3 Best Sights in Alice Springs, Red Centre

Focusing on the desert, which makes up 70% of the Australian landmass, this 128-acre site contains a range of plants and animal species in several Australian ecosystems—including a large nocturnal-animal house. You can also do a tour at night, when animals such as bilbies and echidnas are most active. At daily presentations, Indigenous guides discuss the different plants and animals that have helped people traditionally survive and thrive in such an arid desert environment. Don't miss the twice-daily birds of prey presentation at 10:30 am and 3 pm. Allow about four hours to explore the park, which is located about 7 km (4 miles) west of downtown Alice Springs.

The most distinctive building in this complex is the Museum of Central Australia (A$8 entry), which charts the evolution of the land and its inhabitants—human and animal—around Central Australia. Exhibits include a skeleton of the 10½-foot-tall Dromornis stirtoni, the largest bird to walk on earth, which was found northeast of Alice Springs. Also in the precinct are the Aviation Museum (free), Central Craft (free, prices for workshops vary), and Araluen Arts Centre, which is home to art galleries showcasing the contemporary Aboriginal art movement and the works of watercolorist Albert Namatjira, known for his depictions of the Central Australian landscape. The precinct is located 2½ km (1½ miles) southwest of town, and is on most tourist bus itineraries. The on-site theater has regular screenings and events.

The Kangaroo Sanctuary, which was made famous in the BBC documentary series Kangaroo Dundee, is the passion project of Chris “Brolga” Barns, whose life’s mission is to rescue and rehabilitate orphaned kangaroos and educate people about how they can easily do the same. All you need to do is pay attention while you’re driving, and if you spot a deceased kangaroo on the side of the road, check to see if there’s still a living joey in its pouch, since they’ll often survive the impact of a vehicle and can live for up to four more days after it. You can visit on a prebooked sunset tour, just as the 'roos are waking from their day sleep, on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, where you will get the chance to take turns holding and feeding baby kangaroos. The price includes a bus transfer to the property, no self-drive is permitted.