Alice Springs

Alice Springs was built in a scenic little spot, hidden in amongst the mountains of the Macdonnell Range. The town has had a bad rap of late, with unrest as well as travellers’ stories of theft, however we felt safe here and loved our short stay - and not just because of our pizza night out at Alice Springs Brewing Co or because of the giant, super speedy waterslide at our campground!

The Desert Park was certainly a highlight. We learnt about the six desert habitats that we recognised from our travels, saw lots of animals that had so far alluded us (like thorny devils, malas, ghost bats, echidnas and dingoes) and increased our knowledge of bush medicine and bush tucker, ruby salt bush berries being a favourite. The bird show was incredible and Nina absolutely loved having the opportunity to hold a barn owl. We also visited the Tjanpi Desert Weavers, an Aboriginal community organisation in which women come together to collect grass to create fibre art, and also share stories, skills and experiences. In the evening, we followed a 4WD trail up Undoolya Hill to watch a stunning sunset over the West Macdonnell Ranges, the next stop on our trip.

Last stop on our way out of Alice Springs was Emily Gap, obviously a must-see! Known as Anthwerrke to the Arrernte people, it is a scenic gap in the mountain range just east of town which is the site of rock paintings depicting the story of the three caterpillar ancestral beings for the Alice Springs area.Read more