Alice Springs
Travel Guide > Oceania > Australia > Northern Territory > Alice Springs
Introduction
Alice Springs is the second largest city in the Northern Territory, Australia, after Darwin. It is located deep in the heart of the Australian Outback, close to the geographic centre of the country.
The most famous attraction near Alice Springs is Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock), an iconic, instantly-recognizable rock formation in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Another nearby attraction is Watarrka National Park, best known for the impressive King's Canyon.
Sights and Activities
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is best known for Uluru, the sandstone rock formation that is Australia's best-known natural attraction. This World Heritage listed park, situated just north of the border between the Northern Territory and South Australia, also boasts the Olgas, another unique rock formation.
Events and Festivals
- Bass In The Dust - A music festival to be held on September 22, 2008.
- Camel Cup - Ever seen a camel run? At this festival, you can see a whole bunch of them racing each other. July 12, 2008.
Getting There
By Plane
Alice Springs Airport (ASP) serves Qantas flights to other major domestic airports, including Melbourne, Sydney, Cairns, Perth and Darwin. Alliance Airlines also operates a service to and from Brisbane, while budget airline Tiger Airways Australia has just recently begun operating a Melbourne-Alice Springs flight.
By Train
The Ghan is an overland train from Adelaide to Darwin that stops in Alice Springs. It's not cheap, but it is spectacular as it passes through the Outback.
By Car
Alice Spring is located along the Stuart Highway, which runs from Darwin to Adelaide, where it turns into the Princes Highway and continues on to Melbourne. Driving to Alice Spring from either Darwin or Adelaide is a very long trip through the Outback (about 17 and a half hours), so make sure you carry enough water and stop for fuel whenever you see a petrol station.
By Bus
Eat
Drink
This is version 5. Last edited at 6:04 on May 15, 08 by GeoBot (+59). 4 articles link to this page.
Except where otherwise noted, content of this article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License