There’s nowhere quite like the Northern Territory, and travelling to the Red Centre is the perfect way to escape to another world without having to go too far. You will get to have once-in-a-lifetime only-the-outback-can-offer experiences that will leave you simply in awe all without eating up holiday time with jet lag or lengthy hours of flying. The best part is that there’s something for every discerning traveller, whether it’s a night dining under the stars or looking up at them from your own private spa bath.
The only experience that could possibly compare with seeing Uluru for the first time is hiking the Kings Canyon Rim Walk and upon reaching the top, looking out to see the magnificent cliffs carved from sandstone and hard shale formed millions of years ago. Here are some ways you can scratch beneath the surface and experience more than just the quintessential Outback.
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Stay: Kings Canyon Resort’s Deluxe Spa Rooms
For one of the best views from any bathtub in Australia (or a deluxe spa as it’s more formally known), a stay in one of Kings Canyon Resort’s deluxe spa rooms is an absolute must.
Located between Ayers Rock and Alice Springs, Kings Canyon Resort is just 6.4 kilometers away from Watarrka National Park, which is where the stunning Kings Canyon Rim Walk can be enjoyed with the direction and knowledge of an experienced Inspiring Journeys Travel Director.
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Complete with Sukin skincare and bath products, the spa bath is the ultimate treat, perched in an expansive window you can look out on the desert landscape and watch it change 50 shades of red with the setting afternoon sun - champagne in hand of course.
Then again you can’t go past the resort’s sunset viewing platform where after a morning’s hike you can sit back in the afternoon and watch as the sun ducks behind Carmichael’s Crag and the George Gill Range turns from red to purple in the setting sun. The icing on the cake however; once you’re tucked into bed and glance to your side and see the most beautiful blanket of twinkling stars, shining through that huge spa window. Now that’s what the Outback is all about.
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Do: Experience the culture of the Outback
Few places in Australia have the same mystical atmosphere as the Red Centre, which is home to many sacred Indigenous sites and none more iconic than Uluru. Discover beautiful and ancient rock painting and learn more about the Anangu people, whose history spans back thousands of years. Be mesmerised by the undulating domes of Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), which glow a vibrant red in the setting sun. At Angkerle (Standley Chasm), wander through a pristine outback landscape of dramatic sheer rock face and hidden bushland.
Find out more about the way of life in the outback at Curtin Springs cattle station before visiting the School of the Air to discover how children are educated in this remote land, while the Royal Flying Doctors provide essential medical support.
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See and Eat: An Uluru Sunset & Stargazing
Another equally rewarding and must not miss experience is to toast the beauty of Uluru as you watch the sun’s dwindling rays light the rock up one final time before making a hasty retreat before the evening’s magic of a delightful dinner set under a canopy of stars.
The evening is topped off by the most glorious light show there is, a desert moon and the night sky. Magic.
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A guided excursion to the Red Centre is highly advisable, and rather than feeling required to stay safe and have a wonderful time, a quality tour can be a bonus; Inspiring Journeys’ Outback Australia: The Colour of Red is the key that will help you unlock Australia's most enigmatic cultural heritage and desert beauty.
Let the Red Centre show you what makes this the ‘lucky country'.
Talk to your local Travel Associates advisor today.
