Alice Springs For The Parrtjima Festival Of Light

Day 1

Home - Alice Springs
After your early morning flight to Alice Springs, time will be allowed to purchase your own lunch at Todd Mall. We then make our way to the original site of the first European settlement in Alice Springs-the Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve, for a guided tour.

Day 2

School of the Air - Royal Flying Doctor Service - Parrtjima Festival
Today we visit the Alice Springs School of Air Visitors Centre which will bring to life an integral and unique facet of the children's lives in the Australian Outback. You will hear their stories of school from afar, life on the land, and share in their dreams, achievements, and journeys. Next we will visit the Royal Flying Doctors Service Alice Springs Tourist Facility for a guided tour. Enjoy lunch before stopping at Mbantua Gallery to see the huge collection of Aboriginal paintings and Australian indigenous art featuring Aboriginal artists from the Utopia region of Central Australia. Return to our accommodation for some free time before departing for an evening at the Parrtjima Festival (pronounced 'par-cheema' and meaning 'lighting up'). The festival features light installations, artworks, and music performances. Purchase your own dinner at the festival tonight.

Day 3

Araluen Precinct - Reptile Centre
Enjoy a relax start before visiting the Araluen Precinct which includes The Museum of Central Australia, The Central Australian Aviation Museum, The Strehlow Research Centre, Central Craft and the Araluen Arts Centre. Discover the local identities and Indigenous Dreaming that helped shape and develop Alice Springs and its culture and heritage. Please be aware that any entry costs will be at your own expense. There may also be additional displays and presentations that are part of the Parrtjima Festival within the complex. This afternoon, stop at the Alice Springs Reptile Centre with its extensive range of reptiles. This evening enjoy dinner back at our accommodation and then for those wishing to return to the festival, our crew will assist with arranging your transfers.

Day 4

Desert Park - Road Transport Hall of Fame - Women's Museum
Be sure you have your comfortable walking shoes, hat and a drink bottle today. We'll begin with a visit to the Alice Springs Desert Park, where you wander through the ancient landscapes from dry river beds to dense woodlands full of life. Take time to purchase your own morning tea and lunch while discovering the stories of the desert that are shared through displays, daily guided activities and cultural presentations. Next we visit the National Road Transport Hall of Fame for a nostalgic trip into Australia's transport history. Continue on to the Old Alice Springs Gaol, for a visit to the Women's Museum of Australia. Return to our accommodation to dress for an evening out where you will witness a spectacular sunset over the Eastern MacDonnell Ranges, during the award-winning Spirit of the Outback dinner and show.

Day 5

Simpsons Gap
Travel to Simpsons Gap before heading to Standley Chasm, a narrow cleft in the West MacDonnell Range which forms a glowing red corridor in the middle of the day. After lunch, continue on to Glen Helen Gorge and enjoy spectacular views of the ranges, including Mt Sonder - one of the highest points in Central Australia.

Day 6

Alice Springs - Home
After breakfast we make our way to Olive Pink Botanic Gardens, a 16 hectare botanic garden specialising in plants native to the arid central Australian region. Late morning we will transfer to the airport, ready for your flight home.

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner