Refreshed: September 2026
Nothing quite prepared me for Australia’s Red Centre.
I had seen countless photographs of Uluru before I went, but standing in front of it was completely different. Then there was Kata Tjuta, the seemingly endless Outback, Alice Springs and, perhaps most unexpectedly of all, those extraordinary blue skies.
Australia’s Red Centre turned out to be one of the most memorable parts of my journey through the country.
We flew from Melbourne to Uluru and travelled through the region by coach, eventually making our way to Alice Springs. Travelling overland gave me a real sense of just how vast and sparsely populated this part of Australia is.
Visiting Uluru
Uluru is impressive in photographs. In person, it is something else entirely.
Our guide explained its geology, history and, most importantly, its deep cultural and spiritual significance to the Anangu, the Traditional Owners of the land.
I have to confess that when somebody tells me that something was formed hundreds of millions of years ago, the information tends to go in one ear and out of the other. I simply cannot comprehend those sorts of numbers! Tell me something happened 100 or perhaps 200 years ago and I have a fighting chance.
What I could understand was the importance of the place to the people who have lived on and cared for this land for generations.
At the time of my visit, our guide told us that climbing Uluru would eventually be stopped because of its sacred significance. I remember thinking that this should be respected. There are plenty of other mountains and rocks in the world for people who want to climb them.
Climbing Uluru was subsequently permanently closed in October 2019.
Sunrise and sunset at Uluru
One of the things I had particularly looked forward to was watching Uluru change colour as the light moved across it at sunrise and sunset.
Unfortunately, Uluru didn’t perform for us!
We got up at the crack of dawn, half asleep, and waited expectantly for the spectacular transformation we had heard so much about. It didn’t quite happen.
But strangely, it didn’t matter. There was something rather enjoyable about all of us standing there together in the early morning waiting for something exciting to happen. Sunset was equally enjoyable, helped considerably by having a glass of wine in hand while we watched the sun disappear.
So although I didn’t see the dramatic transformation I had expected, I still enjoyed the experience.
Kata Tjuta
We also visited nearby Kata Tjuta, with its enormous red rock domes rising from the landscape.
This was also where I learnt a useful lesson about footwear.
I had dressed for the heat and worn light sandals. Sensible for a hot day, I thought.
Not so sensible for walking over rocks!
I wasn’t alone. Several of us had arrived wearing completely inappropriate footwear. The walk itself wasn’t as difficult as some of my photographs made it look, but our shoes certainly didn’t help.
Mutitjulu Waterhole
Another memorable stop was Mutitjulu Waterhole at the base of Uluru.
We heard some of the stories associated with the landscape and learnt more about the long connection between the Anangu and this land.
And yes, there are photographs of me wearing a net over my head.
We had been advised before arriving in the Red Centre that the flies could be a nuisance, so several of us had bought fly nets in Melbourne. Naturally, once we arrived wearing our protective equipment, there were hardly any flies!
Still, I was prepared.
What there certainly was plenty of was heat. It was incredibly hot, and any small patch of shade was very welcome.
Travelling to Alice Springs
Leaving Uluru, we travelled east towards Alice Springs along the Lasseter and Stuart Highways.
The coach journey took around eight hours, and I became fascinated by the landscape rather than bored by the long journey.
It was the sky that really caught my attention.
The blue was so clear and intense that I couldn’t stop taking photographs. Against the red earth, the white clouds looked as though someone had carefully painted them onto the sky.
The landscape seemed to stretch forever.
That long journey gave me a much better appreciation of the sheer size of Australia’s interior and the distances people living in remote communities have to deal with.
Along the way we also heard about The Ghan, the famous passenger train that crosses Australia between Adelaide and Darwin. Even hearing about a train journey taking several days helped put Australia’s enormous distances into perspective.
Alice Springs
There was plenty to see in Alice Springs.
I visited Anzac Hill, with its views across Alice Springs towards the distant MacDonnell Ranges, and the historic Alice Springs Telegraph Station.
I also visited the School of the Air and learnt how children living in some of Australia’s most remote communities receive their education.
The Royal Flying Doctor Service was equally fascinating. In a country where some people live hundreds of kilometres from major towns and hospitals, I began to understand just how important services like these are.
They were things I had heard about before travelling to Australia, but seeing them in the context of the vast landscape made much more sense.
Food in the Red Centre
Of course, I tried the food.
I had Wagyu beef steak, which was delicious and considerably less expensive than I was accustomed to seeing it in the UK.
Then I became rather more adventurous.
I tried crocodile tail, emu sausage and kangaroo steak.
Yes, all three!
They certainly aren’t going to appeal to everyone, and they weren’t foods I had ever imagined myself eating before travelling to Australia. But trying unfamiliar food is part of travelling for me, so I gave them a go.
When I think about Australia’s Red Centre now, Uluru is naturally one of the first things that comes to mind. But I also remember Kata Tjuta, Alice Springs, the heat and that very long journey through the Outback.
Most of all, I remember the colours: the red earth, enormous blue sky and almost impossibly white clouds.
I took photograph after photograph as we travelled towards Alice Springs because I couldn’t quite believe what I was seeing.
Years later, that is still the picture I have in my mind.
Have you visited Australia? I’d love to hear about your experience or any tips you’d add in the comments below.
You can also read about my visit to the Great Barrier Reef and my journey : Australia- A Country And A Continent
