Alice Springs on the Todd River

The Australian Outback provides some of the greatest wonders that you will ever see. Alice Springs sits a on the shore of the Todd River, known as Lhere Mparntwe by the Arrernte people and pronounced ler-ra m-barn-twa. Running through the center of Alice Springs, this ephemeral river is dry for approximately 95% of the year. During heavy rainfall, the catchment area fills with water and the Todd River’s flow reaches Alice Springs 6 – 8 hours later. The river fills from bank to bank in about 15 minutes. As it begins to flow through the town, you can walk as you follow the leading edge of the river.

When the river flows it is cause for celebration. People gather on the causeways and Telegraph Station to play in the murky water even though it can be quite dangerous because of the debris that gets carried by the water. In 1997, a man drowned while riding the waters of the Todd River on an inflatable mattress.

Before the river reaches Alice Springs, it drops 100 meters from Junction Waterhole, winds over an 8 km stretch and reaches the bottom of the drop at Telegraph Station. The area is rocky and hilly creating a series of grade 2 to 3 rapids. The locals haul out their kayaks and take to the water to traverse the rapids. Since the river flow is so fleeting, everyone seizes the time that it flows to make the most of it.

Beginning in 1961 to poke fun at early British settlers, Alice Springs hosts the annual mock regatta, Henley-on-Todd Regatta, every spring. The Henley-on-Todd Regatta is held on the dry Todd River bed. “Boats” are made from metal frames with no bottom and festooned with banners with the “rowers” standing inside of the frame. The rowers pick up the frame and run along the riverbed, It is the only dry river regatta in the world and it holds the distinction of being the only regatta that has been cancelled due to water in the venue. The festivities are a daylong affair and tourists and locals love it. Only in the Australian Outback would you find this kind of humor.

Alice Spring is also home to the Alice Desert Festival, a cultural celebration of the talents that call Central Australia home with a bit of international flavor thrown into the mix.. The spotlight is on the diverse talents of artists and performers with more than 100 events, the organizers are also able to pay homage to the aboriginal culture throughout the festival. The Alice Desert Festival runs for more than a week and allows one to be submerged in the festival culture.

Alice Springs truly is one of the best places to visit in the Australian Outback. There is so much to do there that you could easily stay a while and never get bored.

The West MacDonnell Ranges

The mountains around Alice Springs are called the MacDonnells Ranges. Set in the Heavitree Gap, Alice Springs has the West MacDonnell Ranges to its west and the East MacDonnell Ranges lie to the east. The easy vehicle access to these mountains makes them a popular attraction to visitors exploring the area around Alice Springs. Covering a distance of 250 km in length, a jewel in the Australian Outback, the West MacDonnell National Park offers many sights to see and explore. The area offers The Larapinta Trail, the Ellery Creek Bighole, and Mount Sonder..

Stretching more than 220 km from Alice Springs, through the West MacDonnell National Park to Redbank Gorge, the famed Larapinta Trail has to be one of the Outback’s most incredible walks. To walk the entire Larapinta Trail takes about 2 weeks and National Geographic has deemed it to be one of the planet’s top 20 trekking experiences. Although it offers a challenge to hikers of all levels, the Larapinta Trail has been broken into 12 walks as it weaves through some of the world’s oldest igneous and metamorphic rock and rare flora from some 600 species. There is a section of the trail to appeal to everyone.

Ellery Creek Big Hole Nature Park is a great picnic site and is just 2 km from the roadway. The beauty of the deep, clear waters of Ellery Creek Big Hole lures the visitor into taking a 150m swim across the waterhole to the other side. Across the pool, the picturesque fine white sand of the beach contrasts with the red cliff walls. There are some very nice walks that will allow you to enjoy the full beauty of the waterhole.

Rwetyepme, better known as Mount Sonder, is at one end of the Larapinta Trail. There is a clearly marked 12 km walking trail on the western side. This trail takes you to the summit that, although not the actual summit has been selected to keep visitors safe. The view from the summit is breathtaking. There is water available from a water tank near the parking area.

Among the other sights to see are Simpson’s Gap where the black-footed rock wallabies can be seen at dawn and dusk, Standley Chasm offers an incredible botanical experience, Serpentine Gorge with walking trails lined by River Red gumtrees, Ormiston Pound a ring of mountains encompassing Mount Giles, and Redbank Gorge that offers breathtaking water exploration. By no means are the sights in the West MacDonnell National Park limited to these areas. There is so much more to see when you visit the West MacDonnell National Park that you need a week or so to explore in the main areas.

One more incredible Outback experience to create amazing memories.