What to do in Red Centre

Activities, attractions and tours
Red Centre

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Top places to visit

1. Uluru

Rising from the desert in the Northern Territory, the red sandstone monolith of Uluru (Ayers Rock) has been a place of great spiritual importance to the Anangu Aboriginal people for thousands of years. Be awed by the sight of the rock changing colours at sunset, its deep crevices turning from bright orange to an intense purple hue.
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Uluru showing landscape views and desert views

2. Larapinta Trail Trailhead

See the best spots in the West MacDonnell Ranges on the Larapinta Trail. Immerse yourself in the rugged habitat of black-footed rock-wallabies and the enormous wedge-tailed eagle along the 223-kilometre (140-mile) hike. Each night you’ll be camping beneath stars that seem amplified by the desert dark. Wake up to the spectacular colours of the ranges in the morning light.
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Alice Springs showing a lake or waterhole as well as an individual male

3. Alice Springs Desert Park

In the Alice Springs Desert Park, just outside Alice Springs, you’ll discover the birds, reptiles and mammals of Central Australia. Learn about the living culture and history of the Arrernte indigenous people who have interacted with these animals, plants and landscapes for thousands of years.
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Alice Springs Desert Park which includes signage and desert views

4. Glen Helen Gorge

The Glen Helen Gorge attracts wildlife and visitors who come to swim. A permanent waterhole in the gorge is fed by the Finke River and is one of the West MacDonnell Ranges’ most beautiful waterholes. Take a swim in the refreshing waters surrounded by birds and fish. Watch the rocky slopes above the water for black-footed rock-wallabies.
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Red Centre showing a sunset, a river or creek and a gorge or canyon

5. Alice Springs School of the Air

The Alice Springs School of the Air Visitor Centre is a wonderful place to discover the marvels of technology connecting children in remote Central Australia. Find out how this centre in Alice Springs can bring a class together, despite students being spread out over 1.3 million square kilometres (502,000 square miles), an area 10 times the size of England.
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School of the Air showing heritage elements

6. Tjoritja-West MacDonnell National Park

The West MacDonnell Ranges are home to an incredible array of desert plants and animals. This group of ranges in the Northern Territory is affectionately known as the West Macs and its isolated beauty is captured in the artworks of its most famous past resident, indigenous painter Albert Namatjira. Hike the ranges on the Larapinta Trail. Cool off in waterholes in deep gorges or take the scenic bike trail from Alice Springs to Simpson’s Gap.
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West MacDonnell National Park featuring mountains, hiking or walking and a sunset

7. Ormiston Gorge

Float on your back in the Ormiston Gorge waterhole to take in the beauty of the red cliffs and the timelessness of this wild place. Bring your camera to capture the reflection of the cliffs and trees in the tranquil water. The gorge is an important habitat for native wildlife, including reptiles, dingoes, rock-wallabies, wedge-tailed eagles and populations of two marsupials thought to have disappeared from Central Australia.
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Alice Springs which includes a lake or waterhole, hiking or walking and a gorge or canyon

Popular places to visit

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Uluru

With its vast scale and incredible colours, it is easy to see why this famous rock, known as the Red Heart of Australia, holds a sacred place in indigenous culture.

Uluru
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Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

Discover Aboriginal rock art and the living culture of the Anangu people, take a joy flight over Uluru and hike through the incredible landscapes of the Red Centre.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
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Larapinta Trail Trailhead

4/5(1 review)

Hike over rocky gorges to secluded waterholes and up the slopes of Mount Sonder, then Camp beneath the stars and wake for a desert sunrise.

Larapinta Trail Trailhead
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Alice Springs Desert Park

4.5/5(5 reviews)

Discover nocturnal creatures of the desert, learn the survival skills of the Arrernte people and walk alongside kangaroos and emus in this nature park.

Alice Springs Desert Park
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Kata Tjuta

You can find out about the history of Petermann with a trip to Kata Tjuta. Discover the desert landscapes in this family-friendly area or enjoy its local tours.

Kata Tjuta
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Glen Helen Gorge

Fly above the West MacDonnell Ranges on a helicopter ride, swim between sheer sandstone walls and discover the wildlife of the waterhole in this gorge.

Glen Helen Gorge
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Alice Springs School of the Air

5/5(6 reviews)

Visit a school with a very unique classroom design at this innovative education centre, which brings radio lessons to children all over the Australian desert.

Alice Springs School of the Air
Image for Tjoritja-West MacDonnell National Park

Tjoritja-West MacDonnell National Park

Swim in waterholes in rugged canyons, discover Australia’s desert creatures and learn how the Arrernte people have lived on the land for thousands of years.

Tjoritja-West MacDonnell National Park
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Ormiston Gorge

Walk through the red-stone cliffs of this gorge and watch the skies for the wedge-tailed eagle while you cool off in a waterhole.

Ormiston Gorge

Explore areas of Red Centre

Alice Springs featuring golf and tranquil scenes as well as a small group of people

Desert Springs

Travellers come to Desert Springs for its abundant dining options, and you can see top attractions like Alice Springs Golf Club and Lasseters Casino while you're in town.

Desert Springs
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The Gap

Unique features of The Gap include the restaurants and shopping. Make a stop by Alice Springs Transport Heritage Centre or Royal Flying Doctor Service while you're exploring the area.

The Gap
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Ross

You'll enjoy the restaurants and sporting events in Ross. You might want to make time for a stop at Frontier Camel Farm or Yeperenye-Emily and Jessie Gaps Nature Park.

Ross
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East Side

Travellers come to East Side for its abundant dining options, and you can see top attractions like Joint Geological-Geophysical Reserve and Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve while you're in town.

East Side
Araluen Cultural Precinct which includes aircraft, a sunset and modern architecture

Araluen

Travellers like the museums in Araluen, and Alice Springs Desert Park is a top attraction you might want to visit.

Araluen
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Mount Johns

Mount Johns is noteworthy for its restaurants, and you can make a stop at top attractions like Heavitree Gap and Yeperenye-Emily and Jessie Gaps Nature Park.

Mount Johns

Day trip destinations from Red Centre

Red Centre

Alice Springs