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Red Centre, Northern Territory

including Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Alice Springs

Western end of the George Gill Range - where Kings Canyon is located © Tourism Northern Territory
Scroll down for details on Alice Springs, West MacDonnell Ranges, Finke Gorge, Kings Canyon, Uluru-Kata Tjuta

Red Centre - Introduction
The two main centres for exploring the Red Centre are Alice Springs in the north east of the area and Uluru (Ayers Rock) in the south west. Nearby to Uluru is Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) and the immediate region is now the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.
Between Uluru and Alice are three major national parks and areas of great interest. The West MacDonnell Ranges, a huge area which extends beyond the park boundaries, the Finke Gorge National Park which includes the spectacular Palm Valley, Watarrka (Kings Canyon) National Park with international standard accommodation offered by the Kings Canyon Resort.
We have split the Red Centre regions into five sub regions - Alice Springs and nearby, the West MacDonnell Ranges, plus Finke Gorge, Watarrka, and Uluru-Kata Tjuta national parks.
Map link: For an Adobe pdf map of the Red Centre produced by the Central Australia Tourism Association, click www.centralaustraliantourism.com(map) - then hit the 'Back' button to return to this page.

Alice Springs and nearby
Henley on Todd boat race, Alice Springs © Tourism Northern Territory Alice Springs is in the centre of the vast MacDonnell Ranges which stretch for 400 km from east to west across the middle of Australia. The Alice Springs Desert Park www.alicespringsdesertpark.com.au is just 10 minutes drive from central Alice and is is becoming a major attraction, with rave reviews by notables such as David Attenborough. The desert park is a great introduction to national parks in the region.
Alice Springs has a full range of accommodation from campsites and hostels through to international standard hotels and the town makes a good centre for exploring the region. A major yearly attraction is the 'Henley on Todd' regatta on the dry river bed of the Todd River (pictured).  Alice Springs is 465 km north east of Uluru (Ayers Rock) and the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

West MacDonnell Ranges
The West MacDonnell Ranges, much of which is a national park, runs 200 km west from Alice Springs, virtually begginng in the town itself, and is a very accessible park with various highlights throughout its length.  Travelling from east to west these are:
Simpsons Gap Standley Chasm Ellery Creek Big Hole Serpentine Gorge
Ochre Pits Ormiston Gorge and Pound Glen Helen Gorge Roma Gorge
Tylers Pass
All but the last three are accessible by sealed roads. The sealed road ends at Glen Helen and Ormiston Gorges and from Glen Helen there is an unsealed loop road back to Hermannsburg, from where the road is sealed again back to Alice Springs. Finke Gorge National Park is accessed via this loop by 4WD.
Walking the Larapinta Trail, West MacDonnell Ranges © Tourism Northern Territory The West MacDonnell Ranges National Park www.nt.gov.au/nreta/parks/find/westmacdonnell has a long distance track called the Larapinta Trail which takes in all the above listed attractions. It begins at the Alice Springs Old Telegraph Station and is 223 km long, running along the spine of the ranges. The walk breaks down into twelve sections, each of one to two days duration. A number of local operators offer day trips and longer in the West MacDonnell Ranges and there are also guided walks on offer on the Larapinta Trail (pictured).

Finke Gorge National Park - including Palm Valley
Finke Gorge National Park is 140 km west of Alice Springs and can be accessed by 4WD from near Hermannsburg on Larapinta Drive. The area holds a special significance for the Western Arrente Aboriginal people.
Palm Valley, Finke Gorge National Park © Tourism Northern Territory The ancient cabbage palms of Palm Valley (pictured) and the Finke Gorge are the main attractions. The current age of the palms is thought to be around 300 years, but it is estimated that palms have grown here for around 20,000 years. The Palm Valley water source comes from porous sandstone ridges. A number of local operators in Alice Springs offer the Finke Gorge National Park www.nt.gov.au/nreta/parks/find/finkegorge as a day trip if you don't want to incorporate it into a longer tour. There are good camping facilities in the Palm Valley section of the park.

Watarrka (Kings Canyon) National Park
The Luritja Aboriginal people are thought to have connections with this vicinity for about 22,000 years. The national park was created in 1983 and the land handed back to the Luritja - Watarrka is their name for an acacia species.
Kings Canyon evolved over millions of years. As sandstone layers in the George Gill Range cracked, large rocks were left on the surface as ravines were formed below with vertical sandstone cliffs. The weathered rocks remaining above are now called the Lost City.
Rim walk, Kings Canyon © Tourism Northern TerritoryKings Canyon is just over 300 km from Alice Springs.  Kings Canyon Resort, 7 km from the canyon but within the national park, was designed to compliment the natural beauty of the surrounding wilderness. The accommodation ranges from international standard motel rooms to a camping ground. The Luritja operate sightseeing excursions which give visitors an insight into their culture whilst many Alice-based operators offer excellent tours which include time in the national park. For those staying overnight at Kings Canyon some good walks are available starting with a 1 hour meander. See the NT Government page for more details about Watarrka National Park www.nt.gov.au/nreta/parks/find/watarrka

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Ayers Rock and the Olgas)
Looking from Ayers Rock Resort to Uluru © Tourism Northern TerritoryAYERS ROCK RESORT TOWNSHIP (formerly known Yulara)
Built on 94 square kilometres of freehold land, approximately 18 km northwest of Uluru (as pictured), just outside the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. The township is populated with resort employees and of course guests and includes a school, medical centre, service station and a water and sewerage plant.
The whole township, designed by Phillip Cox, is owned and operated by one company and is so big that it offers a choice of 6 different kinds of low rise accommodation, including apartments and a camping ground, all set around a ring road with a shuttle bus to connecting them. There is also a luxurious permanent safari camp, Longitude 131, set apart from the hotels with uninterrupted views of Uluru. Ayers Rock Resort is served by Connellan Airport, 5 km away.
ULURU-KATA TJUTA NATIONAL PARK www.environment.gov.au/parks/uluru
Aerial view from Kata Tjuta to Uluru © Tourism Northern Territory The park is owned by the Anangu people and is an amalgamation of Uluru (Ayers Rock) itself and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) approximately 50 km to the west on sealed roads - see picture, right.
Climbing Uluru is still allowed but the Anangu prefer that visitors should respect their sacred site and not make the climb. There is a 9 km walk around the base of the rock and a Cultural Centre nearby. 
A sunset viewing area is located between the resort and Uluru.A number of local operators, including the Anangu themselves, operate a variety of large and small group tours around Uluru and to Kata Tjuta and you can even hire a Harley Davidson motorbike to whizz around the park if this is your thing.
Map link: For an Adobe pdf map of the Red Centre produced by the Central Australia Tourism Association, click www.centralaustraliantourism.com(map) - then hit the 'Back' button to return to this page
 
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Truly Australia have attempted to give an honest and objective description of the topics covered on this page and have deliberately avoided regurgitating tourist office media releases. The information shown has been compiled from a variety of reputable sources and our own experiences. We check and review this information from time to time, but we assume no responsibility for the absolute accuracy of the details given.