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

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CHAPTER 7 . THE RED CENTRE
This is the heart of the Aboriginal Arrernte people’s country, and Alice is a rich
source of tours, shops, and galleries for those interested in Aboriginal culture, art,
or souvenirs. There is a sad side to this story. Not every Aborigine succeeds in splicing
his or her ancient civilization with the 21st century, and the result is dislocated
communities living in the riverbed with only alcohol for company.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE By Plane Qantas (& 13 13 13 in Australia; www.
qantas.com.au) flies direct from Sydney, Adelaide, Darwin, Cairns, Broome, and
Ayers Rock. Flights from most other cities connect via Sydney or Adelaide. Virgin
Blue (& 13 67 80 in Australia; www.virginblue.com.au) flies to Alice Springs
direct from Sydney, with connections from Adelaide, Brisbane, the Gold Coast,
and Melbourne. The company offers heavily discounted prices if you book on the
Net and well in advance. Prices start from around A$199 (US$165) one-way.
Airnorth (& 1800/627 474 in Australia, or 08/8945 2866) does a “Centre Run”
from Darwin via Katherine and Tennant Creek daily except Sunday.
The Alice Springs Airport Shuttle (& 1800/621 188 in the Northern Territory,
or 08/8953 0310) meets all major flights (but not always those from small
towns like Tennant Creek) and transfers you to your Alice hotel door for A$10
(US$6.50) one-way or A$18 (US$11.70) round-trip, per person. A taxi from
the airport to town, a distance of 15km (9 1 ⁄3 miles), is around A$25 (US$16).
By Train The Ghan train, named after Afghani camel-train drivers who carried
supplies in the Red Centre 19th century, makes a 2-day trip from Sydney or Melbourne
via Adelaide to Alice every week. The twice-weekly Adelaide–Alice stretch
takes roughly 24 hours. It is treeless and empty, if fascinatingly so, so don’t be concerned
you’ll miss it by overnighting on the train. The train has sleeper berths. For
fares and schedules, call Great Southern Railway (& 13 21 47 within Australia,
or 08/8213 4592; www.gsr.com.au). The Ghan will extend its run to Darwin in
2004, with the completion of a new 1,410km (876-mile) rail link.
By Bus Greyhound Pioneer (& 13 20 30 in Australia) runs from Adelaide
and Darwin. It’s about a 19 1 ⁄2-hour trip from Adelaide, and the fare is around
A$168 (US$109). The 21-hour trip from Darwin costs about A$180 (US$117).
Greyhound does a daily 5 3 ⁄4-hour run from Uluru/Ayers Rock; the fare is around
A$71 (US$46). It also does a daily trip from Kings Canyon for $54 (US$35).
By Car Alice Springs is on the Stuart Highway linking Adelaide and Darwin.
Allow a very long 2 or a more comfortable 3 days to drive from Adelaide, the
same from Darwin. From Sydney, connect to the Stuart Highway via Broken
Hill and Port Augusta north of Adelaide; from Cairns head south to Townsville,
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
Tips Safety in the Centre
Alice is a safe place, but steer clear of dark streets and the riverbed at
night, as some teenagers can make a nuisance of themselves.