Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
lovely gorges with shady picnic grounds. A planned 250km (155-mile) hiking trail
is partly ready for your boots now. There is an old gold-rush town to poke around
in, quirky little museums, wildlife parks, a couple of cattle stations (ranches) that
welcome visitors, a couple of nice day trips out of town, and one of the world's
top-10 desert golf courses. You could easily fill 2 or 3 days in the area.
This is the heart of the Aboriginal Arrernte people's country, and Alice is a rich
source of tours, shops, and galleries for those interested in Aboriginal culture,
art, or souvenirs. There is a sad side to this story. Not every Aborigine succeeds
in splicing his or her ancient civilization with the 21st century, and the result is
dislocated communities living in the riverbed with only alcohol for company.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE By Plane Qantas
(
&
13 13 13
in Australia) flies direct
from Sydney, Adelaide, Darwin, Cairns, Broome, and Ayers Rock. Flights from
most other cities connect via Sydney or Adelaide.
Virgin Blue
(
&
13 67 80
in
Australia; www.virginblue.com.au) flies to Alice Springs direct from Sydney,
with connections from Adelaide, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, and Melbourne.
The company offers heavily discounted prices if you book on the net and well in
advance. Prices start from around A$199 (US$165) one-way.
Airnorth
(
&
1800/
627 474
in Australia, or 08/8945 2866) does a “Centre Run” from Darwin via
Katherine and Tennant Creek daily except Sunday.
The
Alice Springs Airport Shuttle
(
&
1800/621 188
in the Northern Ter-
ritory, or 08/8953 0310) meets all major flights (but not always those from small
towns like Tennant Creek) and transfers you to your Alice hotel door for A$10
(US$6.50) one-way or A$18 (US$12) round-trip, per person. A taxi from the
airport to town, a distance of 15km (9
1
⁄
3
miles), is around A$25 (US$16).
By Train
The
Ghan
train, named after Afghani camel-train drivers who carried
supplies in the Red Centre during the last century, makes a 2-day trip from Syd-
ney or Melbourne via Adelaide to Alice every week. The twice-weekly Adelaide-
Alice stretch takes roughly 24 hours. It is treeless and empty, if fascinatingly so, so
don't be concerned you'll miss it by overnighting on the train. The train has sleeper
berths. For fares and schedules, call
Great Southern Railway
(
&
13 21 47
in Aus-
tralia, or 08/8213 4592; www.gsr.com.au) or see “Getting Around Australia,” in
chapter 2, for its booking agencies abroad. The Ghan will extend its run to Dar-
win in 2004, with the completion of a new 1,410km (874-mile) rail link.
By Bus Greyhound Pioneer
(
&
13 20 30
in Australia) runs from Adelaide
and Darwin. It's about a 19
1
⁄
2
-hour trip from Adelaide, and the fare is around
A$168 (US$109). The 21-hour trip from Darwin costs about A$180 (US$117).
Greyhound does a daily 5
3
⁄
4
-hour run from Ayers Rock; the fare is around A$71
(US$46). It also does a daily trip from Kings Canyon for $54 (US$35).
By Car
Alice Springs is on the Stuart Highway linking Adelaide and Darwin.
Allow a very long 2 days or a more comfortable 3 days to drive from Adelaide, the
same from Darwin. From Sydney, connect to the Stuart Highway via Broken
Hill and Port Augusta north of Adelaide; from Cairns head south to Townsville,
Safety in the Centre
Alice is a safe place, but steer clear of dark streets and the riverbed at
night, as some teenagers can make a nuisance of themselves.
Tips
