Red Center

As Red Centre is denoted by red sand in the center of the Australian continent in the outback of the Northern Territory, the characteristic semi-desert. It covers an area of ​​approximately one million square kilometers roughly along the boundary lines between the territories of Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland, in the north- east to about a level of Tennant Creek and the north- west to the Tanami Desert.

Typical of the sandy deserts of Australia are the over several kilometers at intervals of 30 to 500 m parallel, mostly covered sand dunes. These are 5 to 15 m high, often more than 10 km long. But in between are also large levels, with sparse spike head grasses ( Triodia ) are covered.

The landscape is geologically more than 800 million years old. Sediments of a prehistoric inland sea form the basis of the great monoliths, rock domes and boulders.

About the abundant wildlife in desert wadis and sand dunes informed of the Alice Springs Desert Park. The nocturnal shy animals show up in the great outdoors the visitors rarely.

The Aborigines, where large parts of the Red Centre in 1985 returned by the Australian Government, maintain reserves in their traditions. However, many are also in the tourism industry veteran, working as a ranger in the National Park travel guide for groups and go in Aboriginal cultural centers to the interested public. Her art, which has become our prehistoric cave paintings as known, is deliberately cultivated with traditional techniques again and is available as paintings and crafts in numerous galleries in the tourist centers.

Infrastructure

  • Urban transport hub of the Red Centre is Alice Springs; the Alice Springs airport is used by all other airports in Australia (but not international) approached. Another national airport is located near the hotel complex Ayers Rock Resort.
  • The Ghan railway from Adelaide ended earlier in Alice Springs; since 2004 she has been built up by Darwin.
  • The Stuart Highway from Port Augusta to Darwin via Alice Springs is the most important north-south link through the Red Centre.
  • Another paved highway ( Lasseter Highway and Luritja Drive) integrates the national parks, and a third place to the northwest across the Tanami Desert Following the Great Northern Highway.
  • Secondary roads are passable only with four-wheel drive in the rule; large parts of the outback outside the national parks are inaccessible.

The Stuart Highway now has bridges, eg on the Finke River, so that it is continuous also accessible at high tide. All other roads and paths cross the usually dry river valleys immediately. After rain they can therefore meters high are under water and impassable.

Tourist Destinations

From Alice Springs are preferred visited:

  • The Uluru- Kata Tjuta National Park with the Uluru and the Kata Tjuta;
  • The Watarrka National Park with its spectacular sandstone gorge of the Kings Canyon;
  • The West MacDonnell National Park with steep gorges, permanent water points and rare animals;
  • Karlu Karlu, an area with gigantic red granite blocks about 100 km south of Tennant Creek.

Travel literature

  • Louise Boston Lang: Australia. Vis à vis. Dorling Kindersley Travel, Ostfildern 2005, ISBN 3-928044-21-4.
  • Geography ( Northern Territory )
  • Desert in Australia and Oceania
Mount Conner Port Augusta, South Australia Watarrka-Nationalpark Kings Canyon (Northern Territory) West-MacDonnell-Nationalpark
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