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Alice
Springs
in Northern Territory, Central
Australia
A tourist selfdrive hire guide and visitor's information
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Alice Springs
Alice Springs - The heart of Central Australia is comprised
of cavernous gorges, boundless desert landscapes, remote
Aboriginal communities and a charming pioneering history.
Alice Springs was established by the early explorers
and remains as the centre of activity in this region.
From the early 1900s, the vast desert of Central Australia
was explored for its promise of rubies and gold. Today,
north of Alice Springs is an adventure travel destination
where visitors can still fossick for gems and explore
the Australian desert while trekking, camping or four-wheel
driving.
Year round blue skies, stunning landscapes and a vibrant,
diverse community - that's Alice Springs! Only a two
hour flight from most Australian cities, Alice Springs
is a must see destination renowned for its unique identity
and rich cultural heritage.
North-west of Alice Springs, along the Tanami Track
and south of Alice Springs in the Simpson Desert, the
art styles and stories of the Aboriginal people give
meaning to the surrounding landscape. The most well-known
natural highlights of Alice Springs are the East and
West MacDonnell Ranges that straddle Alice and run for
223 kilometres.
The modern town of Alice Springs has both western and
Aboriginal influences. The town's focal point, the Todd
Mall, hosts a number of Aboriginal art galleries and
community events. Alice Springs' desert lifestyle has
inspired several unique and interesting events such
as the Camel Cup, the Henley-on-Todd Regatta and the
Beanie Festival.
The town of Alice Springs straddles the usually dry
Todd River on the northern side of the MacDonnell Ranges.
The region where Alice Springs is located is known as
Central Australia, or the Red Centre, and is an arid
environment consisting of several different deserts.
In Alice Springs, temperatures can vary by up to 28°C
and rainfall can vary quite dramatically from year to
year. In summer, the average maximum temperature is
in the high 30s, where as in winter the average minimum
temperature can be 7.5C. The annual average rainfall
is 279.2 mm, but in 2001 741 mm fell and in 2002 only
198 mm fell.
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Alice Springs AttractionsAlice Springs Desert Park
Entry Fees
Apply A must see for every visitor to Alice. In the
space of just a few hours, you can discover many of
the secrets of the Central Australian deserts at the
Alice Springs Desert Park.
Alice Springs Golf Club
Entry Fees
Apply The Alice Springs Golf Club is one of the finest
desert golf courses in the world. The manicured greens
contrast vividly with the surrounding desert and MacDonnell
Ranges.
Alice Springs Reptile Centre Entry
Fees Apply
The Alice Springs Reptile Centre is the largest reptile
display in the Northern Territory.
Alice Springs School of the Air
Entry Fees
Apply History, Lifestyle, Innovation Immerse yourself
in the distinctive history of Alice Springs School of
the Air that dates back to 1951. Gain an insight to
the lifestyles of its students.
Alice Springs Telegraph Station
Entry Fees
Apply The township of Alice Springs obtained its name
from the waterhole at this historic Telegraph Station.
Alice Springs Turf Club
Entry Fees
Apply Visit the Alice Springs Turf Club, located at
Pioneer Park Alice Springs.
Anzac Hill
Free
The most visited landmark in Alice Springs, Anzac Hill
is the ideal spot for an overview of the town.
Central Australian Aviation Museum
Entry Fees Apply
The Central Australian Aviation Museum is located on
Memorial Avenue, Alice Springs, on the western edge
of the north-south runway of the original aerodrome.
Lasseters Hotel Casino
Free Entry
Nestled at the foot of the spectacular West MacDonnell
Ranges, Lasseters Hotel Casino is the centre of excitement
in Alice Springs. You can enjoy great entertainment,
dining and gaming.
Museum of Central Australia
Entry Fees Apply
The Museum of Central Australia, in the Araluen Cultural
Precinct, acts as an interpretive centre for Central
Australias natural history.
National Road Transport Hall of Fame
Entry Fees Apply
The National Road Transport Hall Of Fame is a museum
that is unique to most other road transport museums
throughout the world in that it has taken a lateral
approach to the restoration of its world.
Old Ghan Heritage Railway and Museum
Entry Fees Apply
Relive the history of the Old Ghan and the pioneering
past as you wander through the Old Ghan Train Museum
and take a s stroll through the old train and carriages.
Old Timers Traeger Museum
Entry Fees Apply
Old Timers Traeger Museum, in Alice Springs, houses
a collection of photographs and paraphernalia from the
early days of white settlement in Central Australia.
Olive Pink Botanic Garden
Free Entry
The Olive Pink Botanic Garden lies adjacent to the Todd
River not far from the centre of Alice Springs.
Royal Flying Doctor Service
Entry Fees Apply
The Royal Flying Doctor Service is an Australian icon
and a world first.
Sounds of Starlight Theatre
Entry Fees Apply
Experience the pulse of Australia. The Didgeridoo Show
Outback has earned a reputation as one of Central Australias
most memorable live shows.
Stuart Town Cemetery
Free - Visiting Entry
The Stuart Town cemetery is a fascinating and sobering
reminder of early hardships in Central Australia. Located
in Alice Springs, the Cemetery was the towns first,
dating from 1889.
Stuart Town Goal (Jail)
Entry Fees Apply
The construction of the Stuart Town Goal (Jail) and
associated police station, located in Alice Springs,
was commenced in 1907 and closure in 1938.
The Residency
Entry Fees Apply
Since its construction in 1928, The Residency, situated
on the corner of Parsons and Hartley Streets, Alice
Springs, has become a tangible symbol of the brief independence
and Vice Regal power Central Australia
The Overlanders Steakhouse
The Overlanders Steakhouse, located in Alice Springs,
was established in 1971 to honour the men and women
of Australia who ventured into its great outback country.
Information correct last we checked
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The Alice Springs Desert Park
The Alice Springs Desert Park was created to educate
visitors on the many facets of the surrounding desert
environment. The arid climate botanic garden, Olive
Pink Botanic Garden is a short distance from the town
centre. They were named after anthropologist, naturalist
and artist Olive Pink, who lived in the town for almost
30 years and died in 1975. She was well known locally
and referred to by all as Miss Pink. The Alice Springs
Reptile Centre is located in the town centre.
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Alice Springs Telegraph Station
Alice Springs has many historic buildings, such as
the Overland Telegraph Station, Adelaide House, the
Old Courthouse and Residency and the Hartley Street
School.
Today the town is an important tourist hub and service
centre for the surrounding area. It is a well-appointed
town for its size with several large hotels, a world
class convention centre and a good range of visitor
attractions, restaurants and other services.
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The MacDonnell Ranges - East MacDonnell Ranges
and West MacDonnell Ranges
The MacDonnell Ranges run east and west of Alice Springs
and contain a number of hiking trails and swimming holes
such as Ormiston Gorge, Ormiston Gorge Creek, Red Bank
Gorge and Glen Helen Gorge.
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The Simpson Desert - Day trips from Alice Springs
The Simpson Desert, southeast of Alice Springs is one
of Australia's great wilderness areas containing giant
red sand dunes and interesting rock formations such
as Chambers Pillar and Rainbow Valley.
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Larapinta Trail - West MacDonnell Ranges
The 223 km long Larapinta Trail follows the West MacDonnell
Ranges and is considered among the world's great walking
experiences.
Footnote Text Courtesy Of: http://wikitravel.org/
Footnote Photographs Courtesy Of: NTTC - Northern
Territory Tourism Commission
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Alice Springs Airport
Shuttle Bus
The Alice Springs Airport Shuttle service operates transfers
to and from Alice Springs hotels, motels and private
residences. Transfers from the airport to Alice Springs
city can be booked and paid for on arrival, just look
for the "Alice Springs Airport Shuttle bus which is
parked at the eastern and western end of the drop-off
zone in front of the terminal. The driver remains with
the bus and tickets can be purchased from the driver
at the mobile ticket stand Transfers from Alice Springs
to the airport can be booked by calling 08 8959 0310
or visiting www.buslink.com.au.
Taxis
Taxis are available directly outside Alice Springs Airport
Terminal, and you can expect to pay approximately $32
for a one way trip to the central business district.
Taxis: +61 8 8953 3322 Territory Taxis
Taxis: +61 8 8952 1877 Alice Springs Taxis
Private Hire: +61 8 8952 3700
http://www.alicespringsairport.com.au/
Parking
at Alice Springs Airport - Link to official site
Lockers
located at the Oversize Baggage Check opposite to the
Airport Management Centre. Cost is $5 for first item
per day and additional items $2 per day.
Items Misplaced
For items left in the Terminal Building and Car Park
please call 8951 1211.
For items left on the aircraft or baggage carousel please
contact the relevant airline.
http://www.alicespringsairport.com.au
@ official site
Hours
Alice Springs Airport is operational from 7 am 5 pm,
7 days a week.
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Alice Springs Convention Centre
The Alice Springs Convention Centre, with an abundance
of natural light and spectacular views of the MacDonnell
Ranges, is a modern and fresh alternative for conferences
and incentives. The Centre boasts state of the art facilities,
professional friendly service and offers delegates the
opportunity to experience the true essence of the outback.
The Alice Springs Convention Centre offers a unique
destination the true outback.
The high-technology business convention and exhibition
centre already host to national and international
events has pioneered a unique market since being opened
in 2002 as the Territorys first dedicated purpose-built
convention centre.
The Alice Springs Convention Centre caters for groups
ranging from meetings of 10 people through to conferences
of 1,200 delegates and expositions involving up to 3,000
visitors.
The design is on a grid system for maximum versatility;
the conference rooms can be rapidly reconfigured to
cater for different events, exhibitions or workshops
during a conference or to cater for smaller, more intimate
gatherings.
Located adjacent to the Alice Springs Convention Centre
is its sister property, Lasseters Hotel Casino with
140 rooms including 13 elegantly appointed suites. In-house
hotel facilities are grouped around the swimming pool
and leisure areas.
Also adjacent is the Alice Springs Golf Club with a
fully grassed 18-hole golf course designed by Australian
golfer, Peter Thomson.
Team building activities are available, with the most
amazing choices of locations filled with vibrant colour
coupled with ancient ranges and river beds as a natural
backdrop.
Alice Springs Convention Centre
93 Barrett Drive Alice Springs Northern Territory 0870
Australia
Phone +61 8 8950 0200
Fax +61 8 8950 0300
Email info@aspcc.com.au
http://www.alicespringsconventioncentre.com.au/
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History - Early European Settlers
In 1861-62, John McDouall Stuart led an expedition
through Central Australia, to the west of what later
became Alice Springs, thereby establishing a route from
the south of the continent to the north.
A settlement came into existence as a result of the
construction of a repeater station on the Overland Telegraph
Line, which linked Adelaide to Darwin and Great Britain.
The OTL was completed in 1872. It traced Stuart's route
and opened up the interior for permanent settlement.
It wasn't until alluvial gold was discovered at Arltunga,
100 km east of the present Alice Springs, in 1887 that
any significant settlement occurred. Until the 1930s,
however, the town was known as Stuart.
The telegraph station was sited near what was thought
to be a permanent waterhole in the normally dry Todd
River and was optimistically named Alice Springs after
the wife of the former Postmaster General of South Australia,
Sir Charles Todd.
The Todd River was named after Sir Charles himself.
The original mode of transportation in the outback were
camel trains, operated by immigrants from Pathan tribes
in the North-West frontier of the then British India
(present-day Pakistan) who were misnamed 'Afghan' Camellers.
In 1929 the Palmerston and Pine Creek Railway was completed
from Darwin as far as Birdum, while the Great Northern
Railway had been completed in 1891 from Port Augusta
as far as Oodnadatta, South Australia, 700 km south
of Alice Springs.
The lines wouldn't meet until 2003. On February 4,
2004, the first passenger train arrived in Darwin from
Adelaide.
During the 1960s it became an important defence location
with the development of the U.S/Australian Pine Gap
joint defence satellite monitoring base, home to about
700 workers from both countries, but by far the major
industry in recent times is tourism.
Almost in the exact center of the continent, Alice
Springs is some 1200 km from the nearest ocean and 1500
km from the nearest major cities, Darwin and Adelaide.
Alice Springs is now the midpoint of the Adelaide-Darwin
Railway.
During World War II, Alice Springs was a staging base,
known as No. 9 Australian Staging Camp, and a depot
base for the long four-day trip to Darwin.
The Australian Army also set up the 109th Australian
General Hospital at Alice Springs. Seven mile aerodrome
was also constructed by the Royal Australian Air Force.
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History - Aboriginals
The "Springs" that gave the town its name.
The Arrernte Aboriginal people have made their home
in the Central Australian desert in and around the site
of the future Alice Springs for more than 50,000 years.
The Aboriginal name for Alice Springs is Mparntwe.
Three major groups Western, Eastern and Central Arrernte
people live in Central Australia, their traditional
land including the area of Alice Springs and East/West
MacDonnell Ranges. They are also referred to as Aranda,
Arrarnta, Arunta, and other similar spellings. Their
neighbours are the Southern Arrernte, Luritja, Anmatyerr,
Alyawarr and Western Arrernte peoples. There are five
dialects of the Arrernte language: South-eastern, Central,
Northern, Eastern and North-eastern.
Arrernte country is rich with mountain ranges, waterholes,
and gorges; as a result the Arrernte people set aside
'conservation areas' in which various species are protected.
According to the Arrernte traditional stories, in
the desert surrounding Alice Springs, the landscape
was shaped by caterpillars, wild dogs, travelling boys,
two sisters, euros, and other ancestral figures.
Sand Drawing Aboriginal.
There are many sites of traditional importance in and
around Alice Springs, such as Anthwerrke (Emily Gap),
Akeyulerre (Billy Goat Hill), Ntaripe (Heavitree Gap),
Atnelkentyarliweke (Anzac Hill), and Alhekulyele (Mt.
Gillen).
There are roughly 1,800 speakers of Eastern and Central
Arrernte, making it the largest spoken language in the
Arandic family, and one of the largest speaking populations
of any Australian language. It is taught in schools,
heard in local media and local government.
Many Arrernte people also live in communities outside
of Alice Springs and on outstations.
Aboriginal Desert Art Gallery
Free Entry
Aboriginal Desert Art Gallery is one of Australia's
largest Aboriginal art galleries. Located in the Todd
Mall, Alice Springs, the gallery was established in
1985.
Araluen Arts Centre
Entry Fees Apply
The Araluen Arts Centre is the focal point of Alice
Springs' performing and visual arts scene, incorporating
galleries and a theatre.
Iwantja Arts and Crafts
Free Entry
Iwantja Arts and Crafts offers authentic Aboriginal
art and crafts. The gallery has a large display of items,
including woven baskets, leather goods, Punu (wooden
artefact) and paintings.
Papunya Tula Artists
Free Entry
Papunya Tula Artists, located in Alice Springs, are
dedicated to the promotion and preservation of the Western
Desert Culture and have a total of more than 100 contributing
artists.
Titjikala Arts
Free Entry
Titjikala Arts is located in a small Aboriginal community,
about 120 kilometres from Alice Springs.
Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Corporation
Free Entry
Warlukurlangu Artists Aboriginal Association is a fully
Aboriginal owned and governed art centre. The Warlukurlangu
Art Centre is famous for its gloriously colourful acrylic
paintings, fine limited-edition prints.
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| All rights
reserved. Some images on our headers, and many
photos on the web pages throughout this site are courtesy
of the various state tourism government departments for
the promotion of tourism in Australia.
These include Tourism Australia
and Tourism
Northern Territory. |
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The Goholi
Our Mission Statement
As one of Australia's largest licensed
Travel Agents Goholi is dedicated to campervan and motorhome
hire and rentals. We will source the different options
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of the current situations of Uluru Kata Tjuta National
Park - Ayers Rock, Watarrka National Park, West MacDonnell
Ranges, East MacDonnell Ranges, Kakadu National Park,
Uluru (Ayers Rock), Gibb River Road Western Australia
and the - Erldunda - Kulgera - Oodnadatta Track - Coober
Pedy (Opal field) - Woomera - Port Augusta areas.
East MacDonnell National Park
and West MacDonnell National Park
in the MacDonnell Ranges in Northern Territory, Central
Australia
A tourist selfdrive tourist guide and travel information
East MacDonnell National Park
and West MacDonnell National Park in Central Australia
West
MacDonnell Map West
MacDonnell National Park East
MacDonnell National-Park
East
MacDonnell Map
West MacDonnell National Park
and surrounding areas
Larapinta
Trail Glen
Helen Gorge Glen
Helen Lodge accommodation Ellery
Creek Big Hole Ochre
Pits Ormiston
Gorge Redbank
Gorge Waterhole Roma
Gorge Serpentine
Chalet Serpentine
Gorge Simpsons
Gap Standley
Chasm
Honeymoon
Gap Palm
Valley
Albert
Namatjiras Monument
Namatjira
Drive Namatjira
Twin Gums Hermannsburg
Ghost
Gum Wallace
Rockhole Palm
Valley
East MacDonnell National Park
and surrounding areas
Arltunga
Historical Reserve and hotel or camping Trephina
Gorge Emily
Jessie Gap Corroboree
Rock Ross
River Resort Ruby
Gap N'Dhala
Gorge Nature Reserve Gemtree
Chambers
Pillar Rainbow
Valley
Other Highways, Scenic Routes,
Ways, offroad 4wd Tracks and Roads in Central Australia
The
Mereenie Loop Red
Centre Way Explorers
Way Stuart
Highway Ernest
Giles Road Namatjira
Drive Larapinta
Drive Luritja
Road Lasseter
Highway Binns
Track
Top End - Natures Way in Northern
Territory Australia
Darwin
Tropical
Darwin Map
of Northern Territory Katherine
Gorge Tennant
Creek Devils
Marbles Kakadu
National Park Natures
Way Top End Katherine
Gorge Litchfield
National Park
Alice Springs and Uluru and on
the way
Alice
Springs Alice
Springs Airport The
Ghan Alice Springs Alice
Springs Heavitree Gap Uluru
Kata Tjuta National Park
Uluru
Ayers Rock Ayers
Rock Resort at Yulara Voyages
Resort at Ayers Rock Resort, Yulara Ayers
Rock Airport 'Connellan Airport' Kata
Tjuta 'The Olgas' Sounds
of Silence dinner Mount
Sonder Mount
Connnor Mount
Ebenezer Curtin
Springs Stuarts
Well Erldunda
Kings Canyon
Watarrka
National Park Kings
Canyon Kings
Creek Station Kings
Canyon Resort Glen
Helen Lodge accommodation
Remote access sites
Henbury
Meteorites Conservation Reserve Gosse
Bluff Tnorala Tylers Pass Haasts
Bluff - lkuntji
Alice Springs camper hire and
Alice Springs motorhome rentals return and one way
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Springs campervan hire and camper rentals
Alice Springs
motorhome hire and RV rentals
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Way outback
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