5 amazing attractions to experience in Alice Springs
When Australia’s most famous site is your next door neighbour, it’s easy to be overlooked. But Alice Springs is a worthy destination in its own right. Here are the top things to do.
1. Breakfast at Olive Pink Botanic Garden
On the edge of the Todd River, legendary anthropologist and Aboriginal rights campaigner Olive Pink worked for more than 20 years to establish the 40-acre botanic garden that bears her name. It’s home to more than 600 native species of plants, hundreds of birds, butterflies and the occasional kangaroo. It’s also the prettiest spot in town for breakfast at the Bean Tree Café.
2. See local art at a gallery
It’s easy to paint all indigenous art with the same brush (so to speak), but a visit to any of the galleries around Alice is a lesson in the diversity of work produced in the region. Leaping Lizards Gallery is small but easily one of the best, displaying works from Tennant Creek artist Dion Beasley, famous for his Cheeky Dog series, clever line drawings that capture the spirit of the ubiquitous camp dogs living in every remote community in the state. Or try Muk Muk Fine Art and Papunya Tule Artists.
3. Meet wallabies at Heavitree Gap
Every night at dusk, a colony of black-footed rock wallabies makes their way down to Heavitree Gap on the edge of Alice Springs. At less than half a metre tall, they are one of the smallest wallaby species and are exceedingly cute as they hop carefully down the rocky slope. There’s no charge to view them though the adjacent resort sells special food that the animals eagerly accept.
4. Take a morning tour of Alice Springs Desert Park
The Alice Springs Desert Park is a 10-minute drive from town at the base of the MacDonnell Ranges and has three recreated desert environments to walk through. The park dispels the myth that the desert is empty with over 400 plant species and 200 animal species native to Central Australia. You could easily spend the whole day here, visiting bilbies in the Nocturnal House, being swooped by wedge tailed eagles and learning indigenous traditions of desert survival. Get an early start in summer to avoid the searing heat of the day when temperatures regularly climb to over 40 degrees.
5. Check out the RFDS museum
The Royal Flying Doctors Service (RFDS) has been operating out of Alice Springs since 1939 and the base still serves around 1.25 million square kilometres across the territory and surrounding states. It also does the best coffee in town. The RFDS Café is in the original heritage building and you can eat on the shady verandah or grab a seat in the garden. The on-site museum is worth a look to learn about the history of the RFDS in the region and there’s also a small shop and gallery attached. All profits from the tours and café go back into the RFDS for medical supplies and aircraft.
Have you tried any of these amazing activities in Alice Springs, and if so how did you find the experience?
Please let us know in the comments below.
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