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Alice Springs. Isn’t that one of those names that runs away with your imagination? As was to be expected, the town is not called after young sparkling Alice jumping in the air. However, it is called after an Alice, Alice Todd, the wife of Charles Todd. In 1865, the two of them came to Australia to set up the first telegraph line. The area was large and unpopulated. During an expedition in the area, they came across a river with a waterhole in it. This waterhole was called Alice Springs and this is the site where a telegraph repeater station was founded. Some years later, the station moved to a neighbouring town that got, and still bears, the name Alice Springs.
The primary reason for tourism to Alice Springs had been its proximity to Uluru, which is 400 km to the west. However, with the creation of Yulara resort in 1984, and an airport allowing tourists to fly directly to Yulara, many tourists no longer visit Alice Springs. Alice Springs had also been used by many Australian tourists as a stopover point between Darwin and Adelaide or Brisbane and Perth, but the airlines now prefer to fly directly to their destinations.
Because of its central location and its nearby red-coloured rock-formations and the red-sand desert area, the town is also called the Red Centre. It is a nice place to stay and it has, despite its flock of tourists, been able to maintain its authentic character. The town itself has some interesting sights to explore, such as the telegraph station, the botanical garden and the Spencer and Gillen museum. It is also a good place from which to explore the outback with its camel farms, the famous Ayers Rock (respectfully called Uluru, it's original Aboriginal name) and several nature parks.
Telegraph Station Historical Reserve
This is the place just outside Alice Springs where the first telegraph station was built (not in the least because of the continual water-supply by the springs). Later, the telegraph station was moved to the town. You can pay a visit to the former station, located at a ten miles’ distance from Alice Springs. The surroundings lend themselves admirably to the purpose of exploring the outback.
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