Destination Alice Springs

Access

Alice Springs is located in the Northern Territory almost precisely in the geographical centre of Australia with the Tropic of Capricorn passing through just 30km north of Alice. It is a thriving, modern community of 28,000 Territorians located within 3 hours flying time from every mainland Australian capital with daily direct flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin, Cairns and Ayers Rock making it the ideal meeting place.

Climate

Central Australia is a semi-arid environment and experiences Australia’s typical four seasons; summer, autumn, winter and spring. In May it will be just changing to Winter so you should expect cool, sunny days with cold nights. During the day expect 18 – 23°C and at night 5 – 8°C.

Clothing

Please ensure you bring:

Time Zone

The time zone in the Northern Territory is Australian Central Standard Time (commonly referred to as CST). CST is 30 minutes behind Australian Eastern Standard Time, (AEST). During Daylight Savings Period CST is 1 hour and 30 minutes behind AEST.

History

The original Alice Springs is a waterhole located 3km north of the present city and named after Alice Todd - wife of the Superintendent of Post and Telegraph, Sir Charles Todd. Located at the historic Telegraph Station, it is now a beautifully restored memorial dedicated to the pioneering spirit of the men who built the overland telegraph line from Adelaide to Darwin.

Since their arrival, Alice Springs has evolved into a modern Outback town, with all the creature comforts of a capital city. Alice Springs has everything you require, with international standard accommodation at all levels. There are plenty of shops, from air-conditioned plazas to unique boutiques. Restaurants vary from fast food chains to five-star dining.

This area is part of the territory of the Arrernte people and is known by the local names of Arrende, Yeperenye, or Mparntwe - and is connected with the caterpillar dreaming. The aboriginal presence in Alice Springs is strong and their 40 000 year old culture and spiritual connection to this region echoes in every rock and landmark. They preserve the timeless art, songs and rituals that connect humankind with Australia's legendary creation and pre history - The Dreamtime.

The legendry Ghan train travels through Alice Springs on its Adelaide – Darwin run and is one of the most iconic train journeys of the world.

The Stuart Highway travels through Alice Springs – it stretches 2834 kms from Adelaide to Darwin, and is commonly referred to as “The Track”