Alice Springs & surrounds

Alice Springs is Australia’s most famous outback town, located in the heart of the outback. ‘Alice’ is home to about 27,000 people and with experiences like hiking, camel riding, quad biking and hot air ballooning on offer; it’s the ultimate outback adventure destination.

Alice Springs often defies expectations in terms of its capacity for conferences and events. The Alice Springs Convention Centre is a state-of the-art complex and its largest room can cater for 1,200 guests. There are also plenty of hotels with conference facilities that can cater for large groups.

There are numerous unique activities to include in a conference program, such as turning your delegates into jack and jillaroos at an outback cattle station, having breakfast with the birds at the award-winning Alice Springs Desert Park or joining a dot painting and story telling session with local Aboriginal people.

Getting to Alice Springs

Alice Springs and Ayers Rock Resort at Uluru are really in the heart of Australia with direct services to Sydney, Perth, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, and Cairns. Direct daily services operate between Alice Springs and Ayers Rock Airport.

Climate

Central Australia is a semi-arid environment and experiences Australia’s typical four seasons: summer, autumn, winter and spring.

In the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park region, the Anangu Aboriginal people recognise six seasons — all formulated on which fruits and foods are available during that season:

Piriyakutu/piriya piriya is when the piriya comes — a warm steady wind from the north and west (usually August/September) and a season when animals breed and food plants flower
Mai wiyaringkupai/kuli is the really hot time when food finishes (around December) and there is marutjara (storm clouds) and lightning, but little rain
Itjanu/inuntji is when utawari (overcast clouds) usually bring rain (January — March) and lots of food plants flower
Wanitjunkupayi is the beginning of cold weather
Tjuntalpa clouds start around April, but usually don’t bring rain
Wari is the cold time (late May, June and July) and a season where there is nyinnga (frost), but little rain

What to Pack

In the Central Australian regions of Alice Springs, Tennant Creek and Uluru, the temperature can vary from 40 degrees Celsius in summer to -4 degrees Celsius in winter, and even summer nights are often quite cold, so it’s a good idea to pack some warmer clothing.