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Picture a landscape where deep chasms and gorges carve though towering ranges, where the vast desert surrounds a palm-fringed oasis, and the culture of its ancient people spans more than 40,000 years.

You may imagine a land thousands of kilometres away, but it's in your own back yard, locals and visitors alike simply call it "the Alice."

Combined, this forms and melds the vibrant character and outback charm of this unique Central Australian town.

In and around Alice are some of nature's most fascinating treasures that bring travellers back season after season, whether it be the colourful landscapes and mountain ranges or desert plains and interesting wildlife.

The southern summer is a great time to visit the NT's Red Centre, when the nights are balmy and days sunny. With recent rains, local vegetation and wildflowers have exploded with growth and colour; swathes of brilliant red desert roses, wispy purple Mulla Mulla and vibrant golden Mulga flowers are in bloom

Just outside the centre of Alice Springs, at the Olive Pink Botanic Garden, you can learn about more than 300 of the Red Centre's natural plant species. Miss Olive Muriel Pink, the garden's namesake, was granted the 16 hectare reserve in 1956. Her vision was to create a garden with specimens of the unique desert flora of the region and so the country's only arid zone botanic garden was born.

The award-winning Alice Springs Desert Park is nestled in the foothills of the MacDonnell Ranges, with gardens full of ghost gums and native wildflowers like the Northern Territory's famous floral emblem - the Sturt Desert Rose. The professional guides at the Desert Park share stories with visitors of its landscape and seasonal transformations.

The West MacDonnell Ranges is an ancient rocky ridge that spreads west from Alice Springs. The famous Larapinta Trail runs for 223 kilometres along the range, beginning at the historic Alice Springs Telegraph Station and ending at Mt Sonder, the Northern Territory's second highest mountain peak. This expedition covers a variety of terrains and is divided into 12 sections, ranging from easy day trips to challenging overnight walks.