madameshawshank

We'll be there 4 days..apart from the normal stuff...any quirky places to visit..and restaurants..not too expensive..atmosphere I love..

thanks in advance
travel opens the mind!
Joan

Miranda

We spent three nights in Alice Springs last summer. One unexpected highlight was the Reptile Center, a smallish facility located downtown. The guide there gave the most interesting talk on Australian reptiles that I've ever heard. It was truly fascinating. And there were lots of cool animals to examine up close and personal.

We also really liked our hike through Standley Chasm, located a bit out of town. The rock colors were great and we saw wild wallabies there.

Another high point was the Discovery Ecotours trip to a cattle station in the evening. We were struck by the remoteness of the station and its austere beauty. We saw some fabulous birds out there, glimpsed two wild kangaroos, and heard the eerie catlike sound made by a local tree. After the sun went down, we enjoyed a campfire dinner and did some stargazing. All in all, a wonderful evening well worth the money.

Alice Springs has tons to do. I've only mentioned a few of the more unusual things here. We had a great time.

ALF

"Snake, Bake, and Shake" at the Heavitree Gap Resort. A great reptile show (Snake), dinner and bush cooking demo (Bake), with music and dancing (Shake).

School of the Air - A school service for kids living in remote stations throughout the Northern Territory Outback. Lessons broadcasted, visiting teachers, and a correspondence library.

Paul_S

Hi Joan,

The Steakhouse have reasonable meals which are not that expensive and put on a bit of a stage show which is a bit of fun.

Panarama Guth is a quirky art gallery which is worth a visit.

Newest restaurant in town is The Lane, located on the corner of Reg Harris Lane and Todd Mall. It has been getting good reviews by locals.

A good coffee shop come restaurant is Alfrescos at the top end of Todd Mall it has good cheap meals and they do a movie meal deal as they are located next to the cinema complex.

Cheers

Paul_S

buchu

Hi,

Ellery Big Hole is a must. It's about 1 hour out of town, on the way to Glen Helen. GH is also great, and you can grab a bite to eat there too. My suggestion would be to hire a car, start out early (7am-ish), and head along to Glen Helen. There are many sights to see along the way. Standley Chasm is probably not worth the visit, as it costs $$ to get in, and the walk is long for not much gain! Stop at each sight on the way, and you'll have a great day out!!

Bluegrass and Hanaman are the best restaurants in town. For lunch, I like Red Rock, as it's cheap and fresh.

A trip out to Ross River is great, and if you're after an overnight stay at a cattle station, check out Bond Springs (about 20 mins out of town).

Paul_S

Buchu,

Ross River homestead closed its doors to the public sometime ago it is nowa private residence so I would not be sending people out there unless you know the owners.

Cheers

Paul_S