See the Red Desert painted with light

Parrtjima, an annual Aboriginal light festival in Alice Springs, blends ancient culture with cutting-edge technology.

People usually see Central Australia’s Indigenous artworks hanging on gallery walls. In 2016, though, a bold new idea shimmered into view. What if these works, which tell the ancient stories of the people of the Central Desert, were reimagined in the form of light installations?

Boom. That lightbulb moment became Parrtjima – A Festival in Light, which is now an annual fixture in Mparntwe/Alice Springs. This year, the free event will unfold over 10 nights from 8-17 April using the natural canvas of the red desert. The 2022 event’s theme is Sky Country. The works will focus on our place in the universe and the unique relationship First Nations people have with the environment – particularly, how they have always looked to the skies to understand their place on Country.

In Australia’s harsh central desert, the behaviour of the sky, the seasons and the wind all provided the knowledge required for survival. Parrtjima (pronounced par-chee-ma), which means “lighting up”, will tell the story of these elements through light shows, installations, art, music, talks, films, workshops and performances.

As usual, the festival will include an epic lighting up of the quartzite rock-face of the 300-million-year-old Yeperenye/West MacDonnell Ranges. Other signature installations will be installed at Alice Springs Desert Park, the festival’s hub, located seven kilometres from the town centre. These installations often reference Tjukurrpa – the period when ancestral beings created the world as we know it. These Dreaming stories help people connect to country, and understand the world and the places and objects within it.

This blending of ancient stories with cutting-edge light technology is a dazzling reason to visit Alice Springs. After experiencing the world’s oldest living culture via this kaleidoscope of colours, patterns and imagery, allow time to explore Alice Springs and surrounds. Register for Parrtjima here.

TO-DO LIST

Drive to Ormiston Gorge and Pound, a 90-minute drive from town. Here, cool down with a swim in the near-permanent waterhole that’s almost dwarfed by the gorge’s towering red walls. Take the short walk up to Ghost Gum Lookout for a bird’s-eye view of the waterhole and the gorge’s spectacular geology.

Spend a morning at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station – the birthplace of the Alice Springs township – then deep-dive into the culture on offer elsewhere. Head to the Araluen Cultural Precinct (Albert Namatjira, one of Central Australia’s most famous artists, is buried nearby – look for the distinctive headstone that includes a terracotta mural). There are also many private and collectively owned galleries in and around the pedestrian-only Todd Mall.

ACCOMMODATION

Head out of town to Ooraminna Station Homestead – a 242-hectare property that’s home to four luxury cottages (choose from timber, tin, stone or log – two feature four-poster beds that could have come straight from a fairytale) and four glamping tents.

In town, near the banks of the (usually dry) Todd River, is Doubletree by Hilton Hotel Alice Springs – home to a glorious outdoor pool. Next door is another four-star hotel with a pool – Crowne Plaza Alice Springs Lasseters. Both back onto the fairways of the Alice Springs Golf Club.