My Town Magazine, Discover Queensland Edition 8th September 2014 Edition 41 | Page 31

interesting settings. The granite boulders are scattered across a wide narrow valley. One of the main Dreaming
stories for the area which can be told
to non-Aboriginal people relates to
how the Devils Marbles were made. This
tradition tells of ‘Arrange’, an ancient ancestor, who walked through the area. He
made a hair-string belt, a type of traditional adornment, worn only by initiated
Aboriginal men. As he was twirling the
hair to make strings, he dropped clusters of hair on the ground which turned
into the big red boulders. Arrange
finally returned to his place of origin, a
hill called Ayleparrarntenhe, where the
legend says he still lives today.
Our next stop, Alice Springs is 508 kilometers from Tennant Creek. There are
however stopping points along the way
such as Barrow Creek or Ti Tree that
can break the journey.
From Alice Springs there are so many
things to see and do, not the least of
which is of course ULURU. But from
the Alice itself stunning places abound.
The West MacDonnell National Park
is home to the most amazing rock
formations but one of my picks is the
homestead at Glen Helen situated just
132 kilometers from the Alice. It is one
of six permanent watering holes on the

Finke River. Not only is this one of the
most picturesque spots in the Ranges,
it also hosts Mt Sonder the pinnacle of
the Larapinta hiking Trail. The towering
sandstone cliffs shadow the waterholes
to create some amazing photography.
The Resort is a one and only and has
won excellence awards for dining. It is
nestled in the most brilliant of landscapes giving the traveler an unforgettable experience on their travels. From
here you can explore Goose Bluff, Roma
Gorge and Palm Valley. Kings Canyon is
accessible from this route as well but
only by 4 wheel drive.
There are some great day trips from
Alice Springs including a Camel Ride at
sunset, a 4 hour “A town like Alice” tour
and the West MacDonnell Ranges 4 1/2
hour experience taking in the outback
gaps and gorges. The 30 minute morning
balloon flight is absolutely unforgettable
and worth the $290 per person charge.
I believe that on some occasions you
will stay up for a little longer if you are
lucky. For the thrill seekers there is a
dune buggy 2 ½ hour fun tour from
Undoolya Station at a cost of $145 per
person. Of course there are many more
tours on offer and I would be more than
happy to advise you of these if you wish.
There are several 3 day tours from Alice
Springs one of which is the Red Centre
4 wheel Drive Safari. Here you will visit
Uluru the amazing Kata Tjuta and Kings
Canyon all the while experiencing the
true Aussie spirit of the dusty outback.

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Whilst there are many places to stay
at Uluru, the Longitude 131 is a true 5
star destination. It does however hold a
price befitting the position to the rock.
If $2200 per person does not phase
you then it is the closest you will get
to our beloved landmark. Sails in the
Desert have wonderful accommodation
from $230 per person per night and the
Outback Pioneer Hotel and Lodge from
$155 per person per night. If this does
not fit the bill then of course camping is
the best option.

Happy Travelling
Deanne Scanlan
MTA Travel
www.mtatravel.com.au/dscanlan

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