inhabited for between forty and sixty thousand years by the Arrernte (also known as Aranda), who moved between water sources along the MacDonnell Ranges. Australia holidays to Alice Springs are allow visitors to discover remote Aboriginal communities and a charming pioneering history. Every rock and landmark stirs with the echoes of a 60,000 year old spiritual aboriginal heritage and this is something that every tourist appreciates during Australia holidays in Alice Springs. The Aboriginal Art and Culture Centre, Warumpi Arts and Jukurrpa Artists are all Aboriginal owned and are located in the centre of Alice Springs.
There is plenty to do during your Alice Springs holiday in Australia. The Alice Springs Desert Park, Araluen Cultural Precinct and the Royal Flying Doctor Service will provide you with a good understanding of life in the Red Centre. For those interested in wildlife then the Reptile Centre is a great attraction during your Alice Springs holiday in Australia. The Heritage Walk which includes the Hartley Street School, the National Pioneer Women’s Hall of Fame or The Residency will appeal to history buffs.
There is an airport in Alice Springs. Currently Qantas has connecting flights to Darwin, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Cairns and Perth. Virgin Australia has direct flights a few times a week to Darwin and Adelaide. There is a flying shuttle to Uluru which also has an airport. So if you're just flying in to see the rock, you don't have to stop off at Alice). Both have car rental outlets in the terminal. Watch out for the flies when leaving the airport, head netting is worth considering on the way to your rental car.The Ghan is a private tourist train covering the vast distance from Adelaide to Darwin stopping in Alice. Expect to pay a premium over an airfare, even for a sitting seat. You can put your car on the train. Alice Springs is 17 hours drive from Darwin, and 18 hours drive from Adelaide.
Alice Springs was once a remote outpost; today it has all the conveniences of a modern city.
Alice Springs remains hot throughout the year but some months are worse (or better!) than the others.
Winters lasts from June to August, giving way to the spring months of September to November. The most dreaded time of the year are the months between December and February when summer sets in with respite only in March-May. The thing to note is that the monsoons are pretty fickle and capricious in this region and can arrive unannounced, so always be prepared.
April to October is usually the time when tourists, campers and hikers head towards Alice Springs. Many airlines, especially from US, offer cheap fares to tourists travelling to Australia. Events such as the Finke Desert Race in June, Camel Cup Race in July, Henley-on-Todd-Regatta in August-September and Alice Desert Festival in September are other reasons to visit Alice Springs.
Yes, the tourist season and the ‘ideal time’ to visit a place can differ for a variety of reasons. Many will find the months of April-May most suitable as the rush of tourists isn’t in full swing. While April might be the hotter of the two months, May starts to witnesses an increase in tourists. Either ways, both months are a good time to pay Alice Springs a visit. If you are particularly interested in camping and hiking, you might want to consider May-September for a trip to the outback. However, if you are a nature photography enthusiast, late August-October will be the perfect time to photograph Alice Springs as the skies are almost cloudless, offering you the liberty to click some great shots.
