For those that have never been, imagining Alice Springs often conjures thoughts of a flat, open landscape covered in red desert dust. However, the reality is very different; in fact Alice Springs isn’t even in the desert, it’s a semi-arid region, local folk will quickly point out.

Flying across the marble coloured plain towards the Red Centre it’s not clear where the horizon begins and the sky ends. As the town draws closer the countryside grows lumpy and historic ranges appear.

They surround the small town, silently hanging over — a backdrop to paint, an adventure to climb, a million years of wisdom to ponder. The mountains are dwarfing but reflective, they give perspective. Time is different in one of the world’s oldest places.

First broadcast on ABC RN’s Off Track in June, 2013.