Alice Springs, Red Centre, Australia

Why you should go

Alice, as it is better known, is not only an artistic hub, it is full of interesting places and Aboriginal heritage sites. Put simply, this sleepy place is unique.

Background
Located almost in the centre of Australia, snugly tucked between the East and West MacDonnell Ranges, Alice is remote. It may be the third largest town in the Northern Territory but as there are fewer than 30,000 inhabitants, it has the feel of a small village.

The personality of the people
Spirited and unconventional, the population of Alice make this town rather special. Many along the way have added their contribution to the town’s story. Evident is the strong cultural tie with the Arrernte people.

Best view
From the top of Anzac Hill, on which there is a memorial dedicated to those who have lost their lives fighting for their country, you can see great vistas of the town and the MacDonnells that surround it.

Todd Mall

Mix with the people
Todd Mall is the town’s main drag. As you would expect, there are some great cafés, restaurants and bars here where you can strike up conversations with the locals. Do not forget to visit some of the art galleries selling interesting Aboriginal art, that line the street. There are also plenty of quirky boutiques for you to mooch around. The Visitor Information Centre can be found here as well.

The Todd River

Heritage buildings
On Parson Street you will see some lovely buildings including The Residency, the former home of the Government Resident of Central Australia, built in 1928 and the the Old Stuart Town Gaol from the early 1900s.

Culture injection

The Royal Flying Doctor Service Alice Springs Tourist Facility (rfdsalicesprings.com.au) runs tours every half an hour from 9am until 4pm so you can learn more about how the service works. On the nearby Stuart Terrace, is the former women’s prison which is now home to the Pioneer Women’s Hall of Fame (pioneerwomen.com.au)

The Telegraph Station (alicespringstelegraphstation.com.au) the birthplace of the Alice Springs township, is a must on most tourists’ itinerary. Set up in 1871, messages were relayed between Darwin and Adelaide. They also linked with an underwater cable network to London, which enabled the first communication between Australia and England.

Araluen Arts Centre (araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au) renowned for its Aboriginal art is the hub of the Araluen Cultural Precinct where you will you find museums, a theatre and Arrernte sacred sites.  

Go for a walk
The Olive Pink Botanic Garden is probably quite unlike a garden you have been to before. Founded in 1956 by Olive Muriel Pink, it showcases plants from Australia's centre.

Check out the Todd River which is dry the majority of the year.

Parrtjima2018

Best festival
Parrtjima (parrtjimaaustralia.com.au) a free 10-night festival, is a special experience. The dates differ every year. This year, 2019, it is being held from April 5 to April 14. This authentic Aboriginal light extravaganza has some amazing light installations from Aboriginal Artists. Set against the MacDonnell Ranges this is the stuff that make memories. As you listen to music or hear a talk you are mingling with the local community.

The festival takes place at the Desert Park a place that has strong links to the local Arrernte people.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there
I went by coach from Uluru. You get to see spectacular scenery as you pass through the outback including seeing Atila (Mt Conner) which tourists often mistake for Ulluru. For more info visit aatkings.com

Stay at
Crowne Plaza Alice Springs Lasseters. A short walk from Alice Springs CBD, this is regarded as the best hotel in town. For more info visit ihg.com/crowneplaza

Uluru, (Ayers Rock), Red Centre Australia

Why you should go

Uluru is not just a rock in the middle of nowhere, it is magical – especially when seen at sunrise and sunset.

Uluru – brief history
Sacred to the Anangu, the indigenous people who have inhabited the area for about 30,000 years, this huge red rock was formed over 6oo million years ago. It is said to be the place occupied by the spirits of their ancestors. 

In 1873, an English explorer William Gosse discovered the rock. It was named after Australian politician, Sir Henry Ayers. Today the official title is Uluru Ayers Rock.

Uluru at sunrise

How did it form?
The rock monolith dates back millions of years, to the time that the Australian continent was formed. In a nutshell, over thousands of years of mountain building and erosion, Uluru and its neighbour Kata Tjuta are the remains of hard mountain rock after the softer areas eroded.

Size matters
The rock is approximately 3.6km (2.2 miles) long and 348m (1,142 feet) tall. Two-thirds of the rock is believed to be underground.

Kata Tjuta 

Seen at sunset and sunrise
As the sun begins to set, the colour of the rock starts to change from brown to a deep red to a glowing burning orange before turning dark. It is truly a magnificent experience. The reverse happens in the morning.

The terrain is the draw of the Red Centre 
Uluru is a Unesco World Heritage Site. Coupled with the Kata Tjuta (formerly called The Olgas), they are the highlights of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Kata Tjuta, which roughly translates as many heads, is a collection of dome-shaped rock formations said to be over 600 million years old. Take a guided walk to experience this awesome sacred site close up. You can see rock art as well learning about the stories of the area. 

The Red Centre at sunset

Immerse yourself in Aboriginal culture
Most people who come to the Red Centre stay at the Ayers Rock Resort. Here you can discover more about the traditions of the Anangu tribe. You can also catch a dance show here. The Red Centre is a good place to buy Aboriginal art or handicrafts. Catch a didjeridoo performance or learn about the stars.

Living in the desesrt

Discover the plants and animals that live in the desert
Despite this being harsh environment you will be surprised to see flowers and plants here as well as hear birds singing. You may also spot a red kangaroo or camel. Just be careful where you walk as you might bump into a snake.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there
Fly with Jetstar from Melbourne. For best fares visit jetstar.com

Stay

Ayers Rock Resort provides a variety of accommodation options from 5star to camping. For more information visit ayersrockresort.com.au

Day trips from Melbourne – Yara Valley Wine Experience

A great way to sample some of Australia’s wine and see some beautiful countryside outside Melbourne. The Yara Valley, sheltered by the Dandenong Ranges, is carpeted in vineyards so there are plenty of wineries to choose from.

En route, our guide gave us some great pointers about wine. By the time we reached the first winery we were almost ready to taste it like a professional.

Here are some of the wineries that we visited.

Soumah of Yara Valley

This region has a cool climate so wines produced here are similar to many found in Italy and France. Here wines with a Northern-Italian flavour are the speciality. There is also a focus on numbers that are similar to those from Eastern France such as pinot noir. Impressive.

Tokar Estate
The ethos here is from vine to glass so you expect some great wines to taste and you are not disappointed. Great for red fans, pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon are stars here. The scenery is also rather beautiful, a great setting for lunch.

Domaine Chandon
This is Moët & Chandon’s Australian home. (The T is pronounced.) Our guide pointed out this to us on our drive here. He said that he had been pronouncing it wrong for years so he did not want other people to make his mistake.

See how sparkling wine is made and then enjoy a glass in the beautiful gardens. I went for the Chandon Cygnet Pinot Meunier Rosé 2014. It is unique to have a sparkler that is made solely from this grape. Think redcurrants laced with pink grapefruit with a tinge of ginger creaminess. It is crisp and fresh, perfect for a summer’s day.

Yering Farm
This boutique winery gives you the opportunity to savour traditionally-made wines. Chardonnay is good here as are reds. My favourites included merlot and cabernet sauvignon.

By Daralyn Danns

Getting there

There are many tours going to the Yara Valley. I went on the Yarra Valley Wine Experience Aus Wine Tour. Wineries visited are subject to change. For further information visit austwinetourco.com.au