Alice Springs : le centre rouge
You will be amazed!
This loop of more than 1,100 kilometers through the red center will transport you in the middle of landscapes more magnificent than the others.
You will pass through the mythical sites of Australia such as Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon and the MacDonnell Ranges.
All these sites bring together varied landscapes that are very different from each other, from the red desert to green valleys, passing through immense gorges.
* Price for a motorhome for two people. Pitch with electricity.
* Photos Tourism Australia
Carte
Stage 1: Alice Springs
Alice Springs or Alice, as she is commonly referred to by Australians, is the gateway to the Red Center and the world-famous sites of Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park.
It is a small town of 20,000 people located in the centre of the MacDonnell mountain range. Once a city of pioneers and gold diggers, today you can find many pieces of authentic Aboriginal art.
It is a historic city, rich in culture and discovery.
Camping:
Big4 MacDonnell Ranges Holiday Park: Powered from $ 55 per night
Stage 2: Alice Springs – Glen Helen
This morning, you hit the road for an exceptional adventure, the famous red center circuit. You take the Sunset Road and pass through western MacDonnell National Park. This day will be rich in magnificent natural formations, gorges, ocher pits and water point.
At the exit of the city, stop at the Red Center Way Discovery Center, you will learn a lot about the flora and fauna of your next places of visit.
Take the road back along Namatjira Drive to explore the many unlikely and spectacular water points.
Further on, stop at Simpson Gap to see the famous Wallabies Rocks. The route continues with many sites and points of interest such as the Red Cliffs, Ocher Pits and finally Glen Helen, known worldwide as offering the best hikes in the world.
Camping:
Glen Helen Resort: Electrically powered from $ 30 per night
Stage 3: Glen Helen – Kings Canyon
Let's start the day with a little dip.
Set off 20 kilometres west from Glen Helen for the Redbank Gorge, where the water is pure and refreshing.
You then leave Namatjira Drive, which was previously paved, for the southern road. You turn towards Tnorala Conservation Reserve, a site formed by an ancient comet crater.
If you have time, you can then take a detour to the Aboriginal community of Hermannsburg.
Not far away and not to be missed is the Finke Gorge, National Park. It is also known as the Valley of the Palms. It is now a tiny part of the ancient rainforests present here millions of years ago.
You continue on the desert road to Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park.
Camping:
Kings Canyon Holiday Park: Powered from $ 25 per night
Stage 4: Kings Canyon
Today you explore Kings Canyon and Watarrka National Park, so called by the Luritja people over 20,000 years ago.
The name Watarrka means "vegetable umbrella", it proliferates in this fabulous landscape. This national park is an important place for the conservation of the territory, the many gorges, wells and cracks make it an abundant ecosystem of hundreds of plants and animals.
Thanks to deep gorges, ferns, palm trees and other plant spaces are everywhere. It is a magical place, in the middle of the desert one would not expect such a green spectacle.
Kings Canyon offers many walks for both amateur walkers and avid hikers.
Camping:
Kings Canyon Holiday Park: Powered from $ 25 per night
Stage 5: Kings Canyon – Uluru
If the magical spectacle of a sunrise still thrills you, do not miss the one in Kings Canyon, the colors are magical. Then continue for a short hike along the rim of the canyon, you will see the verdant dome of the Lost City and the Garden of Eden.
Today you take the Luritja main road to Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park. Along the way, you will pass by another legendary site in the region, the lesser known Mont Conner. Often mistaken from afar with Uluru, this 300-meter-high rock has nothing to compare with the awe-inspiring Uluru.
Once you arrive at your destination, take a tour of the cultural center, where you will find all the information about the park, the activities to do and the aboriginal culture. Tonight you spend at Ayers Rock Resort, the only place on site that allows all visitors to stay one night or more.
Camping:
Ayers Rock Campground: With electricity from $ 50 per night
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Stage 6: Uluru - Kata Tjuta
Today the day is spent visiting the national park.
There are so many ways to discover Uluru, here are a few examples.
- Walk on the rock accompanied by an Aboriginal guide. Indeed, the Aboriginal culture forbids the climb to this sacred site, but that does not prevent the hordes of visitors from following the path of ropes set up to reach the summit.
- Do a helicopter flight to have the best view
- Visit the desert on a camel, introduced in the middle of the nineteenth century as the best way to travel,
- The best adventure in the desert on a Harley Davidson
- Guide Night tour
- Do not miss a visit to Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas where many walks are possible. One of the most magnificent is the walk in the valley of the winds which is an unmissable part of this site.
Camping:
Ayers Rock Campground: With electricity from $ 50 per night
Stage 7: Uluru / Kata Tjuta – Alice Springs
Today it's back to square one, Alice Springs. You take the opposite path, and this is an opportunity to experience the landscape and the road as a whole, to feel the grandeur of the desert and to appreciate how the aborigines survived for thousands of years in an area. also intense.
Once on the Stuart Highway, continue north, you are on the road that connects Darwin and Port Augusta in the south of the country. If you have time, stop at the Henbury Conservation Reserve to view the 12 craters created by a meteorite 4,700 years ago. You can even camp there if you want.
A little further, the "Breakaways" hills are particularly beautiful in the early morning and late afternoon, when the sun's rays on the rocks give them rainbow reflections.
Alice Springs is now a hundred kilometres away.
Camping:
Big4 MacDonnell Ranges Holiday Park: Powered from $ 55 per night