Short Breaks in The Red Centre, Northern Territory (17)

One of the most iconic things you can see in a tour of Australia’s red centre is World Heritage listed Uluru, or Ayers Rock. Whether you’re watching the sunset at dusk or rising early to see first light pour over the stunning desert landscape, there’s no escaping this place’s magic. Uluru is also de...

One of the most iconic things you can see in a tour of Australia’s red centre is World Heritage listed Uluru, or Ayers Rock. Whether you’re watching the sunset at dusk or rising early to see first light pour over the stunning desert landscape, there’s no escaping this place’s magic. Uluru is also deeply significant to the Anangu people, the traditional Aboriginal owners of the region, and taking a tour of the red centre will teach you things about this ancient culture you wouldn’t learn anywhere else. 40kilometres west of Uluru is Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), which is another culturally significant geological formation in the region – 36 rock domes that have weathered for more than 500 million years.
You’ll also want to take a tour of Alice Springs, a town with a significant history as being established by early explorers who built a repeater station along the Overland Telegraph line in 1872 to relay messages from Darwin to Adelaide. There’s also Australia’s largest Aboriginal art gallery, Alice Springs Desert Park and camel rides into Palm Valley.
To the west of Alice Springs, you can take a tour of Kings Canyon, an enormous rock chasm 270 metres deep. Here you’ll be amazed by the wildlife that takes shelter from the harsh desert environment. Or alternatively, if you’ve got the energy, a guided climb around the canyon rim will give you incomparable views of Watarrka National Park.