Australia's Red Heart
Duration: 7 days
Highlights: - Self-drive Red Centre adventure to Kings Canyon and Uluru
- Witness the ever-changing colours of Uluru and Kata Tjuta
- Wander amongst the epic Field of Lights
- Set sail on a ‘ship of the desert’ with a sunset camel ride
- Lose yourself in sacred stories of ‘the Dreaming’ from First Nations people
Explore the spirit of the Red Centre on this inspiring adventure from Alice Springs and Kings Canyon to Uluru. Delve into the rugged heart of the West MacDonnell Ranges with your private First Nations guide, and admire the ancient landscapes of Kings Canyon before descending into the Garden of Eden, a natural waterhole surrounded by ancient and exotic plant life. Marvel at the epic Field of Light and Light Towers art installations — an ode to the beauty and mystery of Australia’s red heart — and witness the everchanging colours of Uluru and Kata Tjuta. This is a stunning self-drive journey to feel the power of the Outback.
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Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive Alice Springs
Meet your local guide for a tour of “Alice”. Spend time at the School of the Air and the world-first Royal Flying Doctor Service for a fascinating insight into education and health care in the remote Outback.
Overnight: DoubleTree by Hilton Alice Springs
Meal Plan: L
Day 2: Alice Springs
Journey through the dramatic West McDonnell Ranges to Simpsons Gap and majestic Standley Chasm for a picnic lunch and billy tea. Visit the World Class Advanced Ecotourism Accredited Desert Park with rare and endangered animals. Enjoy interactive guide presentations and witness free flying birds at the nature theatre presentation.
Overnight: DoubleTree by Hilton Alice Springs
Meal Plan: B,L
Day 3: Kings Canyon
Collect your 4WD Land Cruiser* and embark on a self-drive adventure to Kings Canyon via the Mereenie Loop through the spectacular Central Desert landscape. Arrive at Kings Canyon Resort, an oasis in the red desert plain.
Overnight: Kings Canyon Resort
Meal Plan: B
Day 4: Kings Canyon
Drive to Kings Canyon Rim to embark on a spellbinding 6 km hike to the top of the canyon. Your expert guide will walk you through the history of this sacred Indigenous site, explaining the natural and mythical significance of the canyon’s most captivating rock formations such as Priscilla’s Crack, Cottrell Lookout, the Garden of Eden and the Lost City. The scenery is epic and you can expert an extraordinary bird’s-eye view over the red ochre desert. Don a sturdy pair of walking shoes and come energised for the hike’s over 500 steps.
Overnight: Kings Canyon Resort
Meal Plan: B
Day 5: Uluru
Rise at dawn and wander through the acclaimed artist Bruce Munro’s Light-Towers — a stirring art installation of sound, light and energy. Witness the colours change in response to an entrancing soundscape by composer Orlando Gough, which makes the 69 light towers dance. Pause, reflect and acknowledge the mystery of Australia’s Red Centre, followed by hot coffee and pastries as the sun comes up.
Drive to Uluru, stopping en route at Curtin Springs, a legendary outback cattle station. Return your vehicle at Ayers Rock town centre before a private transfer to your accommodation. This evening, your Bruce Munro art immersion continues at the Field of Light. Inspired by wildflowers, gaze upon 50,000 slender stems crowned with radiant frosted-glass spheres as they gently bloom with rhythms of coloured light.
Overnight: Sails in the Desert
Meal Plan: B
Day 6: Uluru
Early this morning, meet your driver-guide for a private tour of the massive rock domes of Kata Tjuta (‘The Olgas’). Explore the ancient rock formations spread over some 20 kilometres in this spiritual place while the sun's morning glow awakens the desert. Make your way to the western side of Kata Tjuta for an outback picnic breakfast.
This afternoon, enjoy a private tour of Uluru. The sheer size of this monolith puts geological time into great perspective. As you drive around the base, your guide will take you to the entrance of Mutitjulu Waterhole nestled in the contours of Uluru. Here you will learn the Creation and Dreaming stories of Liru (poisonous snake) and Kuniya (python). Study the rock art of the ancients and learn how Uluru was, and still is, a significant location for Indigenous peoples. Adjourn to the Talinguru Nyakunytjaku viewing area where you will witness a spectacular sunset.
This evening, feel a powerful connection to country with the shared Wintjiri Wiru experience at the open-air theatre on a dune top with incredible views of Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Listen to a traditional story in the Pitjantjatjara language, and witness ground-breaking technology as choreographed drones, lasers and projections light up the night sky in a modern, artistic expression of an ancient, Anangu story (additional cost).
Overnight: Sails in the Desert
Meal Plan: B
Day 7: Depart Uluru
Rise early to saddle-up on a camel — your morning’s ‘ship of the desert’. Breathe in the cool morning air as you ride your friendly camel through the red centre as dawn breaks over Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Watch the desert come to life and learn about the flora and fauna along the trail from your knowledgeable cameleer, before your private transfer to the airport.
Meal Plan: B
*Vehicle hire not included.
