This Hop-On Hop-Off bus tour gives you the choice of a 70-minute guided tour with live commentary from an English-speaking guide, or the chance to hop-on and hop-off all day and explore “Alice” at your own pace. It’s up to you.
With 10 stops, the tour covers the main highlights of this atmospheric outback town, including The Old Telegraph Station, The Royal Flying Doctor Base and the stupendous views from Anzac Hill.
Your ticket is valid for 1 day, but you may enjoy an extra day free, which doesn’t have to be consecutive. Buses run from 0900h to 1600h (09:00am to 04:00pm) at 70-minute intervals from opposite the Information Centre on Gregory Road. Entrance fee to the attractions is not included.
Your 10-stop tour takes in:
• The Old Telegraph Station: Marking the site of the first European settlement in Alice Springs, The Telegraph Station is the best preserved of all 12 stations along the Overland Telegraph Line.
• Alice Springs School of the Air: How do you educate children on remote outback stations? The School of the Air uses satellite-linked webcams and HF radio to broadcast lessons over an area of 1.3 million sq km of bush.
• Anzac Hill: This splendid look-out point, with its Memorial, offers a 360º panorama of Alice Springs and its surroundings. A must for photographers.
• Royal Flying Doctor Base: This remarkable service, celebrated in books and TV programmes, provides medical help for all communities and stations within a 600km (373 miles) radius of Alice Springs.
• Reptile Centre: Reptiles once ruled the earth and they are still a varied and fascinating group of animals. At the Centre, you can meet the rare and enormous perentie lizard with its striking markings, as well as bluetongues, bearded lizards and thorny devils. Many of the animals are screen stars too, having appeared in a range of films.
• Cultural Precinct: Science and art, ancient and modern, mingle at the Alice Springs Cultural precinct where you find an excellent arts centre, natural history museum, sculpture garden, sacred sites and aviation museum.
• Road Transport Hall of Fame: If you’re a transport buff or vintage car enthusiast, this one’s for you. Find out all you want to know about road transport in the Northern Territory and enjoy the vast collection of vintage vehicles.
• Old Ghan Train Museum: Learn about the legendary Ghan transcontinental trains that ply between Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin. How did they get their strange name? Trivia fiends will probably know. You can find out here.
• Olive Pink Botanic Garden: Gardeners will love this place, with its fine collection of native trees and shrubs. There are some pleasant walks to nearby sacred sites and good viewpoints.
• Todd Mall: As well as being Alice Springs’ focal point and top shopping spot the Todd Mall area has plenty to offer visitors. There are tourist attractions such as Adelaide House and the John Flynn Memorial Church, plus Aboriginal art galleries and various forms of public entertainment.
You can hop-on and off at any of the 10 stops, sightsee, shop or grab a bite to eat and then hop back on again when the next bus comes along.