Alice Springs.

Alice Springs, in Central Australia between the East and West MacDonnell Ranges, is probably Australia's most famous outback town.

Named, not after a young girl springing around like a baby lamb, but rather after Alice Todd, the wife of Charles Todd.

In 1865, the two of them came to Australia to set up the first telegraph line in what was then, and still is today, a very large and mostly unpopulated area.

During an expedition in the area, they came across a river with a waterhole in it.

They named this waterhole “Alice Springs” and this is the site where a telegraph repeater station was founded.

Some years later, the station moved to a neighbouring town that got, and still bears, the name Alice Springs.

Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory and is popularly known in Australia as "the Alice" or simply "Alice".

It has a population of about 26500, is 576 metres above sea level, is almost equidistant from Adelaide and Darwin and is close to the geographic centre of Australia.

The site is known as Mparntwe to its traditional inhabitants, the Arrernte, who have lived in the Central Australian desert in and around what is now Alice Springs for more than 50,000 years.

Alice Springs today is a thriving Australian outback town, as famous for the personality of its locals as the natural wonders that surround it.

The heritage and history of Alice Springs is populated with a rich cast of characters.

In the late 1800's and early 1900s only the most intrepid pioneers braved its rugged environment, from Afghan cameleers to flying doctors and today it is possible to pay homage to their legacy at various historic sites around the town.

The Alice has many historic buildings, such as the Overland Telegraph Station, the Old Courthouse and Residency and the Hartley Street School.

Today the town is an important tourist hub and service centre for the surrounding area; it is a well-appointed town for its size with several large hotels, a world class convention centre and a good range of visitor attractions, restaurants and other services.

A great base from which to explore its surrounding natural wonders, the town itself defies most travellers' expectations combining a strong sense of its outback history with all the convenience of modern facilities.

Most of all, it is the uncomplicated yet vibrant personality of Alice that leaves a lasting impression on our visitors.

The East and West MacDonnell Ranges sit either side of the town and their spectacular gorges and chasms invite the intrepid to experience a range of wonderful adventures.

Beyond the Ranges stretch the Simpson and Tanami deserts, where Aboriginal people have lived for thousands of years.

In their art and Dreamtime stories they explain some of the mysteries of the desert and give meaning to its incredible beauty.

Contemporary Aboriginal art is a thriving industry yet the form is one of the oldest living art traditions in the world.

Art has traditionally been used to pass creation stories down through the generations and to communicate important information about the landscape, and the art centres in and around the town are becoming increasingly productive and attracting a growing number of travellers.

Because of its central location and its nearby red coloured rock formations and the red sand desert area, the area around The Alice is also called the Red Centre.

It is a great place to stay for a night or three and it has, despite its flock of tourists, been able to maintain its authentic character.

The town itself has some interesting sights to explore, such as the telegraph station, the botanical garden and the Spencer and Gillen museum.

It is also a good place from which to explore the outback with its camel farms, the famous Ayers Rock (respectfully called Uluru, its original Aboriginal name) and several nature parks.

The modern town of Alice Springs, which straddles the usually dry Todd River on the northern side of MacDonnell Ranges, has both western and Aboriginal influences and the town’s focal point, the Todd Mall, hosts a number of Aboriginal art galleries and community events.

The desert lifestyle has inspired several unique and interesting events such as the Camel Cup, the Henley-on-Todd Regatta and the Beanie Festival.

(You have to experience these uniquely Australian events to appreciate them even in the smallest way;-).

In The Alice temperatures can vary by up to 28°C between maximum and minimum and rainfall can vary quite dramatically from year to year.

In summer, the average maximum temperature is in the high 30s centigrade, where as in winter the average minimum temperature can be a decidedly chilly 7.5 degrees.

The annual average rainfall is 286 mm, but in 2001 741 mm fell and in 2002 it was only 198 mm.

It certainly is a land of contrasts.

The Alice Springs Desert Park was created to educate visitors on the many facets of the surrounding desert environment.

The arid climate botanic gardens, Olive Pink Botanic Gardens are a short distance from the town centre.

They were named after naturalist and artist Olive Pink, who lived in the town for almost 30 years and died in 1975.

She was well known locally and referred to by all as Miss Pink and she was a great Australian character who added history and colour to the local community.

The MacDonnell Ranges which run east and west of the town contain a number of hiking trails and swimming holes such as Ormiston Gorge, Ormiston Gorge Creek, Red Bank Gorge and Glen Helen Gorge.

The 223 km long Larapinta Trail follows the West MacDonnell Ranges and is considered among the world’s great walking experiences.

The Simpson Desert to the southeast is one of Australia’s great wilderness areas containing giant red sand dunes and interesting rock formations such as Chambers Pillar and Rainbow Valley.

Located on the Central Australian Railway, Alice Springs is accessible by train and the railway station is visited by The Ghan, operated by Great Southern Railway, on its journey between Adelaide and Darwin.

The train arrives twice weekly in each direction and the ride on this iconic locomotive is well worth the investment.

Until the railway was extended to Darwin in 2004, Alice Springs was the terminus of the line.

Following the completion of the Central Australian Railway, the station continued to be the terminus of some trains.

Today all trains extend to Darwin, but Alice Springs remains a major stopping point along the route.

There are also daily flights to and from Alice Springs Airport to Adelaide, Ayers Rock (Uluru), Cairns, Darwin, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.

Come to the red centre, explore, be surprised, but most of all...........enjoy.

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