Stories from the Heart

I love living and working in Alice Springs. People are kind, funny, unique and gentle.
There is courtesy and manners here if you look properly. Give a thumbs up and expect the best. This translates across cultures and languages and makes us one human family.

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.