My female traveling companions reaffirmed my assumption as we navigated the early morning streets of Alice Springs. The four Aussies had never truly explored Australia. International flights from the Land Down Under to Southeast Asia, Indonesia and the South Pacific cost less than a domestic trip from Sydney to Perth. The women, like most Aussies, travel extensively to destinations throughout Southeast Asia, Europe, North and South America.

Most Aussies discover their own native treasures when the wanderlust fades. Uluru, that monolithic rock in heart of the Outback, is like other national icons. The iconoclastic image assails you from the minute that you set foot in the country. Every tourist souvenir imaginable, from coffee mugs to t-shirts, is resplendent with the profile of this massive rock outcropping. Speak with anyone who has traveled to this Outback location. They are emphatic that you must experience Uluru as the ebbing light shifts the color of the façade from red to pink and then to purple.

My Aussie travel companions have an aversion to tourist traps, particularly Uluru due to a lifetime of non-stop exposure to the image. Two of them declared that they’d rather see Kings Canyon and Kata Tjuta, or the Olgas, rather than that hunk of rock as they called it. Every tour to the Red Center descends on Uluru and alas so would we.

Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is the planet’s largest monolith. This impressive red stone formation covers 9.4 kilometres (5.6 miles). Its smooth slopes ascend 340 metres (1,100 feet) above the arid plain.

Uluru has served as the focal point for the Aboriginal people in the Western Desert for over 10,000 years. Aboriginal tribes gathered here for cultural, economic, territorial and religious events. The ancient caves located at the foot of Uluru provided shelter and a canvas for Aboriginal art. Several tribes keep their traditions alive with rituals and songs in the caves of Uluru.

The trek to the top of Uluru is arduous, but the panoramic vistas from the summit are well worth the effort. It requires a certain degree of physical fitness to make the steep one hour ascent. Authorities sometimes close Uluru to climbers when the weather is too hot or windy. Visitors can also enjoy intriguing guided base tours conducted by Aborigines and park rangers.

Uluru National Park is the habitat for red kangaroos, dingoes, bats and perentie, the planet’s second biggest lizard. The park has 22 species of mammals, 150 species of birds and numerous desert reptiles.

Nearby Kata Tjuta is a collection of 36 steep domed geological formations that ascend 500 metres (1640 feet) above the desert plain. This stunning array of rocks, also known as the Olgas, has caves, gorges and desert vegetation that in many ways are more impressive than Uluru.
Visitors can tour the formation using pamphlets and interpretive signage or with the assistance of an Aboriginal guide. There is a wide variety of accommodation at the nearby Ayers Rock Resort.

Alice Springs is a beautiful desert playground sitting in the middle of the Australian Outback. This vast, rocky desert region the sun paints at its leisure is a wide land of brush, caverns and imagination. The surface water is not heavy but the under ground is filled with water tables, allowing the town to flourish.

This desert area is a great place for hiking, camping and exploration; stopping at the desert park may be wise to get a little info on the wild life that lives on this wide mass of ocean sky. This land took years to cultivate yet it still holds an untamed element about it.
The population has increased with tourism getting heavier each year. The land is a little far from the major cities but it is still readily accessible. The original inhabitants of this desert were the Aboriginal Arrernte and is still inhabited by these historical people.

MacDougal range reflects the many colors of the suns hew. Watch as the Sun’s reds and blues change on the surface of the desert. The coloring and the heat can be so intense the landscape can look completely flat at certain times of the day. See the watering hole Helen Gorge, or the unique chambers Pillar, these are only a few of the natural land formations you will find in Alice Springs.

There are fine hotels, restaurants with all of the amenities a tourist is searching for. Try cuisine native to the vicinity, cooked the way Australians eat. Alice Springs is a nature lover’s paradise, filled with spectacular natural wildlife living only in this part of the world. Getting to this special eco system may not be for the less bold hearted but for the few who are unafraid of a challenge this is a holiday of a lifetime. The natural wonder of the land is enough reason for a visit, the people and the exploration gives plenty more.

When packing for the long drive, ensure that you have refreshments for not only the people, but also the car. Pack snacks, drinking water, water for the car (in case of overheating), and a spare tyre. It’s also a good idea to keep an emergency medical kit on board. Mobile phone reception may not be available at all points along the route.

Mobile phones can provide extra peace of mind during holiday expeditions, but they aren’t a necessity. Satellite phones can be hired through car hire agencies.

Use Tourism Australia (www.australia.com) to sort out the details. The varied Lonely Planet guidebooks are also thorough. Lonely Planet is in Melbourne and they are a tourism wizard.

Alice Springs has evolved into the gateway to Kings Canyon and Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Here you’ll see Australia’s most famous rocks. Employ Voyages properties for getting to rustic campgrounds. Wayoutback Desert Safaris offers various guided tours.

Darwin is the capital of Northern Territory. Base yourself in Darwin to visit the national parks at Litchfield and Kakadu. Kakadu is over 1,200 square miles—with 5,000 aboriginal art sites, a plethora of plants and wildlife, waterfalls, and boardwalks under the billabong trees.

Cairns is home base for snorkeling and scuba-diving on the Great Barrier Reef. Go to www.fitzroyisland.com.au for info on hiking, snorkeling and kayaking. Port Douglas, a tony resort town graced by a four-mile long beach, offers boutique shopping to go along with reef outfitters. And don’t miss Daintree, an ancient rainforest.

Oztralia awaits. From the roos to the reefs, there is nothing else like it.