The Red Centre and Central Australia is mostly a very arid region that still contains many of Australia’s natural wonders as well as some fascinating history. Throughout this region there is some spectacular scenery including the MacDonnell Ranges, Simpson Desert, Kings Canyon, Uluru (Ayres Rock) and the Olgas. The major cities found within this region include Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Yulara. Central Australia has a surprising number of unique animals, birds and reptiles that live in desert habitats. Wallabies, euors, dingoes, emus, geckos, eagles and kites are just a few you'll see during your travels in this area.

Alice Springs is the heart of Australia's Red Centre. The town grew after the arrival of the railway from Adelaide in 1929 and today is a pleasant, modern town. The centre of Alice Springs is compact, only a few streets wide and bounded by the Todd River on one side and the Stuart Highway on the other. Perhaps the best place to get an overall impression of Alice Springs is Anzac Hill, which forms the northern boundary of the town. Todd Street is the main shopping area and is lined with galleries displaying outstanding examples of Aboriginal arts, crafts and textiles. Here you can see how closely intertwined Aboriginal culture is with life in Alice Springs. Within easy reach of Alice Springs are the beautiful Standley Chasm, Simpson Gap, Ormiston Gorge and the MacDonnell Ranges.

Approximately 470km south west of Alice Springs is the world's largest monolith, Uluru (Ayers Rock). Rising 348 metres above the surrounding plain, Uluru is one of Australia's most recognised symbols. You can climb the rock itself or explore the base with its caves and gullies. If possible, observe the rock during sunrise or sunset to see a fantastic colour spectacle.

Also located in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park are The Olgas, only 32km west of Ayers Rock. The Olgas are a series of several giant rounded rocks which rise abruptly from the spinifex (spiky grass) covered plain. There are about 30 brilliant red monoliths scattered across the plain. Mt Olga rises 545m, almost 200m taller than Ayers Rock.

Part of the James Range (100km south of Alice Springs) is Rainbow Valley featuring sandstone cliffs and bluffs, which are particularly attractive at sunrise and sunset. The area is rich in Aboriginal heritage and paintings.

Kings Canyon, 320km west of Alice Springs is one of the most interesting and scenic ares of the Red Centre. The climb to the edge of the canyon rim is well worth it, offering spectacular views. Visit the Lost City and the Garden of Eden. Kings Canyon is the deepest gorge in the Centre. The red walls tower up to 270m and meet at a cliff where a waterfall tumbles.

The town of Tennant Creek was made during the gold rush of the 1930's and is now a modern town. It's gold mines are still some of Australia's richest. Tennant Creek continues to thrive with gold and copper production. Follow the Heritage Walk to find out more about the town and it's history.

The Devils Marbles are huge rounded boulders about 1 and 1/2 hours south of Tennant Creek. They spread for miles through a wide valley and the area is breathtaking at sunrise and sunset. The hundreds of huge, round boulders are balanced precariously on top of each other, and make for interesting scenery.

Central Australia is a great place to visit to see magical natural wonders as well as traditional Australian culture (Aboriginal culture) so a visit to the region is definitely not a waste of time infact it would be a most worthwhile trip.

Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, The Olgas and Kings Canyon (Central Australia) have four recognisable seasons.

The first being the summer season (December to February), which produces a dry heat and glorious sunshine, with temperatures reaching over 35C during the day, and dropping to around 20C at night.

By Autumn (March to May) the climate is starting to cool down and day time temperatures drop to around 28C. Night temperatures also drop to a pleasantly cooler 13C during the evening.

The season of winter in the desert (June to August) offers glorious 20C days, but night time is chilly with temperatures dropping to 0C or below.

The final season, Spring (September to November), brings out a carpet of colourful desert wild flowers as temperatures begin to rise towards the 30C mark during the day. Temperatures at night remain cool at around 14C.

Central Australia enjoys sunshine all year-round and is famous for its clear blue skies. Rainfall, when it does come, is unpredictable in The Centre and can occur at any time of the year depending on southern weather patterns, and caution should be taken during any rain in case of flash flooding.