The Red Centre - brace for impact

The Red Centre is an extraordinary landscape which is guaranteed to impact you with feelings of Awe.

The Red Centre includes some of Australia’s most iconic and sacred sites such as internationally recognised and World Heritage listed, Uluru & Kata Tjuta.

Also in the Red Centre, is Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon), the vast MacDonnell Ranges (Tjoritja), Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles) and of course Alice Springs.

The southern half of the Northern Territory is known as the 'Red Centre' and the northern half is known as the ‘Top End’.

Flights from capital cities connect directly to the Red Centre at Uluru or Alice Springs where the areas to explore are relatively accessible with only 468km between Uluru and Alice Springs.

Map background courtesy of Qld. Govt.

Our purpose with this post is to give you just enough insight to spark your curiosity and enable you to plan your own expedition of discovery. Blessed are the curious for they shall have adventures.

This post tells the story of our memorable adventure to the Red Centre which starts from the south, at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Uluru is World Heritage-listed and one of the most recognisable landmarks in Australia. Uluru and Kata Tjuta are both significant sacred sites to the aboriginal people of the area.

Uluru is massive at 348m high, a perimeter of 9.4km and continues for another six kilometres underground.

Described as one of the greatest natural wonders of the world, Uluru is also very intriguing for how it changes colours at different times of day particularly with its red glow at sunrise & sunset.

Of course, we joined in the very popular activity at Uluru of the sunset viewing where the rock will transition through a range of amazing colours.

Visitors assemble at the various viewing areas with chairs, champagne and happy hour snacks to settle in and watch the magnificent spectacle.

On this visit, we hired bicycles at the rock. This allowed us to travel the entire perimeter at a leisurely pace. Not so great in a strong head wind yet that was only for one area which eventually became a tailwind.

One of the best ways we have seen Uluru, is taking a tour around the base with an indigenous Ranger where we got great insight into the cultural significance of Uluru.

These ranger tours are free but need booking ahead. Of course, there are many commercially operated tours available as well.

The ranger guided Mala Walk tour includes rock art and you will learn about ceremonies, rites of passage and how Anangu lived their daily life. The Kuniya Walk includes the lush & shady Mutitjulu Waterhole surrounded by river red gums and tall grasses.

It's amazing how the features of Uluru are so incredibly diverse as you make your around the base. Every nook & cranny seems to have so much indigenous history and significance that you really get caught up in the history and the passion of the human spirit. I found I needed to take this exploration of Uluru really slowly to have a chance and take in the awe of this ancient landscape and the incredibly rich history spanning thousands of years. Having some context for what I was seeing, from the ranger tour and cultural centre, made the experience significantly more impactful.

The Cultural Centre is a good place to start your exploration of Uluru where you can get great insight into the Anangu culture. I always highly value exhibitions in cultural centres and museums because they help me feel part of something bigger. I want to get enriched by my travel with a more meaningful sense of connection to a place.

Cultural knowledge, from the beginning of time, has been passed down from generation to generation through the rock art at Uluru all of which is still relevant today.

The rock art at Uluru can be seen from viewing platforms at Mala Walk and Kuniya Walk.

The ranger guided Mala Walk tour includes the rock art.

The next day we explored Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) which is also World Heritage listed and lie 40km west of Uluru. You really get a slap around the face with the awe as you walk amongst the soaring, ochre coloured rock domes of Kata Tjuta being a really unusual and fascinating experience.

There are several walking trails available, depending on your stamina, where you are likely to stay mesmerised the whole time. Ranger guided tours are also available Kata Tjuta.

The next destination on our trip was Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park. This required moving our base camp from Uluru to Watarrka NP.

The day after our drive to Kings Canyon, we tackled the most iconic walk at Kings Canyon being the Rim Walk which was a challenging walk but well worth the effort. This walk provided amazing views of the massive gorge, the towering cliffs and 360 degree views of the surrounding landscape.

Ranger guided tours are also available at Kings Canyon.

A good rest was in order after the 500 step climb to the top. From there, we saw all these sandstone domes similar to Purnululu.

The walk continues along the rim then down into the gorge at a secluded oasis known as The Garden of Eden.

Fun Fact: A Territory lizard species known as The Great Desert Burrowing Skink (liopholis kintorei) has been discovered to be furnishing an underground empire – a world first for reptile scientists. They build an interconnected tunnel system up to 13m wide and a metre deep in the sandy spinifex plains of Uluru & Kata Tjuta. Each network has up to 20 entrances including ‘pop holes’.

We camped at the Kings Canyon Resort at Kings Canyon, Big 4 MacDonnell Range Holiday Park at Alice Springs and the Ayres Rock Campground at Uluru which are all excellent camp grounds.

A visit to the Red Centre is definitely not complete without visiting Alice Springs and the magnificent MacDonnell Ranges. Alice Springs is nestled in between the east & west MacDonnell Ranges and has a rich historical significance to Australia.

Originally, Alice Springs was just the name of a waterhole next the the telegraph station then discovery of gold, at nearby Arltunga, in 1871 grew the population significantly. Afghan cameleers would drive their camel trains through unforgiving desert to service the town and their legacy is very evident in Alice Springs today. After years of confusion, the township was officially gazetted as Alice Springs in 1933. We really got caught up in the history of this town and the resilience of the human spirit.

Our visit coincided with the annual Henley On Todd Regatta. This 60 year old festival is a quirky boat race held in the dry river bed of the Todd River and said to be the only dry river boat race in the world. The day starts with a street procession which moves through the mall and down the the river bed where the main event is held. It is a full day with lots of events where the whole town seemed to be present and enthusiastically immersed in the celebration. Its just a whole lot of fun which culminated with the highly competitive, fast & furious 'Battle of the Boats'.

Our good friends Jenny & Boyd flew into the Red Centre, from Sydney, while we were there, hired a car and explored some of the Red Centre with us which was an absolute delight.

Both Alice Springs and Uluru have airports that are very accessible to all the capital cities plus there is the Ghan train that runs between Darwin and Adelaide though Alice Springs.

You can fly into Uluru, hire a car, drop it off at Alice Springs and fly out of Alice Springs.

There is a lot to do in the town of Alice Springs where we got a real sense of the pioneering history as well as the rich aboriginal culture.

In fact, we spent two weeks in Alice Springs where the popular attractions include The Royal Flying Doctor (RFDS) Tourist Facility which tells the story of how the RFDS started in Australia, in Alice Springs, and its importance today to Australians living in the remote outback.

The School of the Air Visitor Centre is fantastic for a city person to experience and see how they provide a lifeline of education to many children in remote Australia. Alice Springs School of the Air alone, provides a classroom that extends over 1.3 million square kilometers.

The Museum of Central Australia is a great place to hear the unique history of the area and includes the Strehlow Research Centre. This houses one of Australia's most important collections of film, sound, archival records and museum objects relating to Indigenous ceremonial life.

Other popular attractions include the Alice Springs Telegraph Station, National Road Transport Hall of Fame & Ghan Museum and Alice Springs Desert Park.

Yet, the thing we loved the most at Alice Springs was exploring the MacDonnell Ranges (Tjoritja) running east & west of Alice which, to me, are quintessentially the Red Centre. We needed a number of days to see the best of the MacDonnell Ranges as there is lots to explore.

I have included a few of the gems of the MacDonnell Ranges in this post such as Simpsons Gap with its huge cliffs towering over this permanent waterhole where at the right time of day you can see black footed rock wallabies.

Then there is the spectacular Ellery Creek Big Hole being a permanent water hole and an internationally recognised geological site.

Standley Chasm is another gem that is 100% owned and operated by the local Arrernte people. This is a great walk that that follows the creek bed and is only about 15mins each way.

If you plan your visit at the right time of day you will see the sun flood into the chasm lighting up the sides of this 80m high red ochre sandstone gorge.

Standley Chasm is also one of the trailheads of the Larapinta Trail being an iconic walking trail across the east & west MacDonnell Ranges.

Hikers can do all or part of this very special hiking adventure. Standley Chasm is a good overnight camping spot for hikers on the Larapinta Trail.

Serpentine Gorge comes after Standley Chasm, going west, and is a narrow gap with a semi permanent water hole set amongst shady river gums.

Ormiston Gorge was one of my favourite gorges in the MacDonnell Ranges which is also a good place for a swim.

The gorge has towering red walls around the gorge which are best explored on the Ormiston Pound Walk being a three hour circuit which follows the water hole through the gorge.

Glen Helen Gorge is another spectacular gorge that makes way for the Finke River and is a refuge for many migratory water birds. It is delightful and short walk up to the gorge.

In the East MacDonnell Ranges Trephina Gorge is not to be missed and is where we found the largest ghost gum in Central Australia. Trephina Gorge has a number of short walking tracks to choose from and there is the Trephina Ridgetop Walk which connects you to Hays Rock Hole.

On our first trip to the Red Centre, we also visited Palm Valley, in Finke Gorge National Park, and the Chambers Pillar historical reserve. Both of these trips require 4WD.

Palm Valley is a massive stone amphitheatre filled with red cabbage palms and is 138km west of Alice Springs.

This photo of the 50m high Chambers Pillar was taken from our first visit in1991. Chambers Pillar is 160km south of Alice Springs and is accessed from Alice Springs.

Fun Fact:

In November 2009 it was reported that up to 6000 feral camels in search of water had invaded Docker River, a small Aboriginal community of about 350 people located about 500km southwest of Alice Springs. Local residents were afraid to leave their homes for some time. The camels tore up the main water pipes & sewerage pipes, made the town's airport unusable and contaminated the town's water supply.

After 2 weeks exploring Alice Springs, we headed for the Top End (see seperate post on the Top End) and the last gem in this post is Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles) which are ancient granite boulders sitting right next to the Stuart Hwy 95km south of Tennant Creek. Some of the massive boulders look like they are about to roll over yet they have been there a long time. This fascinating natural display is scattered over a large area and great for exploring on the self guided walking trail.

David & Rosemary Allan – the faces behind:

May adventure & discovery be your constant companions.

Reflection:

For me, a trip is memorable when I am enriched by a deeper sense of connection to a place which triggers an emotional or spiritual response. This comes from feelings of Awe when I feel part of something bigger. Such as, seeing dramatic landscapes, being caught up in the history and sensing the passion of the human spirit.

A memorable experience will cause me to day dream about the next trip even more than the last trip.

Remember: Your adventure begins the moment you decide to go.