ROAD TRIPS

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Freshwater swimming holes, impressive gorges and phenomenal rock formations are all part of the unique and ancient landscape of the outback’s Red Centre. Watch the sunrise over Alice Springs’ ranges from the air, explore the lush surrounds of Kings Canyon by foot, and marvel at Uluru on a camel ride.

STAGE 1: GET TO KNOW ALICE SPRINGS

The 1,135-kilometre Red Centre Way road trip is one of the Northern Territory’s most iconic journeys, beginning in Alice Springs, then making its way to Tjoritja/West MacDonnell Ranges, Watarrka/Kings Canyon, and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Start your seven-day trip along the Red Centre Way on a high note, viewing Alice’s picture-perfect ranges at sunrise on an Outback Ballooning hot air balloon flight. Experience the breathtaking feeling of floating silently above the outback as the sun slowly rises over the desert on this awe-inspiring ballooning adventure.

Journey to the launch site in the cool pre dawn darkness and begin the ascent just as the morning light begins to illuminate the rugged MacDonnell Ranges. Float gently across the vast expanse of the Central Australian outback – keeping an eye out for native wildlife including the iconic red kangaroo and gain an appreciation of the remoteness of the area as the balloon glides across the landscape.

After landing, you may have the opportunity to assist the crew as they pack the nylon balloon away or you can take some photographs of the process, the choice is yours. At the ballooning land site, there is time to enjoy the desert tranquility as light refreshments accompanied by Australian sparkling wine and fruit juice are served.

Exclusive to Avida Members, enjoy 10% OFF your booking!

How to take up offer:

Book online at www.outbackballooning.com.au/book-a-flight/ OR phone (08) 8952 8723 using code AVIDAMC to receive 10% discount* on adult & child prices only.

* Discount does not apply to family & senior pricing or the mandatory insurance charge of $30 per person that is included in the advertised price. One discount applies per booking. * This offer is valid until 31st March 2022

Spend your afternoon admiring desert wildlife at Alice Springs Desert Park. The parks deserts are rich with life with thousands of stories to be explored. Experience the spirit of a living culture; explore a vibrant botanic wonderland and get up close with outback animals and characters that epitomise the fun and adventurous spirit of the red centre.

Immerse yourself in the beauty and mystery of Australia’s deserts as you wander through the ancient landscapes from dry river beds to dense woodlands full of life. Experience the night during the day in the Nocturnal House and see animals once found in abundance across the desert. Discover the diversity of desert plants. Be inspired by ancient living cultures and feel the spirit with local Aboriginal guides and try your hand at traditional methods. Marvel at the energy and adrenaline of free flying birds as they saw through crystal blue skies.

Exclusive to Avida Members receive a FREE bird photo opportunity with every admission ticket to Alice Springs Desert Park! Alice Springs Desert Park, where the desert comes alive! Simply print out the voucher on the next page and present to the park upon entry. Presenting your Avida ID at entry is also acceptable to redeem this offer.

This offer is valid until 31st March 2022. * Product subject to availability & conditions apply * Admission ticket is one e.g. a family pass or adult ticket

Exclusive to Avida Members receive a FREE bird photo opportunity with every admission ticket to Alice Springs Desert Park, where the desert comes alive! Simply print out the voucher below and present to the park upon entry. Presenting your Avida ID at entry is also acceptable to redeem this offer. This offer is valid until 31st March 2022.

STAGE 2: ALICE SPRINGS TO GLEN HELEN

TRAVEL TIME APPROX: 1 Hour 26 Mins | 133KM

Before heading deeper into the desert, indulge in a hearty breakfast at one of Alice’s best casual eateries, Page 27. It’s a delightful, bustling café much loved by the town’s creative crowd. Afterwards, gaze upon bright, bold and modern Aboriginal art at Papunya Tula Artists and Mbantua Gallery, both in the car-free Todd Mall precinct, before getting into your hire car (you’ll need a 4WD for a later section of this trip).

For a little adult time, check out the cellar door at the Illegal Tender Rum Co, or treat the kids / grand kids to a movie at Dongara’s historic drive-in.

Venture 90 kilometres out of town to the local swimming spot, Ellery Creek Big Hole, where you’ll be greeted with an expanse of ochre soil and soft green eucalypts. This natural pool cuts through a gorge in the West MacDonnell Ranges (or the West Macs, as they’re locally known).

Drive a further 60 kilometres and take the short, scenic walk to Standley Chasm, where you can watch the formation’s steep walls blaze red in the afternoon sun.

STAGE 3: GLEN HELEN TO KINGS CANYON

Begin your day relaxing at nearby Ormiston Gorge, a tranquil spot known for its ghost gum trees and waterhole carpeted in white sand. The gorge site has stunning bushwalks – notably the five-hour Ormiston Pound Walk. For a shorter option, follow the 20-minute Ghost Gum Lookout trail, which offers stunning views over the gorge. Stock up with lunch or car snacks from the gorge’s kiosk and return to your car, which you’ll need to engage in 4WD mode from here.

The winding Mereenie Loop on the Red Centre Way, which runs from the West Macs to Kings Canyon, will be the slowest (and most exciting) stretch of road you’ll travel. It’s only 225 kilometres long, but the drive takes about 4.5 hours.

If you take the Mereenie Loop, stop to gaze at Tnorala (Gosse Bluff), a 20-kilometre wide comet crater thought to date back 140 million years. This area holds special significance to the Western Arrernte Aboriginal people, who believe the crater formed when women dancing across the Milky Way dropped a baby who fell to the earth.

Once you reach Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park, pitch a tent or bed down in a hotel room at Kings Canyon Resort, the closest accommodation.

STAGE 4: WALKING KINGS CANYON AND WATARRKA

Rise early to embark on the Kings Canyon Rim Walk, a 6.4-kilometre trail with aweinspiring views of the sheer sandstone cliffs, palm-filled crevices, valley floor and desert. The walk begins with a steep ascent, then follows the canyon’s cliff face before descending to the Garden of Eden waterhole and the weathered rock domes of the Lost City. For those looking for a more relaxed option, the 2.6-kilometre Kings Creek Walk provides equally breathtaking views.

After lunch, explore one of the lesser-known Watarrka National Park walks, the 2.4-kilometre Kathleen Springs track. Look out for fairy wrens chirping between branches on either side of the sealed path that leads you from the start of the trail to a waterhole framed by tall grass.

STAGE 5: KINGS CANYON TO ULURU-KATA TJUTA NATIONAL PARK

TRAVEL TIME APPROX: 3 Hours 25 Mins | 321KM

Return to the Red Centre Way and spend the morning driving 321 kilometres south to Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. Check in to Ayers Rock Resort, which offers everything from campsites and serviced apartments to luxury accommodation at Sails in the Desert and Longitude 131.

STAGE 6: EXPLORING ULURU

Watch the rising sun light up Uluru on a dawn camel trek with Uluru Camel Tours. Then contemplate the rock over a breakfast of authentically brewed bush tea, otherwise known as billy tea, and freshly baked beer bread (you guessed it, that’s bread flavoured with beer).

Next, get close to Uluru by strolling the 10.6-kilometre base walk around the rock’s circumference. Nothing compares to witnessing this glowing monolith up close. At almost 350 metres (1,150 feet) high, the rock is taller than France’s Eiffel Tower. Start on the Mala trail, alongside a lodge guide. The one-kilometre walk delves into the rock’s Aboriginal creation stories, focusing on a totem animal important to the hearts of the local people: the tiny mala kangaroo (which you first met in the Desert Park at Alice Springs). The guided walk also explores Uluru’s geological features and finishes at Mutitjulu Gorge, a peaceful waterhole.

Complete your day at Uluru by watching the sunset from one of the two designated viewing areas. At this time of the afternoon, a different range of colours will intensify and then fade with the falling sun. By now, you’ll be feeling well and truly seduced by the incredible atmosphere of this vast desert park.

STAGE 7: ULURU-KATA TJUTA NATIONAL PARK TO ALICE SPRINGS

TRAVEL TIME APPROX: 4 Hours 54 Mins | 465KM

Treat yourself to the best coffee in Yulara at Kulata Academy Café, staffed by Aboriginal hospitality trainees.

Next, begin the journey back to Alice Springs, making your first stop at the Mount Conner lookout, which offers sweeping salt lake views. From a distance, this horseshoe-shaped mountain looks quite like its famous red rock neighbour, hence its nickname “Fooluru”; it’s been known to dupe many visitors.

Once back on the road, keep an eye out for native emus, the second tallest bird species in the world. When you’re just 100 kilometres from Alice Springs, pull in at the Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve. Twelve craters formed at this site when a meteor hit the Earth’s surface 4,700 years ago. Then, detour off the highway just before you reach Alice to see the scenic sandstone bluffs and cliffs of the Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve, which forms part of the mountainous James Range. The valley’s multi-coloured bands often sparkle in the late afternoon sun – a salute to the end of your voyage.

This article was written by Tourism Australia in partnership with Tourism Northern Territory. For more information about road trips in the Northern Territory, go to northernterritory.com.