Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

7
The Red Centre
by Marc Llewellyn
The Red Centre is the landscape many
of us conjure up when we think of the
Outback—vast horizons, red sand as far
as the eye can see, mysterious monoliths,
cloudless blue sky, harsh sunlight,
and the rhythmic twang of the didgeridoo.
It’s home to sprawling cattle
ranches; ancient mountain ranges; “living
fossil” palm trees that survived the
Ice Age; cockatoos and kangaroos; red
gorges; pretty water holes; and, Ayers
Rock, now officially called by its Aboriginal
name, Uluru. Aboriginal people
have lived here for thousands of years,
long before the Pyramids were a twinkle
in a Pharaoh’s eye, but the Centre is still
largely unexplored by non-Aboriginal
Australians. One highway cuts from
Adelaide in the south to Darwin in the
north, and a few roads and 4WD tracks
make a lonely spider web across it; there
are many areas where non-Aborigines
have never set foot.
Alice Springs is the only big town
in Central Australia. So let’s get one
thing straight—Alice Springs and
Uluru are not side by side. Uluru is
462km (286 miles) away. You can see
it in a day from Alice, but it’s an effort.
The Red Centre is more than just
the Rock. Give yourself a few days to
experience all there is—visiting the
impressive Olgas (or Kata Tjuta by its
Aboriginal name) near Uluru/Ayers
Rock, walking the rim of Kings
Canyon, riding a camel down a dry
riverbed, poking around Aboriginal
rock carvings, swimming in water
holes, or staying at an Outback homestead.
A stay in Alice Springs also gives
you a better flavor for the Outback
than Uluru. If you base yourself in
Alice, it’s easy to radiate out to less
crowded but still beautiful attractions
like Palm Valley, Ormiston Gorge,
and Trephina Gorge Nature Park, each
easily handled as a day trip. Too many
visitors jet in, snap a photo of the
Rock, and head home, only to miss
the essence of the desert.
1 Exploring the Red Centre
VISITOR INFORMATION The Central Australian Tourism Industry Association
(CATIA), 60 Gregory Terrace, Alice Springs, NT 0870 (& 08/8952 5800;
www.centralaustraliantourism.com), can send you a brochure pack. It is your best
one-stop source of information.
Most of the Red Centre lies within the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory
Tourist Commission (NTTC), Tourism House, 43 Mitchell St., Darwin,
NT 0800 (& 13 61 10 in Australia, or 08/8999 3900; www.ntholidays.com),
maintains a website for adventurous independent travelers (www.ozoutback.com).
The commission publishes a helpful annual guide to Central Australia that details
many hotels, tour operators, car-rental companies, and attractions, and operates a
division that offers package deals on complete trips.
WHEN TO GO April/May and September/October have sunny days (coolish
in May, hot in Oct). Winter (that’s June–Aug) means mild temperatures with