Central Australia, Northern Territory, Australia

Photos from the Real AUSTRALIA

Central Australia, Northern Territory: North-west of Alice Springs

"The Centre", vast and ancient, is a harsh land of red soil and mountains, but with an eerie beauty nonetheless. This is an ancient land, crossed by the dreaming tracks of the Aboriginal inhabitants who live in settlements and small Homeland Centres. These are desert peoples, speaking languages like Warlpiri and Pintubi-Loritja, that, although related, are quite distinct. They share similar customs and ceremonies and travel extensively through this vast land to meet their ceremonial obligations.

Travelling west from Alice Springs, it is possible to reach Ikuntji (Haasts Bluff) with a sturdy vehicle, preferably four-wheel drive, via the Namatjira Drive past Glen Helen Gorge, traversing the wide landscapes of West MacDonnell National Park. From there a track leads to Papunya, a large community of Pintubi and Loritja people, that can also be reached by a better road that goes all the way to Kintore, near the Western Australian border and beyond, passing Mount Liebig, where a small Aboriginal community sits below a 1524 m high mountain with the same name. All this land is part of Haasts Bluff Aboriginal Land Trust and permits are required to visit.

Further north, taking the Tanami Road leading north west towards the Tanami Desert, is the large community of Yuendumu (or, using the correct Warlpiri spelling, Yurntumu), a community of around 2000 people; this is the heartland of the Warlpiri people, who also live in the small communities and stations around here, and as far as Lajamanu, 600 km to the north. About 160 km south west is the small community of Nyirripi, near Mount Cockburn, and to the north east are stations like Mount Denison, Napperby and, further afield, Willowra. These small, remote places are served by a mail plane from Alice Springs and a flight with these is well worth it for the views on the way.

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