Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
7
The Red Centre
by Marc Llewellyn
T
he Red Centre is the landscape
many of us conjure up when we think
of the Outback—vast horizons, red
sand as far as the eye can see, mysteri-
ous monoliths, cloudless blue sky,
harsh sunlight, and the rhythmic
twang of the didgeridoo. It's home to
sprawling cattle ranches; ancient
mountain ranges; “living fossil” palm
trees that survived the Ice Age; cocka-
toos and kangaroos; red gorges; pretty
water holes; and, Ayers Rock, now
officially called by its Aboriginal name,
Uluru. Aboriginal people have lived
here for thousands of years, long before
the Pyramids were a twinkle in a
Pharaoh's eye, but the Centre is still
largely unexplored by non-Aboriginal
Australians. One highway cuts from
Adelaide in the south to Darwin in the
north, and a few roads and four-wheel-
drive tracks make a lonely spider web
across it; there are many areas where
non-Aborigines have never set foot.
Alice Springs
is the only big town
in central Australia. So let's get one
thing straight—Alice Springs and
Uluru are
not
side by side. Uluru is
462km (286 miles) away. You can see
it in a day from Alice, but it's an effort.
The Red Centre is more than just
the Rock. Give yourself a few days to
experience all there is—visiting the
impressive Olgas (or Kata Tjuta by
its Aboriginal name) near Ayers
Rock/Uluru, walking the rim of Kings
Canyon, riding a camel down a dry
riverbed, poking around Aboriginal
rock carvings, swimming in water
holes, or staying at an Outback home-
stead. A stay in Alice Springs also gives
you a better flavor for the Outback
than Uluru. If you base yourself in
Alice, it's easy to radiate out to less
crowded but still beautiful attractions
like Palm Valley, Ormiston Gorge,
and Trephina Gorge Nature Park, each
easily handled as a day trip. Too many
visitors jet in, snap a photo of the
Rock, and head home, only to miss
the essence of the desert.
1 Exploring the Red Centre
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Central Australian Tourism Industry
Association
(see “Visitor Information” under “Alice Springs,” below) can send
you a brochure pack. It is your best one-stop source of information.
Most of the Red Centre lies within the Northern Territory. The
Northern
Territory Tourist Commission (NTTC),
Tourism House, 43 Mitchell St., Dar-
win, NT 0800 (
&
13 61 10
in Australia, or 08/8999 3900;
www.ntholidays.
com
), maintains a site for adventurous independent travelers at
www.ozoutback.
com
. The commission publishes a helpful annual guide to central Australia that
details many hotels, tour operators, car-rental companies, and attractions, and
operates a division that offers package deals on complete trips.
