Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Northern Territory
Guide to the Red Centre
Experience Aboriginal culture, desert adventures and the changing colours of Uluru in Australia's Red Centre.
The Red Centre is an extraordinary landscape of desert plains, weathered mountain ranges, rocky gorges and some of Aboriginal Australia's most sacred sites, including Uluru and Kata Tjuṯa. Floating in an outback waterhole, dining under a starry sky while being serenaded by didgeridoo, and watching the world's most famous rock change colours at dawn and dusk are just some of the Red Centre's only-in-Australia experiences.
Flying is the quickest and easiest way to get to the Red Centre, with two airports servicing domestic flights. It takes approximately three hours to fly to either airport from Australia's eastern and western cities.
- Alice Springs Airport (ASP), located 14km (9mi) outside of Alice Springs town centre.
- Ayers Rock Airport (AYQ), located 8km (5mi) outside of Yulara (the nearest town to Uluru).
- Both airports offer car hire, transfer, and taxi services.
- Ayers Rock Resort offers a complimentary airport shuttle service to your accommodation within Yulara.
Enjoy your journey to The Red Centre by adding it to your Australian road trip, or board the Ghan for a cross-country train ride, stopping at small towns from Adelaide, through the Red Centre, to Darwin.
Due to the central location of the region, the climate can be extreme. During winter, days are warm but nights can get very cold, so pack layers. Summer brings soaring temperatures, so always pack sunscreen, a hat and sunglasses. A trip to the Red Centre during shoulder seasons will provide the most moderate temperatures.
- High season: Winter (June to August)
- Low season: Summer (December to February)
- Don’t miss: The Field of Light (Open year round)
Destinations in the Red Centre
