Get CeNTred
| Award winning journalist and author, Polly Evans, tells us why the Red Centre of Australia’s Outback Northern Territory is top of her list... I’ve always preferred journeys that take me into a heart of the place rather than just skim the tourist-tame surface. And so when, this year, I travelled for the first time to Australia, I veered away from the standard coastal itineraries. Instead, I hired a car and journeyed inland, into the very heart of the continent to uncover the real outback. The distances were long but, though I’m not a natural born driver, I soon found great pleasure in my hours on the road. The Stuart Highway - named after John McDouall Stuart, the first explorer to travel across the length of Australia - runs from Port Augusta in South Australia all the way to tropical, laid-back Darwin on the north coast. It’s a single-carriageway highway but it’s beautifully wide and smooth; the only real hazards are the kangaroos and other animal life that spring, occasionally, into the road. All around, the expanse of Australia’s outback wilderness stretches seemingly forever. But it’s not all the same. Every now and then the rust-red earth with its spatterings of spiky spinifex grass meets a riverbed where the foliage sprouts sappy green. Once, I passed a vast lake that shimmered silver-blue. There’s wildlife, too: a small flock of emus strutted along the side of the road one day; another, a dingo cavorted before me. I went to Uluru, formerly known as Ayer’s Rock, and took a walk around its base while a guide related cultural tales of the land’s Aboriginal owners. One of the world’s great travel icons, the rock lived up to its magnificent reputation appearing to change in colour from luminescent red at sunrise to an inky purple at dusk. I drove on to Kings Canyon whose three-hour rim walk offers robust visitors spectacular panoramas, while the shorter Creek walk takes a gentler path beneath the massive red sandstone walls. At Glen Helen, I sat at sunset on the banks of the Finke River while yet more tremendous red cliffs towered overhead, and the birds and the insects chirruped their pleasure at their spending the evening in a spot as scenic as this. Alice Springs is known particularly for its galleries specialising in Aboriginal painting. My favourite attraction, though, was its restored Telegraph Station: in the early 1870s, an overland telegraph line was constructed from Adelaide on the south coast to Darwin; it followed almost exactly Stuart’s exploration route (and that of the Stuart Highway today). For the first time, the Australian colonies could transmit messages to London in hours rather than the months that letters had previously taken to arrive by ship. At Alice Springs, I dropped off my car and continued my journey to Darwin on the Ghan - the train that runs the length of Australia. It’s named after the Afghans whose camel trains supplied the remote outposts of central Australia during the early years of colonization. My Gold Service cabin was mine alone, together with perhaps the most cleverly compact ensuite bathroom ever designed. It was a comfortable way to travel, and a wonderful vantage point from which to watch Australia roll by. Shortly before arriving in Darwin, we stopped for three hours in Katherine, where tours included cruises through the famous gorge, nature trips, or canoeing on the Katherine River. I chose the latter. The river was deep jade in colour, and its banks burst with tropical vegetation while pure-white cockatoos squawked and soared overhead. It was a stunning spot, and in the end I gave up paddling, preferring just to lie back in my canoe and gaze. I’d travelled many miles from the red dust of the centre to the lush landscapes of the north – and had seen spectacular sights. It had been the right decision to leave the beaches and reefs to others, and to strike out instead for Australia’s Red Centre. |      |
Discover the Red Centre for yourself...
The Red Centre is an ideal location for wildlife lovers, photographers, art enthusiasts, walkers and adventure seekers. We’ve picked out some of our favourite holidays taking in the likes of Alice Springs, Australia’s premier outback town, through to natural wonders like Uluru and King’s Canyon. Begin early morning on the 4 day West MacDonnell Ranges tour, to take advantage of a full day viewing of rock paintings and the Finke River. Stop at stunning gorges and refreshing watering holes whilst keeping an eye out for wallabies and other local wildlife. End a packed day by sleeping under the star splashed infinity of a central Australian night sky. The sky here is an ever changing background of vivid color. You can enjoy spectacular views from dawn till dusk before being blessed with the diamond studded canopy of the night sky once more.
Other highlights include the Larapinta Trail, the Hermannsberg settlement and the Watarrka National Park, home to the colossus of Kings Canyon, with walls of over 300 metres, Heartbreak (or Heart Attack) Hill and the oasis of the Garden of Eden. This permanent watering hole is surrounded by plant life and lush greenery, with fascinating and unique flora - some species are so well adapted to the arid conditions they can survive a fire! Look out for the famous Thorny Devils too. This is a paradise for wildlife lovers and photographers alike.
Uluru itself has such legendary recognition that it is famous in almost biblical terms. Kata Tjuta, also known as The Olgas, make up the UNESCO Picasso Gold Medal Site that is Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The Park is also recognised under the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program where it is ranked as one of the most significant arid land ecosystems in the world. This 3 day Uluru tour is the perfect trip to discover the magic of Uluru. You’ll see the sun rise over the magnificent red rock as well as visiting the wonders of Kata Tjuta, the 36 domes and the Kings Canyon. Once back at Alice Springs why not get the adrenaline pumping with one of the many adventure activities on offer - try your hand at quad biking, hot air ballooning or a go on marginally more relaxing camel ride.
The outback town of Alice Springs can trace its roots back a long way - the Arrernte Aboriginal people have made their home in and around the area for more than 50,000 years. Also home to historic buildings like the Overland Telegraph Station, you can expect all the modern amenities and entertainment of a city. You can also catch some spectacular sunsets! This Australian outback tour gives you a real flavour of the history of the outback. Starting at the one time ancient ground known as Mparntwe you’ll travel via Stuart, a settlement which also gained its name from the explorer John McDouall Stuart. Ending in Alice Springs you’ll also meet the indigenous locals through culture awareness sessions and arts and crafts classes, as well as visiting their communities and sacred lands.
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