Deals > Explore > Alice Springs > Outback adventure
Camel Treks
Camels are great characters and provide ideal transport to explore the peaceful natural surrounds of the Todd River with its varied plants and wildlife. Enjoy the colours of the strikingly beautiful River Red Gums and the MacDonnell Ranges. Options include short camel rides, half-day or longer treks.
Simpsons Gap Bike Trail
This sealed path runs for 17 kilometres through scenic bushland between Flynns Grave and Simpsons Gap. Easily accessible from the western outskirts of Alice Springs, the path meanders cross-country with easy grades, making it suitable for riders of all ages. There are several rest areas along the path that are pleasant picnic spots.
Scenic Flights
For a bird’s eye view of amazing desert landscapes, take a flight in fixed-wing comfort over mountain ranges that stretch toward the horizon, viewing pocketed swimming holes from above, or board an adventure-packed helicopter flight for a different perspective. Flights range from 10 minutes to half-day tours.
Larapinta Trail
This long distance walking track runs along the backbone of the West MacDonnell Ranges. The trail runs for 223km, beginning at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station and ending at Mt Sonder. Covering a variety of terrains, it is divided into 12 sections ranging from easy day trips to challenging overnight walks.
Ballooning
Hot air ballooning is the perfect way to appreciate the vastness and spectacular dawn colours of the Central Australian outback. Wildlife, particularly big red kangaroos are often seen as the balloon crosses spinifex grasses, mulga scrub and cattle stations. The MacDonnell Ranges provide a brilliant backdrop for your flight.
Quad Bikes
Experience the thrill of touring the outback on quad bikes. Share the land with kangaroos, emus, dingoes, lizards and outback wildlife. Stimulate your senses with the scenic splendour. Ride through bush tracks, over dams, alongside mountain ranges and through dry sandy river beds.
4WD
Whether it's a short trip around the Centre or part of a major trek across Australia, a 4×4 journey through Central Australia proves that this region is still frontier country. Travelling down a dirt track, surrounded by the outback, you get a real sense of the size and beauty of the region.
In the early days, only the most adventurous pioneers travelled to Australia's interior. Today, the rugged backdrop of the MacDonnell Ranges makes Alice Springs a great base for modern adventurers.
The spinifex plains, gorges, peaks and chasms surrounding the town set the scene for a variety of activities, from hot air ballooning to quad-bike riding, bushwalking to camel-riding.
Taking to the air gives you a new angle on the sheer size of the outback; in a hot air balloon you can also enjoy its serenity. An early morning balloon ride provides the perfect light for photography and peaceful reflection. For those who prefer flying with an engine, a scenic flight in a light aircraft or a helicopter is an awesome way to experience this region from above.
Relive an exotic part of outback history meandering along the dry Todd River bed atop a camel. The popular 'Camel to Dinner' or 'Camel to Breakfast' tours make for a memorable Alice experience as you ride one of the original 'ships of the desert' past towering ghost gums at sunrise or sunset.
Quad bikes are another unique form of transport perfect for outback conditions. Join a safari on these sturdy little vehicles to ride along bush tracks, over dams, alongside mountain ranges and through dry, sandy, river beds.
Similarly, four-wheel-drivers are spoilt for choice in Alice with a range of exciting and scenic desert tracks and dedicated bushwalkers will love the Larapinta Trail; a world class 223-kilometre trek through the West MacDonnell Ranges.
