BOWLING ALICE SPRINGS

The National Road Transport Hall of Fame is a museum that is unique to most other road transport museums throughout the world in that it has taken a lateral approach to the restoration of its world. Vehicles are props to the trials and tribulations of road transport pioneers covering all forms of road transport, from the camel strings of old to today's modern roadtrains and stretchliner coaches. With vehicles displayed in their working day condition maintained by 'bush mechanics and engineers' in those days, the National Road Transport Hall of Fame aims to truly represent Australia's road transport.

A self-guided walking tour around the Araluen Cultural Precinct provides a fascinating glimpse into the art, culture and heritage of Central Australia, and into some of the local identities that helped develop the region. The precinct was home to Eddie Connellan, a pioneer of aviation in the Northern Territory. The original hangar, associated heritage buildings and the Connellan, or Araluen Homestead, still form part of the precinct. The Araluen Cultural Precinct is also culturally significant to the local Arrernte people. There are seven registered sacred sites and trees of significance on the precinct. These are an integral component of the Two Women Dreaming Track. Some of the attractions which make up the Araluen Cultural Precinct include - Central Craft, Yepereny Sculpture, Strehlow Reseach Cente, Museum of Central Australia, Central Australian Aviation Museum and the Araluen Arts Centre.

Olive Pink Botanic Garden is Australia's only arid zone botanic garden. Located adjacent to the Todd River and not far from the centre of Alice Springs, it is a great place to wander along trails to see the hundreds of plant species that are native to the Red Centre. There are over 500 Central Australian plant species to see as you wander around the 16hectare garden. Learn more about the founder Miss Pink or desert habitats and plants from the interpretation material around the garden or by going on one of the self-guided walks. After heavy rainfall the garden comes alive with wildflowers and attracts many species of butterflies and birds. Euros (hill kangaroos) are regularly seen grazing here and the threatened black-footed rock wallaby resides in the rocky hill habitat. Western bowerbird bowers are at home and in summertime many different reptiles sun themselves within the grounds. Miss Olive Muriel Pink, anthropologist, Aboriginal rights campaigner and artist, was responsible for the gazettal of the garden area in 1956. Some of her original plantings still survive in the garden today. The Olive Pink Botanic Garden is a stop on the route of the Alice Wanderer hop-on, hop-off bus.

The Araluen Arts Centre is the focal point of Alice Springs' performing and visual arts scene, incorporating a series of art galleries and a professional theatre. The galleries feature exhibitions from the Araluen Collection with a focus on contemporary Aboriginal art from Central Australia and both local and Australian artists. Travelling exhibitions are a key highlight of the annual visual arts program. The Albert Namatjira Gallery exhibits a selection of paintings by this famous artist, his descendants and contemporaries. It also includes some early Papunya boards showing the emergence of western desert dot painting and contemporary trends in Aboriginal art. The Araluen Arts Centre was designed and built around the 300 year old Corkwood Tree in the Sculpture Garden. This tree, another at the front of the building and Big Sister Hill are also considered sacred by the local Arrernte people. Araluen Arts Centre is part of the Araluen Cultural Precinct.