Alice Springs

"The Alice," as it's known locally, lies in the center of Australia and in the middle of nowhere. In other words, it's a great introduction to the Outback. Built around a telegraph station opened in the 1870s, the town once relied on Afghan camel teams to deliver supplies - once a year. Today, it's a town of 23,000 with all the trappings of modern life, including indoor malls, fast-food restaurants and scores of tourist shops. Many visitors, most of whom fly into Alice Springs, use it as a base from which to explore the country's vast interior. The steady influx of tourists hasn't tamed all of the town's quirkiness, however. Every September local residents still race homemade bottomless boats in a dry riverbed at the annual Henley-on-Todd Regatta. 

We recommend spending at least a day in town to see the School of the Air (the country's first school taught over the radio), the Royal Flying Doctor Service (headquarters of the Outback's fly-in medical service) and the Old Telegraph Station (now a historic preserve that includes Alice's spring, where you can take a dip). The area's natural history, geology and Aboriginal culture are recounted at the Central Australia Museum. Several galleries showcase quality Aboriginal art, much of it produced by local artists. 

Two camel farms offer hour-long to weeklong treks into the MacDonnell Ranges, the desert hills surrounding Alice Springs. Hikers can explore ancient water holes, rare palm trees and unusual wildlife by walking the Larapinta Trail along the MacDonnell Ranges. An excellent bike trail also winds from Alice to Simpsons Gap. We highly recommend a trip to one of the nearby working cattle stations (most have overnight accommodations). Escorted tours on buses, all-terrain vehicles and motorcycles offer other options for exploring the Outback. It's possible to visit Ayers Rock/Uluru as a day trip from Alice Springs - a four- to five-hour drive southeast. (We recommend, instead, that travelers spend at least an overnight there to allow time to view the rock and the nearly Olgas/Kata Tjuta.) Be aware that it can get dangerously hot (up to 120 F/50 C) in the Outback November-March. It's best to plan most strenuous outdoor activities during the cooler months. 815 mi/1,310 km north of Adelaide.

Ayers Rock/Uluru

The world's largest monolith is a truly stunning sight, especially at sunset when its burnt-orange glow seems to set the desert on fire. Called Uluru by the Aborigines, the sandstone rock is huge (1,140 ft/350 m high, 9 mi/13 km around) and reddish brown most of the time, taking its color from the mineral feldspar. Its presence is made more powerful by the mostly barren plain that surrounds it and disappears into the horizon. 

Considered sacred by the Aborigines for thousands of years, the rock is now part of the expansive Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, one of the country's biggest tourist attractions. The park includes the Olgas/Kata Tjuta, a cluster of 36 giant domelike rock formations about 20 mi/35 km west. If you want to visit both, plan to spend at least one night. You'll want to see Ayers Rock at both sunset and sunrise. The Olgas are equally magnificent at both times of day. (But be prepared to jockey for position at either place; tour buses disgorge hundreds of visitors laden with binoculars, cameras and video equipment.) 

Start your visit to the park with a stop at the cultural center. Run by the Anangu (a local Aboriginal clan), the center is a wonderful introduction to the unusual rock formations and to the people who lived in their harsh shadows for centuries. Aboriginal artwork and artifacts are on display. You can also see re-enactments of life in the bush and watch informative videos. Most visitors explore the rock as part of a tour led by park rangers, Anangu guides or private tour companies. But you can also pick up a walking guide at the cultural center and set off on your own. 

Only one trail leads to the top of the rock, and it's fairly steep - those with heart conditions, high blood pressure, asthma, fear of heights or the like should remain earthbound. The Anangu prefer you walk around - not on - the rock because of its spiritual importance. If you do decide to climb it, allow two to three hours and take along a snack and plenty of water. The view from the top is spectacular, but hiking around the base is more educational and less strenuous. We suggest taking one or more of the shorter walks that pass water holes and rock paintings, allowing you to observe the rock's many faces at a leisurely pace. (Walking around the entire base of the rock takes about five hours.) 

Allow at least an afternoon to visit the Olgas/Kata Tjuta. A frequent debate among visitors is whether the Olgas outshine the rock. It's a close call - the Olgas are taller, reaching 1,790 ft/545 m at the highest point. Made of conglomerate (pebbles and boulders cemented together by mud and sand), they are off-limits to climbers, but you can explore some of the valleys and chasms between the rocks. 

Most visitors fly to Ayers Rock or drive from Alice Springs. About the only place to stay in the area is the Ayers Rock Resort, whose five hotels and a campground can accommodate visitors in all price ranges. Longitude 131, a magnificent safari camp, reopened on 1 July 2004 (a bushfire destroyed 12 of its 15 luxury tents). Dozens of tours leave from Ayers Rock Resort, including sunrise camel rides around the rock, sunset champagne dinners in the desert, Aboriginal culture tours and stargazing. You can also rent a car there and explore on your own. Because of the excessive heat in summer, the best time to visit is April-November (winter in Australia). Always take along plenty of drinking water. If you are flying to the Outback, we suggest going overland one way from Alice Springs (four to five hours) but flying the other way - the desert drive is scenic, but it can be tedious the second time around. 280 mi/450 km southwest of Alice Springs. 

Kakadu National Park

This park in the Northern Territory is one of the few places in the world that is listed twice as a UNESCO World Heritage site: once for its amazing ecosystem and a second time for Aboriginal rock paintings. With 1.2 million acres/486,000 hectares of wilderness, the reserve has swamps filled with crocodiles, innumerable species of birds and other wildlife. More than 1,000 Aboriginal paintings adorn park cliffs. (And if that's not enough, the park was also a filming location for the movie Crocodile Dundee.) Hire a boat to tour the billabongs (lakes), which fill up in the wet season and shrink during the dry. It's best to visit between early March and mid October; many roads are impassable during the wet season, around Christmas. No matter when you go, don't forget to take along insect repellent, a hat and plenty of sunscreen. 125 mi/200 km east of Darwin.

Katherine Gorge

Most visitors to this rugged area in the Northern Territory head straight to Katherine Gorge National Park, which contains 13 sandstone gorges that are filled with Aboriginal paintings and wildlife (emus and dingoes). The gorges, which were carved by the Katherine River, are usually seen by boat, but there are also many trails. Highlights are the Swallows Cave, Butterfly Gorge and the Hanging Gardens (pretty ferns). Also nearby is the Manyallaluk Aboriginal settlement, a wonderful opportunity to learn about Aboriginal culture, and the Cutta Cutta Caves, limestone caverns dating back 500 million years. Visitors to the park usually go through the town of Katherine, which has grown substantially since an air-force base opened there in 1988. 215 mi/350 km south of Darwin.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Center:

Located at the base of Ayers Rock the center introduces the history and cultural importance of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Here you will learn the lore's of the Aboriginal people. The center incorporates Maruka Arts & Crafts and wood crafting.

Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve:

Built in the 1950's the dam was originally built for nearby rice growing plantations. Since then it has become a wildlife sanctuary. You can view the wildlife from a platform along the dam or walk the trails to observe the many varieties of vegetation.

Crocodylus Park:

Scientists and researchers take you on a journey to learn about the evolution of crocodiles, crocodilian biology and their links to dinosaurs. Hear stories of a crocodiles role in human culture and the attacks on people. Other wildlife include, iguanas, sea turtles, ostriches, & more.

Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory:

The museum features a permanent Cyclone Tracy exhibit along with collections on natural sciences, physical sciences, human sciences and fine arts. The art gallery displays a range of work from Aboriginal, Southeast Asian and Oceanic cultures as well as visual art and crafts.