Stories from the Heart

Werte Mparntwe,
You know me and I know you.
My heart was born here,

in the warmth of your red earth,

the dust sticks to my soul.

I came as a little girl,
lost in this big world,

but you,
Mparntwe,
you grounded me.

No matter how far I wander,

I always return to your embrace—

the weight of your history under my feet,

the quiet hum of the land beneath me,
whispering stories older than time.
I watch the world try to understand you,

but they can’t.

The media speaks as though they know your heart,
but they don’t.

They haven’t broken down on the side of the road
 and been fixed up by a bush mechanic,

or healed by a Ngangkaris hands,

or filled with love by a nanna’s freshly baked damper,
Or smelled the burn of a Marlu wipu on the fire as their mouth watered and they sat talking stories,
turning,
scraping off the fur. 

They haven’t sat in the dust with the children,
whose smiles defy the odds stacked against them.

They don’t see the joy in their eyes,

the strength in their laughter,

the fight in their hearts.
They talk about you,
Mparntwe,

but they don’t listen.

Like the youth of this land,

misunderstood,
unheard,

their voices drowned in the noise of the world
that doesn’t stop long enough to feel their truth.

But they are like the land—resilient,
so hold them like you held me,
Guide them like you guided me. 

The earth may be cracked,

but it always heals.

It knows that the last laugh belongs to the land,

and the last word belongs to the youth.

In time, the world will listen.
Just as you have always held me close,

your stories will be heard,

your song will echo in hearts,

and your people will rise,

as sure as the sun that rises over the ranges,
and the stars that light your skies.

I see you, Mparntwe.

I hear you.

And I love you.

Forever and always,
 even when they don’t.

With love,
Kirra

Like many , I came to Alice for a job opportunity, expecting to stay for a year or so, and ended up living in, and loving, Alice for more than a decade.
I started Alice Springs Walking Tours and loved sharing stories of Alice Springs, its people, its history, and what makes it so special.
Inevitably people would ask, Do you like living in Alice Springs? Followed by, Why? My answer: Alice Springs has such an interesting mix of people...Aboriginal people, lefties, red necks, cow cockies, backpackers, drifters and dreamers. Which is unlike many rural towns in Australia where the demographic is largely homogenous.
I loved my time in Alice and still see myself as an ambassador for the town. I tell people, if you've ever thought of visiting Alice but aren't sure because of what you've heard, take my word for it. Go there. You'll love it like I do.

I’ve visited Alice three times in 5 years. The people I’ve are so friendly. What I love most about Alice is the artwork you see everywhere and the number of galleries is awesome. If you came to my house in the states, you would see all the awesome art I’ve bought from the Alice Springs community!

From wide open spaces
To the fastest desert races
Loving the town life
The festivals, parties and vibe
In hottest of hot
And coldest of cold
When the dry wind blows
Its Alice that glows

Swimming in the gorge hole was the most amazing thing ever. The scenery’s and night markets were also such an amazing experience. I went through my school (upper yarra secondary college) and we travelled through remote tours. The amazing tour guides - Jaxon, Cara and Reggie were amazing and were very educational aswell as being entertaining. I would definitely recommend travelling to Alice Springs and exploring the surrounding areas

During 2023 I visited Alice Springs with my school, Upper Yarra Secondary College, and it was truly one of the best experiences of my life. Thanks to Reg from Remote Tours, my whole class had an incredible time exploring this stunning location together. Visiting these amazing places and the connection we felt here, brought my year level together. The memories we made are still talked about 2 years on, and will stay with us the rest of our lives.

I went to Alice Springs for a school camp and it is safe to say it was my favourite one i have ever been on! The places we went and things we got to experience together while visiting were incredible and once in a lifetime. We visited the wildlife centre and swam in some of the most amazing waterholes you’ll ever see. We stayed for 2 nights at an aboriginal boarding school with remote tours and saw a reptile show and watched the stars. We spent another two nights at Lilla where we got smoked onto country and learnt about the fascinating history of indigenous Australians from the area before heading off to uluru for our last couple days of the trip. Im so grateful to be able to experience this and highly recommend it as a trip to add to your bucket list. I cannot wait to go back one day when i am older.

I enjoyed going ro all the waterholes in the area. Having the opportunity to do what I did while visiting Alice Springs makes me feel very privileged. Not many people get to do what I did and I'm very grateful.

Central Australia was the most beautiful and intricate landscape I'd ever set foot in. I come from Upper Yarra Secondary College in the Yarra Valley -which is rich in resources like trees, water and wild species- so being able to come into an area almost the opposite of what I call home was a refreshing and enlightening experience. I was fortunate enough to spend a week in Central Australia, where I stayed two nights each at different places throughout the week. The first two nights were spent in the hospitality of St Phillips College in Alice Springs, which is a boarding school for Indigenous boys and girls to travel there and learn. We were lucky enough to experience bunk beds with air conditioning. While we were there, we experienced a Reptile Show by a local snake-catcher named Rex; visited a Zoo just outside the town and was lucky enough to see a panoramic view of Alice Springs via ANZAC hill. On the second day, we drove to some different spots around the west MacDonnell Ranges and trekked to water holes and rivers at the base of the mountain range. On the third day, we packed our bags and travelled 5 hours south. We were extremely fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit and stay at the Native Title Land of Lilla, where we were exposed to the rich amount of history and culture present in the Aboriginal Community located in the country of Luritja. Our group was smoked on country by the inhabitants of the land, which (in my opinion) strengthened our ties to the land and we were later taught that it also notifies the spirits present there if our arrival. This time, we slept in swags underneath the beautiful night sky, where our tour guide Luke from Remote Tours expelled his knowledge about galaxy's and the universe during the night. We were also shown elaborate cave paintings throughout the day and travelled to astonishing and secret Indigenous sites, one of which was a water hole, hidden from the harsh temperatures and landscape. During my visit to the water hole, we collectively practiced mindfulness and "living in the moment". On day four, we hiked up the mountain range out the back of the area we were staying and visited some waterholes dotted throughout the mountain range. When we returned to Lilla, we listened to a ranger and a nurse discuss their jobs and then we did a finger painting after the Elder taught us some symbols and how they made ancient weapons. On day five, we packed our bags once again and travelled to Kings Canyon, where we performed a six kilometre hike in and around the canyon. We then visited another sacred indigenous site called the Garden of Eden, where we meditated once again. The geology was astonishing and we were shown the process and age of this canyon being formed by Luke. On that same day, we drove for another two hours toward the majestic Uluru. During this drive, we saw Mount Conner, or commonly known as "Fool-uru", and the great salt flats near Mount Conner. We then finished our drive and set up camp at Ayers Rock Resort which is a short drive from Uluru. Uluru itself was magnificent and unlike anything I've ever seen or ever will see. On day six, we traveled to Kata-Tjuta National Park and hiked through the majestic conglomerate domes that it is made of. The view at one lookout was stunning; a view of most of the domes with a great plain separating us and that. Following this memorable hike, we finally trekked around the base of Uluru, but were unable to finish it in that day. Uluru's full beauty is unlocked at dawn and dusk, where it changes colour and is painted by the radiant sun as it fell behind Kata-Tjuta. On the final day, we were joined by an ranger who was a traditional custodian of the land named James Paul. James described the history and stories associated with Uluru that we're permitted to be told and enunciated the importance of protecting the site and its history. Overall, this incredible opportunity would never have been possible and I feel so privileged and grateful that I was able to be exposed to such an amazing landscape and incredible experiences all thanks to our amazing tour guides: Luke, Cara, Regi and Cez (our chef) with Remote Tours Australia-this wouldn't be possible without them.