Driving from Adelaide to Alice Springs
Adelaide to Alice Springs
Adelaide to Alice Springs
Adelaide to Alice Springs
Things to see and do driving from Adelaide to Alice Springs
The Red Centre Adelaide to Alice Springs
Before you head out into the wild blue yonder, visit the Wadlata Outback Centre (RIGHT) in Port Augusta, then decide if you want to miss out on some of the country’s most spectacular outback scenery or if you’ll go the long way and cut through the heart of the beautiful Flinders Ranges instead.
Star attractions are the bushwalking and scenic flights over the massive bowl-like Wilpena Pound and the Prairie Hotel in Parachilna, a little slice of luxury in the middle of nowhere. Be sure to try the feral mixed grill, you can’t miss the quirky roadside roadkill signs on the way into town. And it’s not just locals who dig their grub: Kate Winslet, Paul Kelly and Harvey Keitel have all been spotted there.
From here on in the countryside gets drier and hotter as you pass through the ghost town of Farina (LEFT) and on to Marree, home of the mysterious Marree Man, a 4km image carved into the earth that inexplicably appeared in 1998. We tried to get the locals at the pub to fess up to the culprit with the slasher, but everyone’s staying mum, especially the local pilot who runs Marree Man sightseeing flights.
Stop at Mutonia, a very weird sculpture park 30km out of Marree, take a look at the vast white salt lake at Lake Eyre South and the mini oasis of Coward Springs before stopping for a cold drink at William Creek – the smallest town in SA, with a population that hovers around seven.
You can follow the dirt track (you’re now driving the legendary Oodnadatta) to hook up with the Stuart Hwy at Marla, or cut across to Coober Pedy, opal capital of the world. Check out the underground Serbian Church and the golf course where the greens are black, the fairways are rough and the only piece of grass you’ll see is the tiny plastic square you carry around with you. From Coober Pedy it’s a straight and easy seven-hour, all-sealed run to Alice.
Length: 2500km
More info: www.southaustralia.com, www.travelnt.com
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This article appeared in Issue 16 of Australian Traveller.
Where to find the sun during winter. Australia's 15 best campsites. The Coffs Coast. Fireside Lodges. Australia's Bush Palaces (Luxury Campsites).
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