Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
08-8956 4133;
www.warlu.com
;
9am-5pm Mon-Fri)
, a locally owned venture specialising in
acrylic paintings.
From here there is no fuel for another 600km until you cross the WA border and hit
permanently. Another 170km will have you resting your weary bones in Halls Creek.
ALICE SPRINGS
POP 25,186
The Alice, as it's often known, sprang from humble beginnings as a lonely telegraph sta-
tion on the continent-spanning Overland Telegraph Line (OTL) more than 140 years ago.
Although still famous for its far-flung location, Alice Springs is no longer the frontier
settlement of legend. Ignited by the boom in adventure tourism, the insatiable interest in
contemporary Aboriginal art and improved access, the modernisation of Alice has been
abrupt and confronting. Yet the vast surroundings of red desert and burnished ranges still
underscore its remoteness.
This ruggedly beautiful town is shaped by its mythical landscapes, vibrant Aboriginal
culture (where else can you hear six uniquely Australian languages in the main street?)
and tough pioneering past. The town is a natural base for exploring central Australia,
with Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park a relatively close four-hour drive away. The mes-
merising MacDonnell Ranges stretch east and west from the town centre, and you don't
have to venture far to find yourself among ochre-red gorges, pastel-hued hills and
ghostly white gum trees.
To the Arrernte people, the traditional owners of the Alice Springs area, this place is
called Mparntwe. The heart of Mparntwe is the junction of the Charles (Anthelke
Ulpeye) and Todd (Lhere Mparntwe) Rivers, just north of Anzac Hill (Untyeyetweleye).
The topographical features of the town were formed by the creative ancestral beings −
known as the Yeperenye, Ntyarlke and Utnerrengatye caterpillars − as they crawled
across the landscape from Emily Gap (Anthwerrke), in the MacDonnell Ranges southeast
of town. For many travellers, international and Australian, Alice Springs is their first en-
counter with contemporary indigenous Australia - with its enchanting art, mesmerising
culture and present-day challenges.
1
Sights
Alice Springs Desert Park
WILDLIFE PARK
