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10 attractions that make Alice Springs worth the trip
Words John Ford and Robert Crack Pics: John Ford
Alice Springs isn’t the furthest place from the coastline in Australia. That place, known as the continental pole of inaccessibility, is about 160km west-northwest of Alice Springs and around 30km from Papunya. But Alice Springs is within a two-hour drive of swimming beaches at the likes of Ormiston Gorge, Redbank Gorge and Ellery Creek Big Hole. Those refreshing waterholes are certainly not the only reasons to spend time in Alice Springs though!
Alice Springs Telegraph Station
Alice Springs is unlike any other town in Australia. Set in the Red Centre, it’s a place of larrikin charm, contradictions and big desert skies.
How else do you explain a town that’s hundreds of kilometres from anywhere, yet still manages to serve up art galleries, bird-of-prey shows, ancient chasms and road trains you can camp beside?
Yes, Alice has had its fair share of negative headlines. But speak to the locals and you’ll hear a different story — one of resilience, culture and genuine pride.
Here are 10 solid reasons to swing by Alice Springs before you push north to Darwin or south-west to Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park.
1. Royal Flying Doctor Service Alice Springs Tourist Facility
RFDS Alice Springs Tourist Facility
The RFDS Alice Springs Tourist Facility is part museum, part interactive experience. Step inside a replica PC-12 air ambulance, check out the 1939 radio room and watch the hologram of founder John Flynn. A huge digital map even shows the real-time flight paths of RFDS planes across Australia.
RFDS Alice Springs Tourist Facility
8–10 Stuart Terrace, Alice Springs
Mon – Sat 9.30am – 5pm, Sun 1 – 5pm
2. Araluen Arts Centre
Think desert towns can’t do culture? Araluen will change your mind. Four galleries showcase Aboriginal and Central Australian art, with Albert Namatjira’s watercolours among the standouts. The 500-seat theatre stages everything from opera to indie films, while the wider precinct also houses the Museum of Central Australia and Aviation Museum.
61 Larapinta Drive
10am – 4pm daily
3. Alice Springs Desert Park
The desert is alive — and this park proves it. Wander aviaries full of budgies, owls and parrots, or check out dingoes, quolls and red kangaroos. The Nocturnal House is a must for spinifex hopping mice and ghost bats.
Don’t miss the free-flying birds of prey show, set against the MacDonnell Ranges. Or stay after dark for the spotlight tour to meet bilbies and echidnas.
Larapinta Drive
7.30am – 6pm daily (last entry 4.30pm)
4. Standley Chasm
Standley Chasm - Angkerle Atwatye
Okay, so a 50km drive west of Alice Springs means that this breathtakingly beautiful natural attraction isn’t in Alice Springs. But its cultural significance and geological splendour are such that it would be remiss of us to omit it from our 10 reasons to visit Alice Springs. And besides, 50km in the outback is only a stone’s throw, and so spectacular is this country that you won’t even notice the distance between Alice Springs and Standley Chasm – Angkerle Atwatye. At noon, its steep orange walls glow like fire and this is the best (and busiest) time to snap a pic. The grade-one accessible trail runs 1.2km along Angkerle Creek, while tougher tracks lead to lookouts.
Stay on for the cultural workshop: a guided walk, dot-painting session and a cuppa at the cafe. Camping is available year-round.
Standley Chasm - Angkerle Atwatye
West MacDonnell Ranges
Mon – Sat 8am – 5pm, Sun 8am – 2pm
5. ANZAC Hill
For the best sunset views over Alice, head to ANZAC Hill. A memorial since 1934, it’s now ringed with interpretive plaques about Australia’s conflicts. Walk up from town or drive (not caravan-friendly). Sunrise here is just as good.
Anzac Hill Road
6. Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists
Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists
Alice is brimming with authentic Indigenous art centres, but Bindi Mwerre Anthurre Artists has a special story. Since 2000, it’s provided a safe space for artists with disabilities. The late Billy Benn Perrurle began painting here on scrap timber and metal — today, his works are nationally celebrated.
47 Elder Street
Mon – Fri 10am – 4pm
7. Olive Pink Botanic Garden
Named after a formidable activist and anthropologist, this 16-hectare botanic garden is home to 600 Central Australian species, black-footed rock wallabies and 89 bird species. Walk the trails, visit sacred site Tharrarletneme then refuel at the Bean Tree Cafe. Entry is by donation.
27 Tuncks Road
8am – 6pm daily
8. National Road Transport Museum
National Road Transport Museum
If you ever pulled the horn signal at truckies, this is your wonderland. Wander through halls packed with restored rigs, including the first Aussie-built Kenworth and Tom Kruse’s Leyland Badger mail truck. Outside, climb aboard road trains and rolling stock.
Camping is available onsite — basic, but handy.
Be sure to check out the Old Ghan Heritage Railway museum next door.
National Road Transport Museum
91 Norris Bell Avenue
Mon – Sat, 9am – 3pm
9. Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve
If you’re looking to tick off bucket-list locations, then the birthplace of Alice Springs is a must-visit. This 1872 repeater station carried Morse code messages along the Overland Telegraph, and only a few kilometres north was what became Central Australia’s first European settlement, Alice Springs.
Stone buildings from the original station have been restored, and you can still send a letter from the original post office.
There are trails, picnic spots and even a cafe — making this a top family stop.
Alice Springs Telegraph Station
87 Herbert Heritage Drive
8am – 4pm daily
Park: 8am – 9pm daily
10. The outback needs you
Forget the headlines. Locals such as Anna Dakin (Art Tours of Australia) and Bill Wilcox (Sandrifter Tours and G’Day Mate Tourist Park) insist Alice is better than the media suggests. Yes, it has challenges — but it’s also a community rich in culture, history and humour.
As Bill says: “Come and have a look for yourself — you might be pleasantly surprised.”
Don't drive past
Alice Springs is more than a pit stop — it’s a destination in its own right. Art, desert wildlife, history, sunsets and stories all collide here.
So don’t just drive past. Spend a few days in Alice and let the Red Centre surprise you.
Keep an eye out for part two where we’ll shine the spotlight on some good camping spots near Alice and check out some of the must-see places in the East MacDonnell Ranges and Tjoritja / West MacDonnell Ranges.
Maps & guides to get you there
Central Australia Adventure Pack
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