Outdoor Adventure

Expect the unexpected when you visit Central Australia; the ever-changing and magnificent landscape will amaze you. Bring your sense of adventure because there are so many ways to explore the region that you’ll want to stay a little longer just to tick them all off your list. Whatever your brand of adventure, you will find something to excite you here in the #RedCentreNT.

Central Australia’s scenery is like nowhere else in the world. The vivid colours, the desert landscapes, and the ancient rock formations are amazing and unforgettable. And the number of ways you can experience the region is as varied as the country itself. Whether you choose to explore the region on the ground, from the air, on a bike, in an off-road vehicle, or on the back of a camel, the Red Centre has an adventure to take you there. If you want to set out on foot, the hiking in Central Australia is world-class. The walks at Uluru Kata-Tjuta National Park and Kings Canyon are already famous but hiking the Larapinta Trail in the West MacDonnell Ranges is now on the radar of the world’s trekking community. An abundance of day, overnight, and multi-day walking walks, both self-guided and guided, await.

Central Australia’s landscapes are extraordinary from any angle, but you’ll get a totally different perspective from the air. A Red Centre sunrise is uniquely spectacular but made even more special floating above the red desert floor in a hot air balloon. Or take to the skies in a scenic helicopter flight out of Alice Springs, Uluru, or Kings Canyon. Not fast enough for you? Get your adrenaline rush in a high-speed glider launch, just north of Alice Springs. You can soar for 20 minutes on an Air Experience flight, or take the controls, hit the thermals, and learn to fly in a full-on 2-hour experience. Not wild enough for you? Get the heart pumping, jump out of a plane and skydive over Uluru! 

For two-wheel adventure, Alice Springs has a vibrant mountain biking scene. The town’s miles of great biking trails, winding through ideal terrain and spectacular scenery make it a mountain biker’s dream. 

Want to get off the beaten track? Intrepid four-wheel drive enthusiasts love this part of the world. Test your skills in all types of terrain and conditions. Take the renowned Binns Track through the spectacular East MacDonnell Ranges, past the ghost town mining settlement of Arltunga. Relax at a nearby station-stay, before trying your luck fossicking at the Central Australian gem fields along the Plenty Highway. If you want someone else to do the 4-wheel driving, we have loads of tour companies that can show you around on one-day or multi-day trips.

For a different kind of off-road adventure, Central Australia has adrenaline-charged quad-bike action. Travel with super knowledgeable guides up the dry Finke River, or on a tour of an outback cattle station near Kings Canyon.

It’s not all about the adrenaline rush though. For a slower-paced adventure, take in the sights from the back of a camel. Rides on these gentle ships of the desert are available in Alice, at Uluru, or on route near Stuart’s Well.

Which adventures will you choose?