A great way to experience Central Australia is by hiring a car and seeing it all at your own pace. If you have a couple of weeks and a sense of adventure, this itinerary takes you through the best of the Centre, including Alice Springs, the Red Centre, Uluru, and all the other treasures in between.
Day 1
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Alice Springs
A great way to experience Central Australia is by hiring a car and seeing it all at your own pace. If you have a couple of weeks and a sense of adventure, this itinerary takes you through the best of the Centre, including 'the Alice', Uluru, and all the other treasures in between.
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Day 3
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Ruby Gap Nature Park and Gemtree
Get set for a four-wheel-drive detour into Ruby Gap Nature Park this morning. This is a rugged add-on to the trip, and experienced walkers will enjoy the challenging terrain. Head back to the main road and follow the loop to the Gemtree. Spend the afternoon fossicking for your own gems, then have them cut into a unique piece of jewellery. Finish off the day by having a go at the Gemtree's unique sport of paddy melon bowling.
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Day 4
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Gemtree
Walkers should try the 2.5-km nature walk this morning to spot this area's flora and fauna. Then pack up and finish the loop back to the Stuart Highway and south to Alice Springs. Check in to your accommodation and have a well-earned rest this afternoon, followed by dinner at one of Alice's many restaurants.
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Day 5
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Alice Springs Desert Park
Visit the Alice Springs Desert Park this morning, 10 minutes from the town, and spend the morning learning about the desert habitats and the plethora of flora and fauna that flourish there. The nocturnal house and the free-flying birds of prey at the nature theatre are special highlights. Book in for the Sounds of Starlight show in the Todd Mall tonight, which combines powerful imagery of the region with didjeridu music.
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Day 7
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MacDonnell Ranges
Set off today to explore the other half of the MacDonnell Ranges, to the west of Alice. The first stop is John Flynn's Grave Historical Reserve. Continue west and stop at Simpsons Gap, one of the most prominent gaps in the Ranges where there are several walks to explore. Drive on to Standley Chasm, a narrow cleft in the ranges and an awesome sight at noon as the midday sun sets the chasm ablaze. Head on to Ellery Creek Big Hole, a large waterhole fringed by river red gums. Camp the night here.
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Day 8
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Ormiston Gorge
Today's final destination is Glen Helen Gorge, and there are some spectacular sights to take in on the way. The first is Serpentine Gorge; take a walk to the lookout above the cliffs for a bird's eye view. Continue on to the Ochre Pits - a site that's been used for generations by Aboriginal people to gather ochre for their paintings and ceremonial body decoration. Turn-off to Ormiston Gorge and have a swim in the deep, permanent waterhole. You could also try the 7-km Ormiston Pound walk, or keep going to the Glen Helen Resort, where you'll spend the night. You could take a scenic helicopter flight from here.
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Day 9
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Watarrka National Park
Today is your introduction to the Mereenie Loop - a rugged drive through the desert landscape to Kings Canyon in the Watarrka National Park. There are three main stops. The first is Redbank Gorge; a deep narrow gorge with very cold water all year round, best navigated on an air bed. Carry on to the Tnorala Conservation Reserve, also known as Gosse Bluff, a crater 5 kms in diameter from a comet impact 142 million years ago. It's a further 180 kms to Kings Canyon Resort, your accommodation for tonight.
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Day 10
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Kings Canyon
Rise early today to explore Kings Canyon - a mammoth ravine rich in fauna and flora, rock pools, sand plains and gullies. The best way to experience Kings Canyon is on the three-hour rim walk over the top of the canyon. The panoramic views of the towering orange walls are brilliant from above. The walk also takes in the domed rock formation of the 'Lost City', then descends into a lushly vegetated valley to the 'Garden of Eden'. An alternative is the easier walk along the canyon floor. Cap off the day with a scenic flight over the canyon to truly appreciate your accomplishment, then enjoy the superb Sounds of Firelight dinner under the stars at the resort.
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Day 11
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Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Today you'll follow the Mereenie Loop towards the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Stop in at Kings Creek Station for a helicopter flight, camel ride or tour the station on a quad bike. When you arrive at Ayers Rock Resort, settle in, then drive into the cultural centre. This will give you an excellent background of the Park. Make sure you book the resort's Sounds of Silence dinner for tonight - a gourmet desert barbecue under the stars with Kata Tjuta and Uluru as a backdrop. An astronomer will interpret the star-filled heavens after your meal.
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Day 12
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Uluru/ Ayers Rock
Rise before dawn to see the changing colours of Uluru at sunrise. This is the best way to see Uluru. Have some breakfast, then try the 9-kms base walk around Uluru, an area that has been inhabited by the Anangu people for thousands of years. You can also join cultural touring with traditional landowners, who will share their stories of the area and demonstrate traditional bush tucker and weaponry techniques. Tonight, if you're still mesmerised by the desert's amazing blanket of stars, head to the Ayers Rock Observatory for another tour of the galaxy.
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Day 13
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Kata Tjuta
Explore Kata Tjuta this morning, about half-an-hour from the resort. Walkers will enjoy the Valley of the Winds walk through Kata Tjuta. Head west on the Lasseter Highway where today's destination is Stuart's Well, about 100 kms south of Alice Springs. On the way, stop at the lookouts to see Mt Conner and Mt Ebenezer. The road splits at Erldunda - stop at the roadhouse for a cool drink then head north on the Stuart Highway to Stuart's Well, where you'll meet their famous resident - Dinky the singing Dingo. Stay the night here.
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Day 14
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Rainbow Valley
On the way back up to Alice Springs, detour into Rainbow Valley - a huge bluff embedded with bands of red, yellow and orange sandstone. These freestanding cliffs form part of the James Range, and are particularly striking in the early morning and late afternoon when the rainbow-like bands are highlighted. If you're lucky enough to visit Rainbow Valley after rain, the claypan that stretches out before the bluff fills with water and creates a magical mirror image of the whole scene. Back on the highway, keep heading north to Alice Springs.
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Day 15
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Alice Springs - town
Enjoy a late breakfast at one of the many cafes in Alice's Todd Mall. Wander around the impressive Aboriginal art galleries with extensive collections of local pieces. While you're in the Todd Mall, drop into the Adelaide House Museum, one of Alice Springs' oldest remaining buildings. It houses an excellent historical exhibition, including some of Flynn's journals.
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Did you know?
- At Chambers Pillar there is a 'historical roll call', a slab of sandstone with engravings made by early pioneers, some in the early 1800s.
- At the Gemtree, visitors can join in the unique sport of paddy melon bowling.
- The Telegraph Station was the original site of the Alice Springs township
Fishing > Travel Info > Itinerary ideas > Alice Springs - 15 days
