6 Best Sights in Red Centre, The Outback

This is one of the prettiest (and coldest) swimming holes in the Red Centre, so it's quite popular with locals and visitors alike—it's also the deepest and most permanent waterhole in the area, so you may glimpse wild creatures like wallabies or goannas (monitor lizards) quenching their thirst. Take the 3-km (2-mile) Dolomite Walk for a close-up look at this fascinating geological site.

This gorge, cut by the sporadic Finke River, often described as the oldest river in the world, slices through the MacDonnell Ranges, revealing dramatic rock layering and tilting. Here the river forms a broad, cold, permanent waterhole that's great for a bracing swim.

John Flynn, the Royal Flying Doctor Service founder, is memorialized at this spot along Larapinta Drive just 6½ km (4 miles) west of Alice Springs in view of the majestic West MacDonnell range.

Accessible only by four-wheel-drive vehicle, this site is best experienced by taking a refreshing swim through the narrow, winding gorge. According to an Aboriginal myth, a fierce serpent makes its home in the pool, hence the name.

The closest gorge to Alice Springs—there's even a bicycle and walking track from the city center—greets you with views of stark-white ghost gums (Australian evergreen trees), red rocks, and gorgeous, purple-haze mountains that provide a taste of scenery to be seen farther into the ranges. Heed the "No Swimming" signs, as freshwater crocodiles may be present if there's enough water, and come in the morning and late afternoon for a chance to catch a glimpse of rock wallabies.

The cultural center is the first thing you'll see after entering the park through a tollgate. The two buildings are built in a serpentine style, reflecting the Kuniya and Liru stories about two ancestral snakes who fought a long-ago battle on the southern side of Uluru. Inside, you can learn about Aboriginal history and the return of the park to its traditional owners on October 26, 1985. There's also an excellent park ranger's station where you can get maps and hiking guides, as well as two art shops, Maruku and Walkatjara, where you'll likely see Indigenous artists at work. Pick up a souvenir or grab refreshments at the Ininti Cafe, or rent a bicycle for another fun way to explore this beautiful Outback landscape (from A$50).