Alice Springs: The desert city at the heart of the world
Alice Springs is one of Australia's most famous inland towns. It is located in the hinterland of Australia and is surrounded by red desert extending for hundreds of kilometers. Alice Springs is not only the gateway to Australia's most famous attractions, Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park, but it is also well known that Cathay Pacific moved a large number of its grounded aircraft here during the coronavirus pandemic. In fact, Alice Springs' arid desert climate and the vast parking space around it make it the most ideal place to store aircraft.
Alice Springs is located in the center of Australia, very far away from Darwin in the north, Adelaide in the south, Perth in the west, Gold Coast in the east, and even Sydney and Melbourne in the southeast. The most direct way to get in is to rely on direct flights from Qantas/Virgin Australia to major cities. However, due to the monopoly of Qantas (except for Virgin Australia's route to Adelaide), the round-trip ticket for this short route of more than two hours usually costs more than HK$4,000, which is not cheap at all (but compared to the ticket directly to Ayers Rock Airport, it is more acceptable). At this time, if you have accumulated miles to redeem air tickets, it will be very cost-effective. British Airways' Avios only cost 18,000-20,000, while Cathay Pacific's Asia Miles only cost 30,000 to redeem round-trip tickets to Alice Springs from major cities in Australia. Of course, if you have plenty of time and like road trips, you can also choose to drive to Alice Springs. There are main roads connecting Darwin in the north and Adelaide in the south. No matter which place is, it is about 1,500 kilometers away from Alice Springs, and it takes about 16 hours to drive. There are gas stations, motels and small towns along the road for tourists to rest before hitting the road again.
Although Alice Springs is located inland and surrounded by vast desert, this desert town is not desolate at all. Instead, it is full of vitality. Alice Springs blends the history of Aboriginal and European colonization and has a rich cultural life and artistic atmosphere. In addition, Australian Aboriginal art is the world's oldest surviving art tradition. You can get to know this artistic and vibrant place through museums, rock carvings and conversations with Aboriginal people. Alice Springs is surrounded by large areas of red soil and picturesque mountains. It is an excellent starting point for exploring the natural scenery of the Northern Territory's inland area. Therefore, many tourists start here and follow the Red Centre Way to visit Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon and West MacDonnell Ranges along the way.
The driving distance from Alice Springs to Uluru is about 460 kilometers. You will pass Stuart Highway and Lasseter Highway along the way. The whole driving time is about 5 hours. However, there are not many vehicles on the road, and the highway is a straight road with few bends. In addition, the scenery on both sides is repetitive, which can easily make people tired and fall asleep. Be careful. There are many accommodation options around Uluru, from the most basic campsites to motels and even luxury view hotels. You can choose according to your budget. However, if you plan to visit during the peak season (May to September) and stay in a hotel in the Yulara area closest to Uluru, you must book early and may have to pay a higher fee. One thing that has to be mentioned here is Longitude 131°, the most expensive luxury hotel in the area. The name of Longitude 131° comes from its location on longitude 131°. The hotel is located 10 kilometers away from Uluru in a straight line and has excellent views. The hotel has only 16 tent pavilions, each of which has floor-to-ceiling glass and a terrace, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Uluru from indoors and outdoors. However, the price of staying in such a luxurious hotel is not low. The charge for each tent pavilion is AUD3000 per night, and it is very exaggerated that you have to be late to get it.
It seems that I cannot afford to stay in an accommodation like Longitude 131°, which is high off the ground. So I chose the more down-to-earth Ayers Rock Campground during my visit. The camp provides different accommodation needs, such as tents, campervan camps, and even cabins with two rooms. The camp also provides a swimming pool, playground, barbecue facilities, outdoor kitchen, self-service laundry facilities, restaurants and bars, shops, supermarkets and gas stations, so that guests can relax and enjoy themselves here. Ayers Rock Camp is only 20 kilometers away from Uluru. Self-driving tourists can easily arrive there. Even those who do not drive can use the pick-up and drop-off service or guided tours provided by the camp to easily visit Uluru. Finally, I have to mention that the camp is located in a place with very low light pollution. When you look up at night, you can see the stars and the Milky Way in the sky, which is very spectacular.