A Town Like Alice

I have just arrived back from Ecotourism Australia's Global Eco Asia-Pacific Tourism Conference held in Alice Springs. One of the advantages of having the conference in The Alice was the focus it provided on the rich indigenous culture that exists there. As the conference organisers stated in their promotional material, the region surrounding Alice Springs has a strong indigenous presence, with a 60,000 year old culture and spiritual connection echoed in every rock and landmark. The Alice Springs Area is connected to the "caterpillar dreaming" (represented by the East and West McDonnell Ranges) and is part of the territory of the Aranda people. The area is also known by the local names of Arrende, Yeperenye or Mparntwe.

One of the questions I was asked in a radio interview to discuss sustainable tourism and to promote the conference was how Alice Springs rated as a place to have a sustainable holiday. I stated that it is indeed a great place to have such a holiday, especially as a base in touring the region to learn about the traditions and teachings of aboriginal culture. The Central Australian Aboriginals have survived in the unforgiving arid centre of Australia for tens of thousands of years, so observing Aboriginal culture in this part of Australia is observing the essence of sustainable living – working within the constraints of a harsh natural environment to not only survive but prosper healthily and socially (well, at least before Europeans started inhabiting the land).

Alice Springs is also a great base to explore the magnificent natural scenery that exists in this remote part of Australia, which includes the Simpson Desert; the MacDonell Ranges either side of Alice Springs (including West MacDonnell National Park, which includes the famous Simpson Gap, Standley Chasm and Ormiston Gorge), as well as connecting to one of the many tours that can take you to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and Kings Canyon some 450km away.

Alice Springs itself should not be ignored as an attraction in its own right. With a population of just over 27,000 people, Alice Springs is an outback town that sits at the foot of the MacDonnell Ranges either side of it. The town has grown significantly over the years to cater to the influx of tourists that use it as a base to visit the surrounding National Parks. It sits on the western banks of the usually dry Todd River to its west, the Sturt Highway to its east and Anzac Hill to its north, which provides great views over the town and the surrounding dry red land. The Town Centre’s core is Todd Mall, the pedestrian-only space where many of the Alice’s main shopping and dining choices can be found, as well as several Aboriginal-owned and operated art and craft galleries.

The two main township attractions (besides the art and craft outlets) are the Alice Springs Cultural Precinct and the Alice Springs Desert Park. The Cultural Precint, opened in 1984, mixes some of the old airport and town centre buildings with modern buildings that houses several important galleries, museums and exhibition spaces within easy walking distance of each other. The focus of the Precinct is the Araluen Arts Centre, which incorporates a large performing arts theatre and some impressive indigenous artist galleries, including the Albert Namatjira Gallery - a homage to one of Australia’s famed indigenous artists who specialised in water colour paintings.

This Ecotourism Australia accredited Desert Park brings much of the wildlife and vegetation you’d find across the Simpson Desert to the western outskirts of Alice Springs. The Park has developed walking tracks through three different desert environments in which you can see bird and wildlife in their preferred habitat. The Park also offers interpretive tours highlighting traditional use of plants and animals by the local Arrernte people.

I was also able to confirm on this trip that Alice Springs is a great place to hire a bicycle to get around to many of the town's attractions. There are three things going for cycling in Alice Springs: it is flat; there are relatively low levels of traffic; and there are some great cycling paths to connect to some of the Alice’s best attractions. One of the paths is a tourist attraction in its own right - the Simpsons Gap Bike Path in West MacDonnell National Park, a 17km sealed path that starts off Larapinta Drive on the western outskirts of Alice Springs and takes you through some great scenery on the way to Simpsons Gap, one of the many great views within the Park.

You can check out Tourism Central Australia's website for more information.