Alice Springs and the MacDonnell Ranges

The Red Centre'S Only Substantial Town, Ringed By The Parallel Red Quartzite Ridges Of The MacDonnell Ranges, With Standley Chasm, Ormiston Gorge And A String Of Permanent Waterholes Threading The Gorges Either Side · Alice Springs, Northern Territory

Alice Springs sits in the geographic centre of Australia, ringed by the parallel red quartzite ridges of the MacDonnell Ranges running east and west on either side of the town. The ranges are ancient, folded and eroded down from mountains that once rivalled the Himalayas, now reduced to long, broken walls of rock cut through by gorges holding permanent waterholes that have sustained Arrernte people and travellers for tens of thousands of years. West of town, Standley Chasm narrows to a sliver lit orange at midday, Simpsons Gap and Ellery Creek Big Hole hold water year-round even in drought, and Ormiston Gorge's waterhole is deep enough for a proper swim beneath red cliffs. East of town, Trephina Gorge is quieter and far less visited. The town itself is small and functional rather than scenic, a base with fuel and an airport rather than a destination in its own right, and it is the last substantial town before Uluru and Kata Tjuta, several hours further south-west. Distances between sites are large, and a car with good tyres and spare water is essential.

The Red Centre's main town, ringed by the parallel red ridges of the MacDonnell Ranges running east and west either side, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

The gorges themselves have no gate and are open at any hour, though walking tracks are far safer tackled in the cool of early morning, especially between October and March when afternoon heat becomes genuinely dangerous. Standley Chasm is privately run by its Aboriginal owners and charges an entry fee during set daytime hours, typically from around eight to six, with shorter hours in some seasons - confirm before driving the forty-five minutes out. The Alice Springs Desert Park and the Royal Flying Doctor Service museum in town keep standard daytime hours and close over Christmas Day. Fuel and supplies in town are available long hours daily, but there is no fuel at all between the gorges, so fill up before heading out either way.

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