When visiting the NT, most people end up doing the same old thing: going to Uluru, visiting Kakadu, taking a photo with a Kangaroo and downing a schooner at one of the many, many outback pubs.
However, there’s a lot more to the Red Centre that often goes unnoticed. Areas packed with spectacular landscapes and hidden treasures are aplenty, and there are way too many to ever fit inside one little old blog article.
Luckily for you, we’ve found 4 of the most unexpectedly awesome Red Centre Tours to start you off…
…finding the rest is up to you.
1. Simpson Desert
The Simpson Desert is one of the most picturesque landscapes in all of Australia; it’s rolling dunes, deep red sands, wild flora and amazing wildlife will captivate you with sights you won’t soon forget.
Adventuring visitors often tend to take self-driven tours, departing from the Alice on their way to the red sands.
But, to see the wonders of the desert in the easiest and safest way possible, it’s always advised you join in on one of the many guided tours on offer.
2. Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve
If you absolutely love photography and desert landscapes, then a trip 75km south of the Alice to the Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve should be number one on your list.
The coloured rock bands and sandstone cliffs in this area have been carved out over centuries by the waters that once flowed many moons ago.
If you’re obsessed with landscape photography, or you’re just a nature lover at heart, you’ll know that these red rocky ridges are a sight to behold as they change in colour, from red to orange to purple, with the rising and setting of the sun.
Camping is an option and you’ll find many walking tracks and amenities on site, including toilets, fire pits and BBQ’s, to ensure you get the most out of your stay.
3. Gemtree
When you need a break from bushwalking and site seeing, why not try your hand at a treasure hunt?
140km north of Alice Springs will take you a place known as Gemtree, the NT’s true jewel of the desert… well, actually it’s a gem, but you know what we mean.
Here you can spend the day fossicking for your own gems and, when you’re done, take your bounty to be professionally evaluated to find out if you really did strike gold!… sorry, gems!
Daily fossicking tours cost roughly $30 and there are also camping sites available, where you can rest your head under the stars before waking up and trying your luck all over again.
4. West MacDonnell Ranges
If you’re short on time, and want to pack in as much red centre bushwalking, swimming and sight seeing as you can, why not hop on a tour of the West MacDonnell Ranges?
We know, the MacDonnell Ranges can’t really be classed as a little-known spot, yet many visitors to the Red Centre pass up the chance to see this wondrous Australian landscape every day because they only think about Uluru…
…and that’s a big mistake.
The MacDonnell Ranges contains some of the best natural sites in the NT and include areas such as:
- Standley Chasm
- Ellery Creek Big Hole
- The Ochre Pits
- Ormiston Gorge
- Glen Helen Gorge
These sites are just as amazing, if not more, than any others areas in the red centre; truly giving meaning to the old cliché …
…Seeing is believing!
