Surprise! I opted to sneak in a ninth city on this two-week series about Australian cities. Alice Springs, Australia is not a city – by any standard. It is, however, one of the few inland Australia towns. Known mainly for the Aboriginal history, there is also quite a bit of settler history. It also has an airport, which most people utilise to access Uluru, or Ayers Rock, the sacred Aboriginal site.
Alice Springs, Australia
Often just called Alice, Alice Springs is quite literally the heart of Australia. It is a popular destination for those in search of the Red Centre, settler heritage, and Aboriginal culture.
Alice Springs, Australia became a city as part of the Overland Telegraph line, which ran from Darwin (Northern Territory) to Adelaide (South Australia). Alice Springs lies 1,500km from each city. However, real settlement of the town didn’t begin until nearly a decade later, when gold was discovered east of Alice Springs.
The town grew sporadically over the next century. In World War II, when Darwin was effectively cut off from the rest of Australia by sea, scores of people evacuated to Alice. It was also a large Army base during the war.
While people have long undertaken the long route from Adelaide to Alice Springs, it wasn’t until 2004 that the train service, the Ghan Express, officially went from Adelaide to Darwin. This 4 day trip allows for stopovers in both Alice Springs and Katherine. It runs weekly.
Did you know? The name, the Ghan Express, comes supposedly from the Afghan cameleers that ran supply trains in Australia. Visitors can spot hordes of camels in both Northern Territory and Western Australia, despite the original intent of abandoning the animals. Apparently, they reproduce. Who knew?
Uluru
Many people list Uluru/Ayers Rock as a well known natural landmark alongside the Great Ocean Road, the Blue Mountains, and the Great Barrier Reef. This simple red rock formation 450km from Alice Springs, Australia is a 1,142ft tall sandstone monolith in the middle of the desert. Along with Kata Tjuta/Mount Olga, it makes up Uluru-Kata National Park.
Uluru/Ayers Rock is sacred to the local Aboriginal people, the Pitjantjatjara Anangu. Besides being part of their Dreamtime stories, the rock plays host to various sacred rituals. There are petroglyphs and other carvings on the rock’s exterior. There are also waterfalls and sacred pools in the area.
Tourism walks a fine line at Uluru and the balance of tourism and traditional respect can be tricky. For that reason, I am going to refer you to the Parks Australia site for more information about visiting Uluru. I personally think that as global travellers, we shouldn’t impose OUR beliefs and rituals on another culture.
Getting to Alice Springs and Uluru
Alice Springs, Australia is connected to (almost all of) the rest of the Australian cities by air. National carrier Qantas flies from Sydney, Melbourne, Darwin, Perth, and Adelaide. Charter flights are also available into either Alice Springs or Ayers Rock airports, and private car hires are available to transport you into town.
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