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An adventure guide to Central Australia, Northern Territory Australia including Alice Springs and Uluru (Ayes Rock)

Back to the Northern Territory

Visit Central Australia, Alice Springs & Uluru

If you travel to the Central Australian region of the Northern Territory, you are travelling to the heart of Australia. Not only does this region contains some fo the most cultraully signification icons of Aboriginal and Australian culture, it also represents the true outback experience.

Nature takes the grand stage in Central Australia. Rock monoliths, grand canyons, escarpments and gorges, rivers and waterholes, desserts and red dust are all there for you to view. Wildlife is plentiful with wallabies, dingoes, emus, tiny geckos and huge eagles help make up the local population.

Aboriginal presence here is strong. Their cultural and spiritual connection to this region echoes in every rock and landmark. You'll have numerous opportunities to learn about and understand Aboriginal culture when you visit Central Australia.

For local Aboriginal people, Central Australia is a living testament to a time when their ancestral beings travelled through the area and created the various peaks, hills and creeks of Central Australia. To experience some of the spirituality and essence of the Aboriginal people of Central Australia we recommend learning about the significance of Uluru on an Aboriginal-guided tour through Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Visiting Emily Gap, N'Dhala Gorge and the Ewaninga Rock Carvings Conservation Reserve to view Aboriginal rock paintings and carvings. Watching an Outback sunset over Uluru or the West MacDonnell Ranges. Visiting the Hermannsburg Historic Precinct to learn of the hardships of the missionaries who established one of the early towns in Central Australia and to see the home of renowned Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira.

Central Australian may be a desert but it certainly isn't barren. The vegetation of this dry country is renowned for its beauty and abundance. Ghost gums are fed by the many underground river systems, easily identifying where the hidden waters of the region lie. Other trees that decorate the landscapes include desert oaks and mulga trees. You'll find palms and cycads that have survived the millions of years since Central Australia was a tropical forest.

Don't be fooled, Central Australia may be an arid environment but over thousands of years, permanent, deep waterholes have formed in the region's ranges, providing perfects spots to cool off.

For example you can swim at Ellery Creek Big Hole in the West MacDonnell Ranges. Cool off in the waterhole in the Garden of Eden in Kings Canyon or Navigate on an inner tube or raft through the narrow chasm of Redbank Gorge in the West MacDonnell Ranges.

But its not all nature and there are plenty of adventure activities to test you in Cental Australia. By air in a hot-air balloon, off the road in a 4x4 vehicle or on the back of a Harley – adventure in Central Australia can be relaxing or challenging.

Those wanting to venture into the Outback with just supplies, a backpack and plenty of water can trek one of the region's many bushwalking trails.

(Please observe common sense when entering the outback. It is beautiful, but it can also be a dangerous environment. Do your research, take plenty of provisions, get advice and most importantly – tell someone where you are going and when you are due back. Our best advice, go with an experienced guide).

Central Australia is adventure. Some other activities include cresting a Simpson Desert sand dune in a 4x4 vehicle. Cruising on the back of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle around Uluru or through the East MacDonnell Ranges. Trekking along the backbone of the West MacDonnell Ranges on the Larapinta Trail. Taking a ride through the Outback on the back of a camel. Witnessing the sunrise from a hot-air above Alice Springs. Climbing Kings Canyon for breath-taking views of the surrounding landscapes.

IMPORTANT: To visit some Aboriginal areas, a Visitors Permit is required. Severe penalties apply for moving throughout the region without a permit and visitors are asked to respect the wishes of the Traditional Owners in this regard.

All images are © Northern Territory Tourist Commission. For more information on Central Australia also visit www.centralaustraliantourism.com.

Disclaimer: The information contained about this region is provided as a guide only. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information, Break Loose Publishing disclaim any liability or responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained herein. For our complete Disclaimer please follow the link at the foot of the page.