| The Red Centre, Northern Territory |
 About the region:
The Red Centre really is in the centre of the vast continent of Australia and believe it or not it is 'red' - red earth, red mountains as in the MacDonnell Ranges, red rock formations such as the Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) and Uluru (Ayres rock), red flowers, the Sturt's Desert Pea being one of the predominant ones. Only after having visited the area do you realise how many different facets the colour 'red' can have. The light in this part of the world is so clear, devoid of most pollution, that the sun's rays cause the colour of the landscape to change in front of your very eyes.
The vast desert landscapes of Australia's red heart are punctuated by a range of unique natural wonders. From the massive ochre domes of Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) and the magnificent East and West MacDonnell Ranges to the great salt plains of Lake Amadeus; from the charm of Alice Springs to the majesty of Kings Canyon and the spiritual pinnacle of Australia Uluru (Ayers Rock), the Red Centre is a remarkable part of the country. It is very much the heart of Australia that typifies the image of Outback Australia.
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| The Ghan, Alice Springs |
Ellery Gorge Big Hole |
Uluru |
The best time to go: Autumn (March to May) is possibly the best time of year with warm days and cool nights and not much variation. In Summer (Dec-Feb), daytime maximums are generally in the high 30’s but never above 45°C, but dry air and cool nights help to make these temperatures very tolerable. In winter (June-Aug), night time temperatures can fall below zero degrees Celsius and sometimes thick frost in the morning can look like a carpet of snow. These mornings are usually followed by very pleasant afternoon temperatures in the low twenties. Spring (Sept-Nov) is the most exiting season of the year with big changes in temperature from day to day, thunderstorms, hail and dust storms. It is also the wild flower season, usually peaking in September and early October.
How to get there: by road: drive north from Adelaide or south from Darwin via the Stuart Highway. Alice Springs is linked to Darwin, Adelaide and the rest of Australia's capital cities via The Ghan. Daily flights operate from all Australian capital cities to Alice Springs. The town is a good base to tour the other famous attractions of Central Australia and most visitors to Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Kings Canyon go via Alice Springs airport.
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Natural Wonders
Natural Attractions
Historic Places
- Alice Springs: Old Ghan Preservation Society Museum; Telegraph Station Historical Reserve; John Flynn's Grave
- Arltunga: Paddys Rockhole (where gold was first discovered in 1887); Arltunga Historical Goldfield Reserve, including Police Station and Gaol, the Government Works, MacDonnell Range Reef gold Mine, Christmas Reef gold Mine, Golden Chance Mine, Joker gold Mine, Great Western Mine and White Range Cemetery
- Hermannsburg: Hermannsburg Mission
- Tennant Creek: El Dorado, Peko, Giants Reef and Warrego Mines (50 km west); Phillip Creek Settlement (former Aboriginal mission, operational 1945 to 1956); Attack Creek Memorial; John Flynn Memorial (24 km north); Stuart Memorial (71 km north); Overland Telegraph Station
- Ti Tree: Ryan Well Historical Reserve (hand dug in 1889)
Misc. Attractions
- Alice Springs: Frontier Camel Farm; Arid Australian Reptile House; School of the Air; Royal Flying Doctor Service; Road Transport Hall of Fame
- Ross River: Santa Teresa Mission; Aboriginal carvings and fossils in N'Dhala Gorge
- Tennant Creek: Battery Hill Mining Centre; Church of Christ the King Roman Catholic Church (made of corrugated iron, 1906); Sacred site of the Nyinkka (spiky tailed goanna)
- Ti Tree: Central Mount Stuart (it indicates the approximate geographical centre of Australia); Ti Tree Farm; Central Australian Produce Farm; The Territory Grape Farm
Tourist Railways
Journeys
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