This interesting outback city is surrounded by a surprising number of locations of interest. It’s the second biggest city in the Northern Territory, with about 25,000 people, and is located about 1,500 km from Darwin, and about 300 km north of the South Australian border.
This city is often referred to as the center of Australia, and has long been a popular tourist area for those who want to check out the MacDonnell Ranges, the Olgas (or Kata Tjuta), and Ayers Rock (or Uluru). However, there are other attractions to see, as well.
The existence of Alice Springs is due to its vital importance as a link in the Overland Telegraph Line, and later its becoming a major railhead for the Northern Territory. Cattle and other goods came through Alice Springs on their way elsewhere.
The city is located about six hundred meters above sea level, and lies on the Todd River. However this river is often dry, flowing only after heavy rains. It rises in the MacDonnell Ranges, flows through the alluvial plain in which Alice Springs is located, and disappears about three hundred km southeast in the Simpson Desert.
The actual springs the city is named after are located to the northeast, and were discovered during the telegraph building. They’re named after Alice Todd, who was the wife of Sir Charles Todd (namegiver to the Todd River and driving force behind the telegraph).
Of course, the area called Alice Springs was settled before this - there have been about five generations of Europeans living there, but more than three hundred generations of Aboriginal people. In the general area, you’ll find a number of attractions and sights related to this ancient culture, in addition to those related to the area’s more recent history.
Anzac Hill is an excellent place to start looking at what Alice Springs has to offer, showing visitors a three hundred and sixty degree panorama and a great view of the city. If you continue east from there, you’ll also see the bed of the Todd.
History buffs will enjoy visiting Adelaide house, which was Alice Springs’ first hospital. It has walls almost forty-five centimeters thick and a unique cooling system that make it a point of architectural interest. Nearby is the radio hut where the first pedal wireless was used, and the site of the country’s first field radio telegram transmission.
The Old Stuart Gaol is Alice Springs’ oldest building, made out of local materials, just like the railway cottages near the train station. Nearby is Gnoilya Tmerga, or Wild Dog Rock, which has associations with an Aboriginal legend.
Every August you can see the Henley-on-Todd regatta - a race along the dry bed of the Todd, and in May the Bangtail Muster offers humorous floats. At the Ghan Preservation Society Museum, you can see more rail history, and check out souvenirs and the tea room.
At the Pitchi Richi Sanctuary, collected machinery, clay sculpture, and native animals mingle, and a few kilometers away is Emily Gorge. For those who love nature, Simpson’s Gap National Park, the Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve, the Henbury Meteorite Conservation Park, and the Ewaninga Rock Carvings Reserve may be points of interest.
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