The Red Centre
Alice Springs is located in what is almost the geographical centre of the continent. A pleasant little town, set in red desert country, it is a popular tourist resort and a base for exploring the wonders of the Outback. There are many excellent hotels and motels, a casino, a variety of restaurants and varied sporting facilities ranging from golf and tennis to hot-air ballooning and tandem parachuting.
The Royal Flying Doctor Base is open daily to the public (excluding public holidays) and the School of the Air is operational during the school term. There are also museums and preserved buildings which help the visitor to appreciate the history of this remote town. Not least among these are the Dreamtime Gallery and the Aboriginal Arts & Culture Centre. The Telegraph Station Historical Reserve, 3km (2 miles) north of the town, is an historical reserve featuring original buildings, restored equipment and an illustrated display including early photographs, papers and documents. Anzac Hill War Memorial lies just behind Alice Springs and provides a panoramic view of the town and surrounding ranges.
The region around Alice Springs is pitted with colourful gorges, canyons, valley pools and awe-inspiring chasms. These include Standley Chasm, 57km (35 miles) west of Alice, Glen Helen Gorge, 140km (9 miles) west, Ormiston Gorge, 130km (80 miles) west, Kings Canyon, 330km (205 miles) southwest and N’Dhala Gorge, 96km (59 miles) east, which is also notable for its ancient rock engravings. Palm Valley lies around one-and-a-half-hours’ drive to the southwest and Rainbow Valley to the southeast on the edge of the Simpson Desert.
Château Hornsby, the Northern Territory’s only vineyard, is situated approximately 10km (6 miles) from the town centre and is a venue for tastings, barbecues, and Aboriginal corroborees.
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