Alice Springs (Mparntwe)
Northern Territory Town Profiles Copyright 2017 Alongside Written by Sarah Yates and Paige Hobbs All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of authors. To obtain permission contact: Paige Hobbs Email: paige@alongside.org.au Phone: 0439 470 701 Level 16 The Charles Darwin Centre 19 Smith St, Darwin Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are warned that the following book may contain images of deceased persons. hello@alongside.org.au www.alongside.org.au Design by One Idea
Alice Springs (Mparntwe) Alice Springs (Mparntwe)
Moving to a new location can be stressful and overwhelming for several reasons, not least because you may be moving to a remote community, or a town you have never been to before. Partners and families of NT Police are often required to move around the Territory to support a loved one in the job and while Alongside cannot make some of those changes go away, we can help reduce some of the unknowns for you. We understand that moving somewhere new can be daunting. It is our job to offset those feelings the best we can by providing you with as much information possible on the community you are about to call home. The Alongside town profiles are here to help. Designed to provide NT Police, their partners and families an overview of each location in the NT, the Alongside town profiles detail everything from the nuts-and-bolts essentials to suggestions of great things to do on the weekend, how to assimilate into local cultures and the general vibe of a place. From all of us at Alongside, welcome to Alice Springs! Northern Territory Town Profiles
FROM LITTLE THINGS, BIG THINGS GROW Town Overview Alice Springs is the physical and spiritual heart of Australia s arid region. It is located about halfway between Darwin and Adelaide and has a population of close to 29,000 people. A vibrant array of cultures and backgrounds including Indigenous, American, European, African and Asian, Alice Springs is divided by the Todd River which is often dry until the wet season. Alice Springs is also a major service center for about 260 remote communities across the region. Mparntwe (pronounced mbarn-twa) is the Arrernte word for Alice Springs and was established by the actions of several ancestral figures including the caterpillar beings Ayepe-arenye, Ntyarlke and Utnerrengatye, with the MacDonnell Ranges being but one of their creations. As Alice Springs is a major services centre within Central Australia, it attracts Aboriginal people from all over the region and beyond. Alice Springs is in the Rodinga Ward of the Alice Springs Council. Alice Springs (Mparntwe)
Heritage The town was laid out and built near a spring in 1888, not far from the Telegraph Station. This spring was named after Alice, the wife of Charles Todd who completed the overland telegraph line from Port Augusta to Darwin in 1872. The town was first called Stuart, after the explorer John McDouall Stuart, but was bestowed its present name in 1933. Indigenous communities The Arrernte people are the traditional owners of Alice Springs and continue to inhabit the country, observe traditional law, look after the country and teach children the Arrernts language and the importance of their culture. Aboriginal residents live in the suburbs, on town camps, further out at Amoonguna to the south and on the small family outstation communities on Aboriginal Lands in surrounding areas. Apart from English and the distinctive Arrernte and its four dialects Central, Eastern, Western and Southern - when walking around Alice Springs, you will hear Aboriginal people speaking many different desert languages including Warlpiri, Yankunytjatjara, Pitjantjatjara, Luritja, Pintupi-Luritja, Ngaatjatjarra, Ngaanyatjarra, Alyawarra and Anmatyerre. Northern Territory Town Profiles
Aboriginal rock art at Emily Gap, East MacDonnell Ranges. Ian Parker, Evanescent Light Photography. Alice Springs (Mparntwe)
DREAMTIME STORIES In the Arrernte Aboriginal people s Dreamtime story, it is told the region was created by giant caterpillars. These creatures became the stunning ridges of the East and West MacDonnell Ranges that shelter the town of Alice Springs. Indigenous rock found in Emily Gap tells the story of how three caterpillar ancestors named Yeperenye, Ntyalke and Utnerrengatye created the MacDonnell Ranges. The Arrernte people, believe the ranges were formed by giant caterpillars that entered this world through one of the gaps in the area s escarpment. In traditional stories the caterpillar ancestors are the major creation forces of the Alice Springs area. Northern Territory Town Profiles
These stories tell how they arrived from all directions, first stopping at Mparntwe, a particularly sacred site in Alice Springs, where they battled with the Irlperenye (green stink bug). The caterpillars fled when the Irlperenye began to kill them. The ranges around Alice Springs are seen to be the remains of caterpillars. The gaps in the ranges, like Emily Gap, indicate where the Irlperenye tore the heads from the bodies of the caterpillars. The few surviving Yeperenye went on to sculpt the rivers and trees along the tops of the ranges. Alice Springs (Mparntwe)
WITH DIFFERENT LIVES, IN DIFFERENT PLACES Climate Don t be fooled by its beautiful landscape; Alice Springs experiences scorching summer days of more than 40 degrees to icy winter nights that can fall well below zero. With long dry periods of no rain to frothing torrents along ordinarily dry river beds from spectacular storms and flash flooding during the summer, you will need to rug up in the winter even though clouds are a rarity during this time of year too. Supermarket Alice Springs has two large supermarkets - Woolworths in the Yeperenye Shopping Centre and Coles Supermarket in the Coles Complex. Alice Springs has lots of smaller, suburban supermarkets as well including multiple Foodland supermarkets scattered around the town. The Diarama Village on Thursday evenings is known to be second to none with their fresh fruit and vegetables. Organic food (although pricey) is available at Afghan Traders in Smith Street. Northern Territory Town Profiles
All The Essentials Alice Springs is an alcohol restricted area, meaning you cannot drink alcohol anywhere in public. This includes parks, streets, the Todd River bank and the mall (penalties do apply). However, you can drink alcohol in the picnic area at the Telegraph Station, licensed pubs, restaurants, clubs, within private homes and at community events that have a special permit. There are restrictions in Alice Springs and Central Australia for the times and days you can buy takeaway alcohol and how much you can buy of certain types of alcohol each day. If you want to visit or drive through Aboriginal land in Alice Springs, you must have a permit. The Northern Land Council manages the permit system on behalf of the traditional owners of land in the Top End. The town s Central Business District (CBD) is a temporary home for the keen shopper, so make sure you visit places like the Yeperenye Shopping Centre, Alice Plaza and Todd Mall. There are also a number of arcades and smaller malls to discover, including the Coles Complex, Leichtodd Plaza and Reg Harris Lane. Alice Springs (Mparntwe)
You ll find many major Australian retailers like Just Jeans, Priceline, Sussan, Millers, Payless Shoes and Jay Jays in Alice Springs. There s also a Kmart and Target. There are approximately 10 petrol stations in Alice Springs, including Caltex Woolworths, Coles Express, BP, Caltex, United and Indervon. There are five Australia Post outlets around Alice Springs, one of which is an Australia Post Shop to meet all your postal needs. Alice Springs has Commonwealth, NAB, Bendigo, ANZ, Westpac, AMP, BankSA and ME Banks and a list of more banks and credit unions and ATMs in the area. There are at least three pharmacies in Alice Springs one in Alice Plaza and one in the Coles Complex as well as Alice Springs Pharmacy in Hartley Street. Alice Springs Pharmacy also services remote Aboriginal communities and its remote pharmacist team can and will visit any number of 35 remote communities by light plane. Alice Springs has a fully equipped teaching hospital and a range of GPs, dentists and other specialised health services. There are also numerous medical clinics, centres and specialist services available in and around the Alice Springs area, including doctors, audiometry, medical imaging, cosmetic procedures and family planning. Northern Territory Town Profiles
Plugging in to the outside world can be done via Telstra and their Next-G network. Most fixed line phone services in Alice Springs can be connected to ADSL, but availability can be dependent on location, so check first. There are several internet cafes in town, some of which offer both 'blue cable' (plug your own laptop in) or wireless access. The Alice Springs Public Library also has public access internet PCs and Wi-Fi. Alice Springs offers a wide range of child care, pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary education services. There is everything from infant song and story time groups, to child care centres and family day care. In addition to seven pre-schools, there are 19 government (public) and non-government (private) schools/colleges, including two dedicated to indigenous students, in the area. Yipirinya School provides indigenous culture-based primary education. The Alice Springs School of the Air is available for children in remote areas. The Alice Springs campus of Charles Darwin University is also a multisector institution offering courses in TAFE and Higher Education. Alice Springs (Mparntwe)
Stacey Kontogianis, Simpson Gap Northern Territory Town Profiles
Alice Springs (Mparntwe)
IN CONVOYS OF SILENCE THE CATTLE GRAZE Sport Alice Springs has excellent sporting facilities that host a wide range of sports and activities as well as several national and regional sporting events including the Alice Springs Masters Games, Imparja Cup, AFL NAB Cup, Indigenous All Stars Game, NRL pre-season game, Women s National Basketball League (WNBL) and national tennis pro tour events. Alice Springs is also home to the Arunga Park Speedway, a 402-metre dirt oval speedway. The speedway runs from August to March and caters to cars, solos and sidecars. Recreation The Alice Springs Aquatic and Leisure Centre has two water slides, a heated indoor 25 metre lap pool, kiosk/café, 20 metre pool with disabled ramp access, toddler area, indoor spa and a lazy river as well as amenities. Alice Springs boasts a large number of parks, reserves and playgrounds. Various parks are suitable for dog walking and certain parks allow offlead walking at particular times of day. Look for a sign near the main entrance of the park. Northern Territory Town Profiles
If you re keen to sit back and relax, why not try a few of the local cafés in Alice Springs such as Page 27 Café, Red Dog, Epilogue Lounge, Bean Tree Café or Yaye s Café. But if you re searching for something more and want to sit back and enjoy the local cuisine, there s definitely something to please everyone here no matter the budget. A couple of favourites are Monte s Lounge for a good pub meal, Hanuman Alice Springs for Thai inspired food, Loco Burrito for a touch of Mexican, Barra on Todd, Casa Nostra Pizza & Spaghetti House and the The Overlanders Steakhouse. For those who want to see what the town has on offer, here is a bit of a hit list of things to discover and do while in Alice Springs: Todd Mall Markets - An outdoor market in the Todd Mall every second Sunday from mid-february to early December that sells local produce, arts, crafts and food from 9am until 1pm. Christmas Carnival - The Alice Springs Town Council s Christmas Carnival fills the Red Centre with festive fun and Christmas cheer in December! Night Markets - The Alice Springs Town Council operates a Night Market in the Todd Mall every month from August through to November, from 5-9pm. Night Markets are held on a Thursday, offerings a variety of local performances. They are often themed ore complimenting major events such as the Alice Desert Festival and Alice Springs Masters Games. Alice Springs (Mparntwe)
Pets on Parade - The Council Rangers annually host the Pets on Parade event to promote responsible pet ownership to the local community. Alice Desert Festival presents a season (August to November) of dynamic events that support and promote the incredible local arts sector. The Red Centre NATS (on Father s Day weekend!) combines three days of awesome competition, action and entertainment across Alice Springs, and showcases Australia s largest street parade. If street machines, elite show cars, hobby vehicles, hot rods, classics and supercars are your thing, be sure to check it out. Parrtjima is a spectacular world of light and sound where contemporary and traditional Indigenous stories and artwork are brought to life under the night sky on an unprecedented scale. Held over 10 nights at the end of September 2.5 kilometres of the epic 300-million-yearold MacDonnell Ranges are illuminated, spilling into Alice Springs Desert Park. The annual Camel Cup is held in July at Blatherskite Park, part of the Central Australian Show Society grounds. It is a full day event featuring a series of races using camels instead of horses. The unique annual sporting event Henley-on-Todd Regatta is a sand river race with bottomless boats and it remains the only dry river regatta in the world Northern Territory Town Profiles
The Beanie Festival was organised to sell beanies crocheted by Aboriginal women in remote communities. It has grown into a fun event where Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal artists share their culture and exhibit together. It is held annually in June along with a BBQ and Tea Shop to ensure a great day filled with beanies, food, cake and drinks is had. The Finke Desert Race is a 'there and back' off-road challenge from Alice Springs to the Aputula (Finke) Community, covering a 460 kilometre round-trip over the Queen s Birthday long weekend in June. If friends or family come to see what you re up to, choose from comfortable B&Bs, elegant award-winning resorts, self-contained cabins, familiar hotel chains, or serviced apartments for their accommodation comfort. Should they feel more adventurous, they can pitch a tent or park a van on a grassy site in one of the many holiday parks close to town. Family friendly, luxury, cheap and cheerful, in the town centre, further afield in a quiet residential area or out in a bush setting there's an accommodation option for all visitors. Alice Springs (Mparntwe)
Arts Alice Springs is renowned as the Aboriginal art capital of Central Australia, home to many local and Aboriginal art galleries. The Museum of Central Australia/Stehlow Research Centre features some of the most important natural history and archival materials tied to the history and culture of the region. The Strehlow Archives also contains materials linked to the Arrernte people of Central Australia. The Araluen Centre for Arts and Entertainment presents world-class ballets and orchestras, as well as local performances. The National Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame is also located in the town. Locals also enjoy meeting up in Konjo Park for a BBQ every Sunday at 11am. This is an excellent time to meet the locals, who quite often undertake games of football and frisbee. The annual Desert Mob Art Show sees art collectors and art lovers from all over the world travel to Alice Springs to see works from Aboriginal art centres in Central Australia. With works by artists from remote areas of the Northern Territory, South Australia and Western Australia, this show is operated in conjunction with the artist association "Desart" and usually runs in September at the Araluen Art Centre. Northern Territory Town Profiles
Parrtjima A Festival in Light Alice Springs (Mparntwe)
I M TOLD I M GOING PLACES If you are flying into Alice Springs, or even out of for that matter, the airport is located only 15 kilometres south of town however flights are quite expensive and Qantas is the only airline provider. If you are driving, bear in mind that Alice Springs is a long way from everywhere. Coober Pedy is 600 kilometres south, Tennant Creek is 503 kilometres north and Darwin is 1,500km away. If you re driving to or from Sydney, Melbourne or even Adelaide, it s going to take you at least three full days on the road to get to Alice Springs. Greyhound buses operate within Alice Springs with routes out to Jabiru, Broome and Darwin. Check: https://www.greyhound.com.au There are several places you can hire a car from in Alice Springs including (but not limited to) Avis, Budget, Europcar, Thrifty and Hertz. Keep in mind hiring from the airport rather than in the township incurs a greater cost or surcharge. Remember that during the wet season (November to April) some roads and tracks may become impassable. Check road closures here: http://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/roadreport/ Northern Territory Town Profiles
Located on the Adelaide-Darwin railway, Alice Springs is accessible by train. Alice Springs railway station is visited by The Ghan, operated by Great Southern Rail, on its journey between Adelaide and Darwin. The train arrives twice weekly in each direction. In order to leave Alice Springs, you will need to travel the following number of kilometres - Simpson Gap...26 km Hermannsburg...126km Finke Gorge National Park...140km Devils Marbles...393km Tennant Creek...508km Mataranka Thermal Pools...1075km Darwin... 1500km Yulara Tourist Village...445km Uluru...465km Kata Tjuta... 492km Kings Canyon...470km Alice Springs (Mparntwe)
PLACES TO START Travel NT is the Northern Territory Government's official tourism website for visitors to the Territory. the Alice Springs section of the Travel NT website contains maps, itineraries, travel advice and lots of other information. http://www.northernterritory.com/alice-springs-and-surrounds Tourism Central Australia is the Regional Tourism Association and has listings for accommodation, car hire and other services for visitors to Alice Springs. They also run the local information centre located in the middle of the Todd Mall. http://www.discovercentralaustralia.com Parks and Wildlife NT's website has information for those intending to walk the Larapinta Trail or visit the many National Parks in the region. https://dtc.nt.gov.au The official Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park website has up to date information on visiting Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. https://parksaustralia.gov.au/uluru/ index.html Information about road conditions is available from the Central Australian Tourism Visitor Information Centre in Alice Springs. http://www.ntlis.nt.gov.au/roadreport/. If 4WD is your thing, the team at 4WD Australia has a brilliant section on tracks in the NT, and is a solid place to start when planning adventures in Alice Springs. www.4x4australia.com.au Northern Territory Town Profiles
Alice Springs (Mparntwe)
Northern Territory Town Profiles
Alice Springs (Mparntwe)
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