Alice Springs is the heart of Central Australia and consists of cavernous gorges, boundless desert landscapes, remote Aboriginal communities and a charming pioneering history. It embodies the hardy outback of the Northern Territory's Red Centre, and is a travel hub for sights and hikes in the region, such as Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (formerly known as the Olgas) and Kings Canyon. Since the start of the tourist boom in the early 1980s, the population has substantially grown to about 27,000 in 2018. Although surface water is a scarce commodity in the region, there's plenty underground! It is a great town and well worth a visit.