Travel to Alice Springs and the Northern Territory
Alice Springs is located at the heart of Central Australia, around 1,500 kms to the north of Adelaide and to the south of Darwin, midway along the Stuart Highway. The World Heritage site Uluru (or Ayers Rock as it was previously known) is 335 kms to the southwest of Alice Springs.
The town of Alice Springs is situated on the northern side of the MacDonnell Ranges and spans the Todd River which is usually a dry. None the less, there is the famous waterless Henley-on-Todd Regatta, which has been held annually since 1962. It is really a lot of fun and well worth seeing.
This area has been occupied for more than 50,000 years by the Arrernte Aboriginal people, who call the site Mparntwe. The region where Alice Springs is located is known as Australia's Red Centre.
The first non-Aboriginal visitors were John McDouall Stuart's expedition in 1861–62, when they came within 50 kms of present day Alice Springs as they attempted to establish a south-north route across Australia. The construction of a repeater station for the Overland Telegraph Line brought workers and when the line was completed in 1872 it opened up the interior for permanent settlement.
More settlers arrived when alluvial gold was discovered at Arltunga, 100 kilometres to east of town, which was known as “Stuart until the 1930s. It was named Alice Springs after the wife of Sir Charles Todd, former Postmaster General of South Australia, and the misconception that there was a permanent spring or waterhole in the dry Todd River.
Alice Springs is at the forefront of the Aboriginal art world with many art galleries and exhibits. The Todd Mall hosts a number of Aboriginal art and community events.
Throughout the year there are Beanies, Baskets and Bushtucker Workshops where visitors can learn about Aboriginal culture, try their hand at basket making, try bush tucker and listen to traditional stories around the campfire. Then there is the Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race, a 460 kilometre, two-day race through desert from Alice Springs to the Aputula (Finke) Community. The race, with categories for bike and quad or car and buggy, crosses the Finke River, believed to be the oldest river in the world.
Alice Springs Airport Motel
115 Gap Road - Alice Springs, NT 870 Australia
Ph: 08 8952 6611 | Fax: 08 8952 8312 | Toll free 1800 896 124
Map of Alice Springs NT
The town of Alice Springs is situated on the northern side of the MacDonnell Ranges and spans the Todd River which is usually a dry. None the less, there is the famous waterless Henley-on-Todd Regatta, which has been held annually since 1962. It is really a lot of fun and well worth seeing.
| Click to See Local Images of Alice Springs and Surrounding Area taken by your hosts Steven and Karen |
The first non-Aboriginal visitors were John McDouall Stuart's expedition in 1861–62, when they came within 50 kms of present day Alice Springs as they attempted to establish a south-north route across Australia. The construction of a repeater station for the Overland Telegraph Line brought workers and when the line was completed in 1872 it opened up the interior for permanent settlement.
More settlers arrived when alluvial gold was discovered at Arltunga, 100 kilometres to east of town, which was known as “Stuart until the 1930s. It was named Alice Springs after the wife of Sir Charles Todd, former Postmaster General of South Australia, and the misconception that there was a permanent spring or waterhole in the dry Todd River.
Things to See and Do in Alice Springs and the Red Centre
The impressive red MacDonnell Ranges run east and west of Alice Springs and the Airport Motel offers spectacular views of the Gap that forms the southern entrance to town through the Ranges. There are plenty of hiking trails, bush walks and swimming holes including Ormiston Gorge, Ormiston Gorge Creek, Glen Helen Gorge and Red Bank Gorge. For those looking for a world class walking experience, the Larapinta Trail stretches for 223 kilometres through the West MacDonnell Ranges. To the southeast of Alice Springs the Simpson Desert, one of Australia's great wilderness areas, has rock formations such as Chambers Pillar, Rainbow Valley and giant red sand dunes to explore. Visitors to the Northern Territory's Red Centre will find breathtaking views, dramatic scenery, bushwalking, swimming, and four-wheeling adventures.Alice Springs is at the forefront of the Aboriginal art world with many art galleries and exhibits. The Todd Mall hosts a number of Aboriginal art and community events.
Events and Festivals
In addition to the Henley-on-Todd Regatta dry river boat race, Alice Springs hosts many more annual events. The highly entertaining Lions Imparja Camel Cup races started as a bet back in 1970 and continues as a major fun and fund raiser each year in July at Blatherskite Park. The Alice Springs Beanie Festival hosts a competition for many different categories of beanie hats from tea cosy to new wave.Throughout the year there are Beanies, Baskets and Bushtucker Workshops where visitors can learn about Aboriginal culture, try their hand at basket making, try bush tucker and listen to traditional stories around the campfire. Then there is the Tattersall’s Finke Desert Race, a 460 kilometre, two-day race through desert from Alice Springs to the Aputula (Finke) Community. The race, with categories for bike and quad or car and buggy, crosses the Finke River, believed to be the oldest river in the world.
Alice Springs Airport Motel
115 Gap Road - Alice Springs, NT 870 Australia
Ph: 08 8952 6611 | Fax: 08 8952 8312 | Toll free 1800 896 124
Map of Alice Springs NT