Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
then west via the town of Mt. Isa to join the Stuart Highway at Tennant Creek.
Both routes are long and dull. From Perth it is an even longer, duller drive across
the Nullarbor Plain to connect with the Stuart Highway at Port Augusta.
VISITOR INFORMATION
The
Central Australian Tourism Industry
Association (CATIA) Visitor Information Centre,
60 Gregory Terrace, Alice
Springs, NT 0870 (
&
08/8952 5800;
www.centralaustraliantourism.com), is
the official one-stop shop for bookings and touring information for the Red
Centre, including Alice Springs, Kings Canyon, and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National
Park (Ayers Rock). It also acts as the visitor center for the Parks & Wildlife
Commission of the Northern Territory. It's open Monday through Friday from
8:30am to 5:30pm and from 9am to 4pm weekends and public holidays. It also
has a desk at the airport.
SPECIAL EVENTS
The town hosts a couple of bizarre events. The
Camel Cup
camel race takes place on the second Saturday in July. In late September, folks
from hundreds of miles come out to cheer the
Henley-on-Todd Regatta,
during
which gaudily decorated, homemade bottomless “boats” are raced down the dry
Todd River bed. Well, what else do you do on a river that flows only 3 days a year?
See “Australia Calendar of Events” in chapter 2 for more details on this event.
GETTING AROUND
Virtually all tours pick you up at your hotel.
If your itinerary traverses unpaved roads, as it may do in outlying areas from
Alice, you will need to rent a four-wheel-drive vehicle, as regular cars will not be
insured on an unpaved road surface. However, a regular car will get you to
most attractions.
Avis
(
&
08/8953 5533),
Budget
(
&
08/8952 8899),
Europ-
Car
(
&
08/8955 5994),
Hertz
(
&
08/8952 2644), local company
Outback
Auto Rentals
(
&
1800/652 133 in Australia, or 08/8953 5333), and
Thrifty
(
&
08/8952 9999) all rent conventional and four-wheel-drive vehicles. You
may get a better deal on car rental by going through the booking agent
The
Outback Travel Shop
(
&
08/8955 5288; www.outbacktravelshop.com.au) in
Alice Springs, as it negotiates bulk rates with most Alice car-rental companies.
Hertz, Thrifty Car Rental, and Outback Auto Rentals rent
camping kits
holding everything you need, including a tent, sleeping bags, and a gas stove. A
kit will cost around A$15 (US$9.75) per person per day. Book them in advance.
Camping gear usually only fits into four-wheel-drive vehicles, not sedans.
Many rental outfits for motor homes (camper vans) have Alice offices, includ-
ing
Britz Campervan Rentals
(
&
08/8952 8814),
Hertz Campervans
(
&
08/
8953 5333),
Kea Camper (Australia)
(
&
1800/252 555), and
Maui Rentals
(
&
08/8952 8049). As an example of price, another outfitter,
Apollo Campers
(
&
1800/777 779 in Australia; www.apollocamper.com), rents two- to three-
berth vans for around $100 (US$65) a day, with pickup and drop-off at several
major centers. A four-wheel drive version costs between A$165 and A$220
(US$107 and US$143) a day. This can work out significantly cheaper than stay-
ing in hotels and going on tours.
The best way to get around town without your own transport is aboard the
Alice Wanderer
bus (see “Organized Tours,” below). Taxi fares are exorbitant,
presumably because there's only one main outfit in town,
Alice Springs Taxis
(
&
13 10 08
).
CITY LAYOUT Todd Mall
is the heart of town. Most shops, businesses, and
restaurants are here or within a few blocks' walk. Most hotels, the casino, the
golf course, and many of the town's attractions are located a few kilometers out-
side of town. The dry Todd River “flows” through the city east of Todd Mall.
