Alice Springs
Discover Alice Springs
Alice Springs (Arrernte: Mparntwe), sometimes colloquially known as Alice, is the heart of Central Australia and consists of cavernous gorges, boundless desert landscapes, remote Aboriginal communities and a charming pioneering history. It embodies the hardy outback of the Northern Territory's Red Centre, and is a travel hub for sights and hikes in the region, such as Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (formerly known as the Olgas) and Kings Canyon. Since the start of the tourist boom in the early 1980s, the population has substantially grown to over 25,000. It is a great town and well worth a visit. Founded as a telegraph station on the line across Australia, Alice Springs is 1500 km from the nearest major city, being Darwin to the north or Adelaide to the south. As a result, the people that inhabit the town are often quite ingenious when it comes to making things last! Don't expect a quaint rural village though: Alice Springs has more than its fair share of suburban strip malls with big box stores and fast food outlets.
Taste of Alice Springs...
Despite its small size, Alice has a good and varied restaurant scene. There are a fair few options here in Alice Springs for tucker (dinner). Maccas, KFC, Hungry Jacks, and Red Rooster are the main take away chains, but there are also your small family take aways, such as Big Al's, East Side Fish and Chips and Scoff. Additionally, there are some great pizza shops in town, La Casalinga is a great feed. It's on Gregory Terrace, and it's got a really nice old school atmosphere about it. Has not changed for 20 years, and won't in the near future! Alice Springs, like most of the Northern Territory, has tough liquor laws. It is illegal to drink in public places (parks, streets, etc). The Telegraph Station to the north of the town permits drinking and a lot of families go there for a BBQ and a relax. Regardless of how sorry you may feel, don't purchase alcohol on behalf of people you don't know - if they can't buy it themselves, then there's a reason for that. You will require some form of approved identification (e.g. driver's license) to purchase take-away liquor in the Northern Territory. Alice Springs suffers from a relatively high crime rate. Socio-economic tensions which stem from Australia's colonial history have led to the development of impoverished Indigenous communities, known as 'camps', in and around the town, and alcohol-fuelled violence remains a significant problem in the community.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Alice Springs into what it is today.
The Arrernte (pronounced Arrenda) Aboriginal people have made their home in the Central Australian desert in and around Alice Springs for more than 50,000 years. The Aboriginal name for Alice Springs is Mparntwe. Three major groups Western, Eastern and Central Arrernte people live in Central Australia, their traditional land including the area of Alice Springs and East/West MacDonnell Ranges. They are also referred to as Aranda, Arrarnta, Arunta, and other similar spellings. Arrernte country is rich with mountain ranges, waterholes, and gorges; as a result the Arrernte people set aside 'conservation areas' in which various species are protected. According to the Arrernte traditional stories, in the desert surrounding Alice Springs, the landscape was shaped by caterpillars, wild dogs, travelling boys, sisters, euros (Kangaroo-like creatures) and other ancestral figures. There are many sites of traditional importance in and around Alice Springs, such as Anthwerrke (Emily Gap), Akeyulerre (Billy Goat Hill), Ntaripe (Heavitree Gap), Atnelkentyarliweke (Anzac Hill), and Alhekulyele (Mt. Gillen). Many Arrernte people also live in communities outside of Alice Springs. Pronunciation of these Arrernte words can be very difficult. The reason for that is that Arrernte, and indeed every indigenous language of Australia, was not written....
Location & Landscape
Alice Springs is to the north of the imposing McDonnell Ranges, with all transport links to the south using "Heavitree Gap" - a distinctive narrow gap in the range where the railway, highway and Todd River run through without any climb required. Heavitree Gap was named by William Mills, a surveyor of the Overland Telegraph line. He named it in honour of his former school in Devon (UK). The roads around Alice Springs are generally flat and tend to skirt a lot of the hills, some of which are sacred sites to the local Indigenous people. The Ghan is a private all-sleeper tourist train covering the vast distance from Adelaide to Darwin stopping in Alice Springs. Very luxurious, but expect to pay a steep premium over even business class air fares. Alice Springs is 17 hours drive from Darwin, and 18 hours drive from Adelaide.
Festivals & Events
Experience the vibrant festivals and cultural celebrations of Alice Springs.
For a detailed and up-to-date calendar of events in Alice Springs, go to the Alice Springs Town Council website. Because of the large tourism industry and the small population Alice Springs is an easy place for anyone to find work. Many companies will employ travellers, and wages are comparable to, if not higher than, other parts of Australia. The big thing to be aware of is that long term accommodation is very scarce, and backpackers/travellers are usually at the bottom of the list for long term accommodation. Renting is very expensive, as there is a high demand for housing in the town, and house shares are not common. If you are looking to stay for 6 months or more, you will probably need to rent a house. It's easiest to find rental accommodation in December/ January and June/ July as people tend to leave during these periods.
Climate
The climate of Alice is mostly hot and dry during the summer months, and cool and dry during the winter months. The sun is up from 7:15AM to 6PM in the winter months, and from 5:45AM to 7:15PM in the summer months. Summer temperatures average around 36 °C (97 °F) during the day and 22 °C (72 °F) at night. Some particularly hot days can see temperatures upwards of 43 °C (109 °F) with nights that remain at 27 °C (81 °F) or higher. Alice Springs is to the north of the imposing McDonnell Ranges, with all transport links to the south using "Heavitree Gap" - a distinctive narrow gap in the range where the railway, highway and Todd River run through without any climb required. Heavitree Gap was named by William Mills, a surveyor of the Overland Telegraph line. He named it in honour of his former school in Devon (UK). The roads around Alice Springs are generally flat and tend to skirt a lot of the hills, some of which are sacred sites to the local Indigenous people.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsThe Ghan is a private all-sleeper tourist train covering the vast distance from Adelaide to Darwin stopping in Alice Springs. Very luxurious, but expect to pay a steep premium over even business class air fares. Alice Springs is 17 hours drive from Darwin, and 18 hours drive from Adelaide. The Stuart Highway from Adelaide is well-maintained and goes right through Coober Pedy, an underground town famous also for being the opal capital of the world (and therefore well worth stopping off for a visit on the way). It continues through Tennant Creek and Katherine all the way up to Darwin. If you are driving on the main sealed routes from other Australian capital cities, you will likely not be driving on remote roads, and provided you do not take side trips, there will likely be passing traffic. It is worthwhile reading the safety tips for driving in Australia and always carrying water and ensuring you know the location and opening hours of your fuel and food stops....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
There are a couple of public bus lines bringing you around town. Other than that, you can get around by foot or bike, drive or take a taxi. Taxis can be scarce during peak hours. Uber is not available in Alice Springs as of August 2022. A taxi from the airport to the centre of town is around $45. Alice Springs has quite a few interesting things to see; one of them happens every night. If you don't get out of town and watch a sunset, even just sitting off the main highway, you've missed something special. Other than that: For a detailed and up-to-date calendar of events in Alice Springs, go to the Alice Springs Town Council website. Because of the large tourism industry and the small population Alice Springs is an easy place for anyone to find work. Many companies will employ travellers, and wages are comparable to, if not higher than, other parts of Australia.
Where to Stay
Alice Springs suffers from a relatively high crime rate. Socio-economic tensions which stem from Australia's colonial history have led to the development of impoverished Indigenous communities, known as 'camps', in and around the town, and alcohol-fuelled violence remains a significant problem in the community. Exercise extreme caution when walking around after 10PM, as large groups of inebriated Indigenous youths are notorious for causing trouble in the city. Todd Street is nauseatingly well-policed, so problems in the CBD are less of an issue than they were previously. From time to time you may be asked for money or other items while in Alice Springs. According to Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation, the organisation which represents the Native Title Holders of Alice Springs, this is not acceptable behaviour, and giving handouts only encourages a begging culture when there is no need for it to exist. Don't give money, cigarettes or food to those who ask.
Money & Budget
Despite its small size, Alice has a good and varied restaurant scene. There are a fair few options here in Alice Springs for tucker (dinner). Maccas, KFC, Hungry Jacks, and Red Rooster are the main take away chains, but there are also your small family take aways, such as Big Al's, East Side Fish and Chips and Scoff. Additionally, there are some great pizza shops in town, La Casalinga is a great feed. It's on Gregory Terrace, and it's got a really nice old school atmosphere about it. Has not changed for 20 years, and won't in the near future! Alice Springs, like most of the Northern Territory, has tough liquor laws. It is illegal to drink in public places (parks, streets, etc).
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Alice Springs suffers from a relatively high crime rate. Socio-economic tensions which stem from Australia's colonial history have led to the development of impoverished Indigenous communities, known as 'camps', in and around the town, and alcohol-fuelled violence remains a significant problem in the community. Exercise extreme caution when walking around after 10PM, as large groups of inebriated Indigenous youths are notorious for causing trouble in the city. Todd Street is nauseatingly well-policed, so problems in the CBD are less of an issue than they were previously. From time to time you may be asked for money or other items while in Alice Springs. According to Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation, the organisation which represents the Native Title Holders of Alice Springs, this is not acceptable behaviour, and giving handouts only encourages a begging culture when there is no need for it to exist. Don't give money, cigarettes or food to those who ask.