The best time to visit Alice Springs

The Red Centre one of Australia’s most famous bucket list travel destinations, but the best time to head there is April this year. Here’s why.

Tourism NT

The Red Centre one of Australia’s most famous bucket list travel destinations, but the best time to head there is April this year. Here’s why.

Tranquil oasis, emerging foodie destination, creative hotspot, gateway to Australia’s most epic landmarks … Alice Springs draws people for all types of reasons. Whatever your reason, April is the best time to visit Australia's red centre in 2019. Here's why.

THE WEATHER IS PERFECT

Avoid the oppressive summer heat and freezing winter nights: Autumn in Alice Springs – simply "Alice" to locals – is comfortably warm during the day, averaging 12 - 27°C.

AVOID PEAK SEASON

June to September is peak season for Alice, which is the traditional travel time for European and US visitors. If timed right, you can avoid the crowds in April.

PARRTJIMA RETURNS

Alice will erupt with colour and light when the fourth annual Parrtjima Parrtjima: A Festival in Light (pronounced Par-Chee-ma) rolls into town from Friday, 5 April – Sunday, 14 April 2019. Bringing together light, arts, talks, music and ideas, the extraordinary ten-night program shines a light on the stories, sounds and rhythms of Central Australia – home of the Arrernte of Mparntwe.

“Festival guests can expect to be spellbound and witness the unexpected, and I hope many can join us in the heart of the nation as we explore the oldest living art practices through a new lens,” says event curator Rhoda Roberts.

The free public festival is the only Indigenous light festival of its kind in the world – proudly showcasing the oldest continuous culture on Earth through the newest technology, on a 300-million-year-old natural canvas, the majestic MacDonnell Ranges.

A series of stunning lighting effects depicting the story of Country and stories of the desert songlines will illuminate two kilometres of the MacDonnell Ranges while on ground interactive illuminated installations will provide audiences with a chance to engage with the lights and audio of local stories. The landscape is simply magical.

Arnhem Land-born hip-hop artist and rapper Baker Boy, who switches from English to his native tongue Yolngu Matha, will take to the stage on the final night of the festival – a mesmerising performance not to be missed. Danzal Baker, the musical genius behind Baker Boy, was recently named 2019 Young Australian of the Year in recognition of both his musical talent and dedicated advocacy and will join workshops and talks in this year’s program.

BE AWED BY THE LANDSCAPE

Hugged by iconic red dirt, hidden waterholes and the vibrant ochres of the MacDonnell Ranges, Alice is a place of dramatic landscape. Whether you’re into 4WDing, biking, hiking, hot air ballooning – even eating – there are so many ways to appreciate her beauty. Climb to the top of Anzac Hill to catch the town’s famous lava-red sunset, bomb dive into a refreshing swimming hole at Ormiston Gorge or bike ride to the edge of Simpsons Gap. To get an entirely new perspective, take a hot air balloon ride over its spinifex-studded desert plains.

FORAGE BUSH TUCKER

Dig up a witchetty grub, learn how to find water in the desert and suck the nectar from the backside of a honey ant (yes, really!) – after a bush tucker tour, you’ll leave Alice with a renewed appreciation of nature. Go bush with Arrernte man Bob (Penunka) Taylor, for example, who teaches visitors how to gather native ingredients around Simpsons Gap, followed by a gourmet bush food dinner cooked over coals.

MEET THE LOCAL CREATURES  

Desert Park – part wildlife sanctuary, part botanic garden – is the place to get up close to kangaroos, get not-so-close to snakes, watch birds of prey circle their next victim and marvel at the desert's delicate wildflowers. The mostly outdoor exhibits faithfully recreate different habitats, like an inland river, sandy environment and woodland to allow visitors to spy on animals as they naturally live.

DISCOVER INDIGENOUS ART AND CULTURE

Alice is filled to the brim with some of Australia’s leading indigenous artwork. Stroll down pedestrian-only Todd Mall to browse the private and collectively-owned galleries like indigenous-owned Papunya Tula and Yubu Napa, and drop in on Araluen Arts Centre, a hub of galleries featuring historical and contemporary works. Tjanpi Desert Weavers on Wilkinson Street sells intricate baskets and creatures adorned with seeds and feathers, made by more than 400 women artists from 26 remote communities. Tangentyere Artists is another arts centre featuring beautiful fabrics, blankets and jewellery made from recycled metal and wood and abandoned objects found in and around the town camps. Outside the galleries, you’ll see large rock paintings depicting the caterpillar dreaming of the Eastern Arrernte people at Emily and Jessie Gaps.

STAY IN UNIQUE DIGS

Dream of sleeping under the desert stars, waking up to the sun rising over the rugged MacDonnell Ranges and relaxing in your own private oasis? You can do all three at Squeaky Windmill glamping, which is perched on the edge of the Western MacDonnell Ranges, 15kms from Alice’s town centre. For another rustic stay just outside of Alice, get a taste of authentic outback life at cattle stations Bond Springs Outback Retreat and Glen Helen Homestead Lodge. Closer to town, DoubleTree by Hilton Alice Springs offers luxury resort-style facilities, including pool and spa, stunning views of the MacDonnell Ranges and a house peacock (of course). For a more budget-friendly stay, kick back in the outdoor movie theatre turned hostel at the local YHA. Movies are still shown on the outdoor screen every night.

DISCOVER RAINBOW VALLEY

Up your ’gram at Rainbow Valley, a collection of sandstone bluffs and cliffs featuring bands of colourful rock. A day trip from Alice, this spectacular landscape changes from ochre red to orange and purple with the morning sun through to late afternoon.  

SAMPLE ALICE’S BURGEONING FOOD SCENE

From hipster cafes serving fresh brekkie to outback steakhouses and awarding-winning restaurants integrating wild bush tucker with fine dining, Alice packs a big punch when it comes to food. Head to local favourites The Watertank Cafe and Page 27 for brekkie or lunch, catch live music in the beer garden at Monte’s and dine among the native flora at Olive Pink Botanic Gardens. Coffee addicts will be pleased to know KafeGonzo delivers a quality espresso. For something a little exotic, sample emu sausages and desert tomatoes at Mbantua Dinner grilled by indigenous chef Bob Taylor.

TAKE A HIKE

No trip to Alice is complete without a day trip to the firey-red West MacDonnell Ranges. These famed ranges snake almost all the way from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon, its chiselled chasms twisting into dramatic gorges and hidden waterholes. Brave the bone-chilling water at Ellery Creek, take a gentle stroll along a natural creek bed at Standley Chasm or work up a sweat on the four-hour Ormiston Pound Walk – along the way you’ll be rewarded with a refreshing dip at an amphitheatre swimming hole along the way. The park is also a refuge for kangaroos, wallabies and birdlife including the uncommon bird species such as the Peregrine Falcon.

SEE THE SUNSET VIA CAMEL RIDE

Enjoy the afternoon from atop a camel – each one with “their own endearing personality” – according to operator Pyndan Camel Tracks. The 45-minute ride offers sweeping views across the MacDonnell Ranges, its ochre colours slowly changing with the light as you plod peacefully along.