The Alice Springs Desert Park, situated on 1,300 hectares, at the base of the MacDonnell Ranges is where we spent the day with our guide for an exclusive walking tour.

I couldn’t recommend this outing more highly, and if you ever visit Alice Springs, it is a must-see. But allow plenty of time. You could easily spend most of the day here and you will be truly inspired. There is so much more to deserts than you think, and this educational facility explores everything the desert region of Australia has to offer – the birds, animals, medicinal plants and the people, and the relationships between them.

Our day started with a very interesting presentation by an indigenous guide about the aborigines and their way of life, including their weapons such as boomerangs etc. We made our way past several aviaries of birds for the free flight bird show, after which we got up close and personal with some of the birds and the trainer.

Then we strolled past dingos and emus and made our way to the Nocturnal House to see various animals moving around and foraging, such as the iconic bilby, numbat and snakes. Our guide was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions.  I was pleased to find out that all the animals here are either rescued or being used in breeding programs because they are in danger of extinction.

After lunch, we spent the afternoon exploring the rest of the park, which is divided into three separate areas – Desert Rivers, where you can walk through dry river beds and areas which were past swamps and waterholes, discover outback flora and fauna which included a demonstration showing how the aborigines search for food and medicine.

Next was the Sand Country which re-created the sandy desert and lastly the Woodland which was where we saw kangaroos out in the open.  I liked that the guide would not let us get too close but to stop and observe them from a distance. They seemed very relaxed and after some photo taking, we were formed into a single line and quietly moved on.

Once back at the train we just had time to freshen up before being whisked off in buses for dinner at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station. The beautiful stone buildings have all been restored and offer a glimpse of how it must have looked when families lived there in the late 1800’s. They were all lit up and each had a plaque explaining how the building was used back in the day.

We arrived at sunset and were greeted by staff bearing glasses of champagne as we made our way to the open central area which was set up with tables with white tablecloths. On the back of each chair was a lovely  poncho bearing the Ghan symbol as a memento of our visit.

We had a delicious meal under the stars with a live band playing in the background. Before dessert was served, we were given a star gazing presentation which was one of the highlights of our trip. A truly memorable day.