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.
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. Also, due to this distance, you may find that some things can cost more than in the cities, such as fruit and veg, and some clothing (if you forgot to pack your singlet or jacket!).
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: Alice Show. The annual festival with shopping, fair ground rides, animal displays, fireworks, art and crafts, races and performances. Henley On Todd Regatta. River sand race poking fun at the British tradition of boat racing, held on the third Saturday of August each year. The "race" is cancelled whenever the Todd River actually has water. Camel Cup, Blatherskite Park. Camel race day – a fun day out held in early July. Beanie Festival.
Pyndan Camel Tracks – Take a one-hour or half day journey aboard a "ship of the desert", through the scenic Ilparpa Valley, located in the famous MacDonnell Ranges. Owner and cameleer Marcus has been working with camels since 1982 and his camels are well trained. Pyndan Camel Tracks is the only camel-riding experience based out of Alice Springs, and he also offers a free shuttle service from most hotels and the Alice Springs Visitor Information Centre to help people get to his property. Outback Ballooning - Take a balloon ride and see the sunrise.
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 Jack's, 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! Ling's Supermarket, shop 8 & 9 113 Todd St, ☏ +61 8 8953 3678. M-Th 9AM-5:30PM, F 9AM-6PM, Sa 8:30AM-5PM, Su 10AM-3:30PM.
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. Todd Mall is the main street (partly pedestrian only). You will find a couple of options here to get a drink.
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.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Aug, Alice Springs typically sees ~22°C daytime highs and 1 rainy days.
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