Alice Springs
located in the Red Centre of Australia adjacent to the Simpson Desert. With a population of 28 605. The climate promotes an outdoor lifestyle, backed up by excellent sporting and recreational venues and facilities - including one of the world’s top 10 desert golf courses, nestled on the side of the spectacular MacDonnell Ranges. Alice Springs is one of seven Australian regions participating in the Australian Government’s Solar City program, and with an average of 300 sunny days a year the town is well on its way to becoming a solar energy model for the rest of Australia and the world. Arts and culture are strong in The Alice. Many locals belong to wide-ranging organisations, clubs and groups which encourage active participation in visual art of many genres, theatre, dance, music and craft. Alice Springs has a diverse multicultural community with around 20% of the population being Indigenous Australians. Alice Springs is surrounded by breathtaking gorges and waterholes, all easily accessible by road, walking trails and bicycle tracks. It’s the perfect base from which to explore the MacDonnell Ranges where Alice Springs is situated. Or visit Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) which are a 500 km drive from Alice Springs. Or fossick for gemstones and generally enjoy the richly-coloured wide open spaces of the Red Centre. Source: www.australiasnorthernterritory.com.au
located in the Red Centre of Australia adjacent to the Simpson Desert. With a population of 28 605. The climate promotes an outdoor lifestyle, backed up by excellent sporting and recreational venues and facilities - including one of the world’s top 10 desert golf courses, nestled on the side of the spectacular MacDonnell Ranges. Alice Springs is one of seven Australian regions participating in the Australian Government’s Solar City program, and with an average of 300 sunny days a year the town is well on its way to becoming a solar energy model for the rest of Australia and the world. Arts and culture are strong in The Alice. Many locals belong to wide-ranging organisations, clubs and groups which encourage active participation in visual art of many genres, theatre, dance, music and craft. Alice Springs has a diverse multicultural community with around 20% of the population being Indigenous Australians. Alice Springs is surrounded by breathtaking gorges and waterholes, all easily accessible by road, walking trails and bicycle tracks. It’s the perfect base from which to explore the MacDonnell Ranges where Alice Springs is situated. Or visit Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) which are a 500 km drive from Alice Springs. Or fossick for gemstones and generally enjoy the richly-coloured wide open spaces of the Red Centre. Source: www.australiasnorthernterritory.com.au
Ayers Rock – Uluru
Unesco World Heritage
Uluru is probably Australia’s best-known natural landmark. The ancient monolith is pretty impressive close up and boasts intriguing statistics. Uluru is better known as Ayers Rock; it named by William Gosse in 1873 after Sir Henry Ayers. Uluru is the Aboriginal and official name. The rock was created over some 600 million years, and the Aborigines have been in the area for the last 10,000 years. It originally sat at the bottom of a sea, but today stands 348m above ground. One of the most startling Uluru facts however, is that some 2.5kms of its bulk is underground. Uluru lies west of the Simpson Desert, not far from the ‘Red Centre’ of Australia, about 335kms southwest of Alice Springs (as the crow flies) and 463kms by road. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t the biggest monolith in the world; Mount Augustus in Western Australia holds that title. The rock is about 3.6kms long and 1.9kms wide, with a circumference of 9.4kms. The climb to the top is 1.6kms, much of which is at a steep angle, while the summit is generally flat. The surface is made up of valleys, ridges, caves and weird shapes that were created through erosion over millions of years. Surface oxidation of its iron content gives the would-be grey Uluru a striking orange-red hue. The area around Uluru was settled thousands of years ago, and although it was ‘discovered’ by the white man in the 1800s, Uluru and Aboriginal culture are very much entwined today. In fact, Uluru (Ayers Rock) is sacred to the local Pitjantjatjara tribe that live here. It was said to have come about during the much fabled Dreamtime. Aboriginal culture dictates that Uluru was formed by ancestral beings during Dreamtime. The rock’s many caves and fissures are thought to be evidence of this, and some of the forms around Uluru are said to represent ancestral spirits. Rituals are still often held today in the caves around the base where ‘No Photography’ signs are posted out of respect. Source: http://uluru-australia.com
Unesco World Heritage
Uluru is probably Australia’s best-known natural landmark. The ancient monolith is pretty impressive close up and boasts intriguing statistics. Uluru is better known as Ayers Rock; it named by William Gosse in 1873 after Sir Henry Ayers. Uluru is the Aboriginal and official name. The rock was created over some 600 million years, and the Aborigines have been in the area for the last 10,000 years. It originally sat at the bottom of a sea, but today stands 348m above ground. One of the most startling Uluru facts however, is that some 2.5kms of its bulk is underground. Uluru lies west of the Simpson Desert, not far from the ‘Red Centre’ of Australia, about 335kms southwest of Alice Springs (as the crow flies) and 463kms by road. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t the biggest monolith in the world; Mount Augustus in Western Australia holds that title. The rock is about 3.6kms long and 1.9kms wide, with a circumference of 9.4kms. The climb to the top is 1.6kms, much of which is at a steep angle, while the summit is generally flat. The surface is made up of valleys, ridges, caves and weird shapes that were created through erosion over millions of years. Surface oxidation of its iron content gives the would-be grey Uluru a striking orange-red hue. The area around Uluru was settled thousands of years ago, and although it was ‘discovered’ by the white man in the 1800s, Uluru and Aboriginal culture are very much entwined today. In fact, Uluru (Ayers Rock) is sacred to the local Pitjantjatjara tribe that live here. It was said to have come about during the much fabled Dreamtime. Aboriginal culture dictates that Uluru was formed by ancestral beings during Dreamtime. The rock’s many caves and fissures are thought to be evidence of this, and some of the forms around Uluru are said to represent ancestral spirits. Rituals are still often held today in the caves around the base where ‘No Photography’ signs are posted out of respect. Source: http://uluru-australia.com
The Olgas - Kata Tjuta
Unesco World Heritage
An often understated facet of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park when compared with its famous neighbour, The Olgas (modern title) is a set of impressive domes to the west of Ayers Rock. Believed to originate from a similar time as Ayers Rock, they are often included in tours of the park. The Olgas are made up of 36 formations, although they are thought to have been one huge piece of rock, much like Ayers, that has weathered over millions of years. They lay 35kms west of Ayers Rock along Lasseter Highway and have a slightly different make-up to their better-known neighbour. The highest point is Mount Olga, rising to 546m above ground, some 200m higher than Ayers Rock. It’s about 22kms around the circumference (Ayers Rock is about 10kms), although visitors can also walk right through the grooves for some stunning vistas and fewer crowds. There’s a variety of walks to be enjoyed, stretching from just 600m to over seven kilometres. The Walpa Gorge walk, at 2.6kms, is one of the easiest and most popular. For those that have time however, the Valley of the Winds walk takes in a looped trail and fantastic viewpoints. It’s best to do this early as it takes three hours and gets very hot. Those that haven’t the legs for it should check out the the Kata Tjuta Dune viewpoint instead; it is not far from the car park and boasts fine vistas of The Olgas. Known as Kata Tjuta to the local Aboriginals, ceremonies are often staged here by night. Source: http://uluru-australia.com
Unesco World Heritage
An often understated facet of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park when compared with its famous neighbour, The Olgas (modern title) is a set of impressive domes to the west of Ayers Rock. Believed to originate from a similar time as Ayers Rock, they are often included in tours of the park. The Olgas are made up of 36 formations, although they are thought to have been one huge piece of rock, much like Ayers, that has weathered over millions of years. They lay 35kms west of Ayers Rock along Lasseter Highway and have a slightly different make-up to their better-known neighbour. The highest point is Mount Olga, rising to 546m above ground, some 200m higher than Ayers Rock. It’s about 22kms around the circumference (Ayers Rock is about 10kms), although visitors can also walk right through the grooves for some stunning vistas and fewer crowds. There’s a variety of walks to be enjoyed, stretching from just 600m to over seven kilometres. The Walpa Gorge walk, at 2.6kms, is one of the easiest and most popular. For those that have time however, the Valley of the Winds walk takes in a looped trail and fantastic viewpoints. It’s best to do this early as it takes three hours and gets very hot. Those that haven’t the legs for it should check out the the Kata Tjuta Dune viewpoint instead; it is not far from the car park and boasts fine vistas of The Olgas. Known as Kata Tjuta to the local Aboriginals, ceremonies are often staged here by night. Source: http://uluru-australia.com