G’day, and welcome to Alice Springs!
Backdropped by the mighty MacDonnell Ranges and surrounded by vast outback, the city offers an exhilarating introduction to Australia’s magnificent Red Centre. More than just a gateway to the Northern Territory, it’s a fascinating regional hub with strong links to the local Indigenous community. The Arrernte people have inhabited this part of the land for thousands of years and still call the region by its original name, Mparntwe (pronounced M’barn-twa).
Far beyond its humble beginnings as a telegraph outpost, with the spirit of a frontier town and ambition to rival anywhere on Australia’s coast, this city’s packed with good food, great art and a laidback vivaciousness that draws travellers in.
Arrive at Alice Springs Airport (ASP) before 1pm. You’ll be met and transferred to your accommodation, the newly refurbished DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Alice Springs, a true outback oasis ideally positioned on the banks of the Todd River.
Drop your bags and get to know your travelling companions on an afternoon tour around town, with stops including:
- Royal Doctor Flying Service Museum, showcasing how this celebrated Aussie institution has been saving lives across the country for decades,
- Anzac Hill, located 608 meters above Alice Springs and offering sweeping views of the city and rugged bushland beyond and
- Telegraph Station, the birthplace of the Alice Springs settlement and a wonderful glimpse into life as it once was in Australia at the turn of the 19th century.
After your tour, return to the hotel for check-in and enjoy time at leisure before dinner.
Signature Experience: Outback Bush BBQ
As the sun begins to dip below the horizon, dramatically filling the sky with a thousand shades of red, orange and pink, prepare yourself for a welcome dinner to remember. Journey to a remote corner of the MacDonnell Ranges where tonight’s Outback Bush BBQ in the Old Quarry serves a tantalising spread of local cattleman history, mouthwatering bush cooking and guaranteed good vibes – ice-cold beer and wine included. Miguel Maestre will join in on the action as chefs grill tantalising cuts of Aussie scotch fillet and prime beef sausages. Matched with salads, decadent rum-and-raisin damper and the singing and strumming of authentic bush balladeers beneath a night sky teeming with stars, there’s no finer way to kickstart your outback odyssey.
Welcome Outback Bush BBQ dinner with Miguel Maestre
Wake early and enjoy breakfast before your 8am departure for Curtin Springs Station. Travel southwest for approximately four hours (with rest stops along the way) and watch in awe as you journey through the seemingly endless rugged hinterland, passing infrequently by tiny outback communities.
The extraordinary quickly becomes commonplace out here. About 100 kilometres from Uluṟu, Curtin Springs’ working cattle station unfurls across a million acres of native grassland teeming with red kangaroos, rolling red hills, ancient salt pans and dramatic geological formations. The most famous of these, ancient Artilla (known widely as Mount Conner), is a massive, flat-topped formation that dominates the landscape. Cheekily nicknamed ‘Fool-uru’ by locals due to its similarity to Uluṟu – a quirk which hilariously and constantly confuses tourists – in fact, Mount Conner is three times wider than its famous sibling.
Upon arrival at Curtin Springs, a light lunch will be provided.
Signature Experience: Mount Conner 4WD Tour
Being located on private property, Mount Conner can be seen up close one way only: a quintessential Aussie Outback four-wheel-drive safari. This slice of bushland contains secrets only shared with a select few. Your exclusive tour allows you to cruise on rust-red sands and past dingo dens, lone emus and the habitats of wedge-tailed eagles while you watch vibrant parrots and sneaky honeyeaters grace the skies. You’ll also visit the station’s spectacular inland salt flat, a brilliant splash of white so bright you’ll feel like you’re on another planet.
After your extraordinary tour of Curtin Springs, return to the station and salute the sun going down with a glass of wine before enjoying a lavish, two-course outback dinner. Naturally, Miguel will be there to add some zest to the evening’s proceedings.
After dinner, drive a little over an hour to your accommodation, the iconic Sails in the Desert, checking in at approximately 9pm.
Signature Accommodation: Sails in the Desert
A mirage of iconic white sail-shaped awnings signals your arrival at the five-star Sails in the Desert, where mighty Uluṟu and the Red Centre’s soul-stirring landscape serves as an unforgettable backdrop. The flagship property of the sprawling Voyages Ayers Rock Resort, this unique hotel interweaves the magic and breathtaking beauty of the outback into every aspect of its design. From Indigenous designs on the carpet and unique desert colours reflected in each room to the gumtree-lined swimming pool and iconic shade sails that shield the hotel’s oasis against the Red Centre’s heat, this five-star resort offers an unparalleled visual bounty in the heart of Australia’s extraordinary hinterland.
Two-course sunset dinner in Curtin Springs with Miguel Maestre
Rise early and head out to see something truly magnificent: Uluṟu at dawn.
Follow your expert guide to a special, remote viewing location within Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park and soak up sweeping views over the colossal sandstone monolith structure of Uluṟu before the first rays of dawn light the sky and the landscape in a blaze of colour.
In the fresh morning light, enjoy a picnic breakfast with coffee and tea before heading in deeper. Led by a local storyteller, you’ll walk in the shadow of Uluṟu as you delve deep into the history of the indigenous Mala people, including a tragic tale of their clash with the devil-dog spirit Kurpany, the Mala people’s southward escape and the survival of these ancestors in timeless rock.
Return to Sails in the Desert for a full buffet breakfast at Ilkari Restaurant, featuring a selection of delicious treats like a live egg and pancake station, fresh-baked pastries and local fruits, and enjoy a well-earned afternoon of leisure back at the hotel before dinner this evening. You might spend the day lazing by Sails in the Desert’s wonderful pool or connect with the unique landscape on one of the resort’s tremendous catalogue of complimentary guest activities, including bush yarns with Indigenous storytellers at the Circle of Sand, documentary screenings, a guided garden walk and a working camel farm visit.
Signature Experience: Wintjiri Wiṟu
As dusk falls, you’ll be escorted back into the desert and taken to a vast open-air theatre to experience Wintjiri Wiṟu. Translating to ‘beautiful view out on the horizon’ in the local Pitjantjatjara language, this brilliant lightshow is one of Australia’s most breathtaking cultural storytelling experiences, retelling the ancient Mala story in a cutting-edge display of drones, lasers and projections. Sit back and let yourself become spellbound during this extraordinary fusion of ancient tradition and near-future tech, as a story that’s been passed down by generations is now passed to you.
Please Note: As custodians of the land, Anangu hold the Mala story from Kaltukatjara to Uluṟu. To share their story, RAMUS designed and produced an artistic platform using drones, light and sound to create an immersive storytelling experience. Programming may be amended due to inclement weather conditions.
The show is matched with an equally extraordinary dinner that celebrates authentic bush tucker and Indigenous ingredients. Enjoy a delicious Cucumber Cooler or Spiced Apple Tonic Cocktail on arrival, showcasing Beachtree Distillery’s handcrafted and award-winning Koala Organic Gin, followed by premium Penfold’s wines and a selection of Indigenous-owned spirits and beers. Graze your way through a surprising selection of bush canapes – expect gin-infused cucumber bites topped with green ants and celery salt, or crocodile and lemon myrtle pie. Finally, enjoy a sunset dinner box stuffed with native antipasti, including smoked emu with saltbush chilli, bush tomato and capsicum dip and a uniquely outback spin on a Waldorf salad. You’ll be joined by your travelling companions and Miguel – he wouldn’t dream of missing food or a story this great.
Return to the hotel to enjoy the late evening at your leisure.
Wintjiri Wiṟu sunset dinner with Miguel Maestre
Signature Experience: Sunrise at Bruce Munro’s Field of Light
Rise before breakfast and watch as darkness transforms into a bloom of soft light and colour on arrival at the renowned Field of Light by Bruce Munro. Inspired by desert seeds springing to life after the rains, this monumental art installation is made up of 50,000 spindles of light, breathing and swaying in beautiful ochre, deep violet, blue and gentle white. Ascend to the desert dunes and join Miguel over a steaming mug of complimentary tea, coffee or hot chocolate as you witness the sun rise behind Uluṟu. This vision of the landscape gradually flooding with the sun’s glow is one you won’t forget.
Return to Sails in the Desert for your included buffet breakfast at Ilkari Restaurant, and take the opportunity to bid goodbye to your fellow travellers over your meal.
After breakfast, your once-in-a-lifetime Red Centre outback adventure comes to an end as you’re transferred to Ayers Rock Airport (AYQ) for your onward travel.
Uluṟu sunrise viewing with Miguel Maestre