Mysterious flashing lights – and a great selection of beer too.

If it weren’t for the strange phenomena that make it special, Wycliffe Well would simply be like any other small roadside stop in Australia’s Outback.

However, it’s so much more than that. This odd little outpost has attracted curious visitors from all over the world with its reputation as the “UFO Capital of Australia.”

Alien Outpost in the Red Centre

Wycliffe Well is a pit-stop between the towns of Alice Springs and Tennant Creek, where many people stop for gas on their long drive through the Outback. It began as a watering point along the stock route for the Overland Telegraph Line in the 1860s. It became popular as it was the only place for miles that offered decent food and lodging for the workers on this large project.

During WWII it was a market garden centre for the troops and its visitors were mostly military personnel. As the highway was further developed after the war it became a stop where travellers refuelled on petrol and provisions. The town has very few permanent residents, but it receives many travellers throughout the year.

Kitschy outer-space decorations have been placed all over the town, including two model aliens out the front of the Wycliffe Well Holiday Park. The park covers nearly 60 acres and it includes a large lake, ideal for relaxing and fishing. From Wycliffe Well you can head out to explore many of the natural wonders in the nearby area, including Davenport Range National Park and Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve (a natural wonder with spiritual significance to the local indigenous people).

A Long History of Curious Sights

So how did the connection to extraterrestrials begin? During the Second World War the servicemen who lived in Wycliffe Well stated to keep records of the strange objects they had seen in the night sky, writing their observations in a binder. Someone found this book and got pretty excited about the odd goings on it contained. There were so many sightings that the Royal Australian Air Force conducted its own investigation.

For years the original journal was kept on the front counter of the local restaurant for everyone to peruse, but it was stolen in 1990. A new book was established, containing reports of sightings from the early 1990s onwards. The restaurant is also decorated with several newspaper clippings and images that just might persuade you into believing in extra-terrestrials.

For example, in a 2003 excerpt from the guestbook Lisa from Cairns wrote that she saw a “light in the sky going at a steady pace, which kept going until we couldn’t see it.” She insists that the light wasn’t easy to explain and that she wasn’t the only one who saw it. “A truck driver behind me saw it as well,” she said, “It was a UFO, not a falling star or a comet.” Another entry from 2004 by Brad from Western Australia states that he “saw a silver cigar shaped object moving across the sky in a very erratic motion, then it disappeared. Both me and my mom saw it.”

These are just a few of many UFO accounts that have been reported in this specific part of Australia. Other visitors have described unidentified crafts that are square, rectangular and cigar shaped and even some that shift in size and shape. They have been spotted with flashing and pulsating lights and in a range of colours, from red to green to orange.

Whether or not you believe in this sort of thing, it’s fascinating and a little eerie to hear so many stories of unexplained lights in the sky and other phenomena.

Why Do UFOS Congregate Here?

Lou Farkus, the owner of Wycliffe Well Holiday Park, explains that the sky is filled with “Ley Lines” which act like highways for the UFOs to follow. This town is located on the converging point of many intersecting ley lines, which is why so many UFOs are seen there. Also, this is one of the flattest spots in the region. With an enormous sky stretching around to the horizon in all directions, it is easy to spot any strange goings-on above.

According to a local brochure, UFO sightings are so common here that you would be “unlucky not to see anything.” The Sun Herald ranked Wycliffe Well 5th for the top reported UFO activity in the entire world. It is speculated that the sightings may have something to do with vehicles that are being tested at the Woomera Prohibited Area, which is located nearby on the Stuart Highway. This mysterious area is known as the “Area 51” of Australia.

Hot Days and Starry Nights

When you visit Wycliffe Well, be prepared for intense heat as well as UFO sightings. The summers are intense and the sweltering temperatures can be around 35 degrees – the air conditioning in the holiday park is a relief.

While you are scanning the skies for aliens, you will also likely notice the stunning sunrises and sunsets in Wycliffe Well. The Northern Territory is known for its enormous and dramatic skies, so get up early or get outside in the late evening and watch the sky fade through a range of striking shades. Due to the lack of light pollution the night sky is painted thick with stars, a dazzling sight even without any unidentified flying objects.

Hide from a potential alien abduction in the local restaurant, where you can while away the evening tasting one of the largest selections of beer in the Northern Territory. There are about 300 different labels to choose from when the restaurant is fully stocked, so you are sure to find a refreshing brew that you will enjoy.

Try a few beers you have never heard of before and have a chat with the warm and friendly locals. Chances are that you will end up staying out longer than you intended, singing along with country and western tunes late into the night. Some say that it is the abundance of beers that leads to many of the so-called UFO sightings in this area – but you can be the judge of that yourself.

The middle of Australia might be pretty empty – but it’s full of adventure.

The night sky is stuffed with stars, the tiny towns are overflowing with history and the journey across this big red desert is rich with opportunities for side trips and diversions. Taking a drive through these wide open spaces will give you a chance to see Australia at its wildest, spot some creatures in their natural habitat and meet some fascinating characters along the way.

The Red Centre is the nickname given to the Southern Desert region of the Northern Territory in Australia. The name describes the unique red colour of the soil, due to oxidized iron. The main town is Alice Springs, an oasis in the very middle of nowhere. There is an airport in Alice Springs with connecting flights to Darwin, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Cairns, Perth and Adelaide – so you can fly directly into the region and start your trip from here.

This remote region is the home of Uluru, the most iconic monolith of Australia’s outback. You haven’t really experienced Australia until you have seen this sacred geological phenomenon. It is also where the oldest living culture on earth, the Arrernte Aboriginal people, have made their home for more than 50,000 years. On your trip you can experience the aboriginal culture and learn about the traditions that are still kept alive today.

Give yourself plenty of time on your road trip across the Red Centre, you’ll want to have the freedom to stop along the way and explore what this vast region has to offer.

Driving The Red Centre

The remoteness of this area and the huge distances between each outpost means that you will need to prepare well for your road trip. Check the weather forecast before leaving home and plan your stop so that you arrive at fuel stops when they are open. There are services at around every 200 km along the highway but they are not all open 24 hours.

It is a good idea to get fuel at every fuel stop you see, just to make sure that you have enough to make it to the next stop. Also, it gives you a chance to get out of the car and look around at the beautiful landscape around you. Make sure that you bring plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated in the desert heat as well as protection from the harsh sun.

Explorers Way (Driving Trip)

The Explorers Way is a stunning drive that will take you from a mild coastal Mediterranean climate in the south through the vast and arid desert to tropical climates in the north. It covers a distance of 3016 kilometres and will take you all the way from Adelaide to Alice Springs. The Royal Flying Doctor Service uses the highway as an emergency landing strip – sections of the road are closed by the police sometimes so that planes can land.

The trip can be done in two and a half days, but you will want to give yourself much more time than this so that you can visit the many interesting stops along the way.

The Clare Valley is a beautiful wine region that you will drive through as you leave Adelaide. Stop for a wine tasting at Sevenhill Cellars, which was established by Jesuit Priests in 1851. Enjoy the lovely and green landscapes of this region before you head into the harsher outback.

As you leave the Clare Valley you’ll head out into wide open spaces rich with history. Visit the gorgeous village of Mintaro or the copper town of Burra. Don’t miss Wilpena Pound, an amazing 52 square mile crater like formation, and the Aboriginal cave paintings at Arkaroo Rock. Check out Peterborough in the Southern Flinders which was an important crossroads for the nation.

You can also stop to see the unique “underground town” of Coober Pedy, where 95% of the opal in Australia is mined. Consider taking a side trip to the Painted Desert, where you can see the stunning colours of the rock formations. If you take a side trip to the Brachina Gorge Trail you’ll see amazing fossil imprints that revealed to scientists that life began approximately 500 million years earlier than they originally theorised.

Stuart Highway (Driving Trip)

Considered one of the world’s great drives, this journey is named after Scottish explorer John McDouall Stuart who made several excursions into the inland of Australia in the 1850s and 1860s. He was the first man to successfully cross Australia from south to north on foot and to make it back alive. The expedition took him nine months going north and five months getting back and he did it without a permanent source of water for the stretch between Port Augusta and the Katherine River.

The Stuart Highway is well maintained and it begins in Port Augusta, 305 km north of Adelaide. It stretches 2711 km all the way to Darwin, an incredibly long drive through the many different climate zones of Australia. It is sometimes simply referred to as “The Track.”

The landscapes you will be driving through are incredibly barren and empty of humanity except for the occasional fuel stop or road house. Eventually it will take you far enough north to find water, but watch out for the saltwater crocodiles that hang out in the rivers, lakes and creeks. In the Adelaide River near the small town of Humpty Doo you can take a riverboat cruise and watch the tour operator attract crocodiles by dangling meat over the side.

Don’t miss the chance to stop in the town of Daly Waters to have a meal and a few drinks at the famous Daly Waters Pub. This Outback waterhole is legendary and all of the walls within are covered in t-shirts, underwear and banknotes donated by the international cast of patrons from all over the world. It’s a great place to have a drink and chat to someone from the other side of globe about how you ended up here in the middle of nowhere.

The Stuart Highway driving trip is a journey into the beautiful and bizarre alien-like landscape of Australia’s Outback. Driving through this spectacular nothingness gives you a humbling sense of the sheer vastness of Australia.

Alice Springs

Alice Springs is considered the heart of Australia and it is the hub of the Red Centre region. It is the only town with a sizeable population, as the only other civilisation in this region is within very small communities. It is surrounded by desert landscapes, canyons and gorges and remote Aboriginal communities.

In this remote outpost you can visit the Desert Park, which is a combination of botanic gardens and wildlife reserve. You can also climb to the top of Anzac Hill and admire the view over the town and the MacDonnell Ranges.

Erldunda Roadhouse

When it comes to visiting the iconic Uluru you could stay in the expensive accommodation near the rock, or you could make Erldunda your base and save money. This roadhouse is located at the intersection of Stuart and Lasseter Highway and it offers old fashioned hospitality with clean and comfortable facilities and delicious home cooking.

The advantage of staying at Erldunda is that you will be only a 2-3 hour drive from Uluru so that you can easily take a day trip from there to see this amazing natural wonder. The roadhouse has 12 rooms for backpackers, 47 motel units, a swimming pool, a camping site, powered caravan sites and a restaurant.

While you are there you can check out the Emu Enclosure, where you will be able to feed these fascinating birds. The resort even has a specially build sunset viewing platform where you can watch the sky come alive with brilliant colours over the vast bushland.

 

Recap: Variety Bash’s Weekend At Erldunda Roadhouse

Last week Erldunda Roadhouse welcomed the Variety Bash 2016.

The atmosphere was electric and the air was thick with love for all of the colour characters and cars.

It was the 26th year for the Bash and the collection of more than 250 people drove from Melbourne to Darwin. The event has come a long way since philanthropist Dick Smith famously organised the first trip Sydney to Burketown in Northern Queensland.

For those of you who might not have heard, The Variety Bash is Australia’s largest motoring event with participants travelling through the heart of Australia to areas that they would otherwise not see, and at the same time raising money for children who are sick, disadvantaged or have special needs. It’s about getting these children to live, laugh and learn.

And our team at Erldunda can attest to the way in which those who participate embody this spirit of fun. From the people dressed up (and some very much playing their characters too!) to the spectacular cars and crazy awards given out daily.

There Was A Collection Of Characters To Put A Smile On Your Face

The group of punks with great costumes who were good for a few laughs.

 

The countdown girls were dazzling. They fitted in perfectly too: once the evening rolled on the Variety Bash team has The Countdown Show rolling all night!

The Erldunda staff vote for the best car was “The Camel Chariot”. You can see the camel chariot in the image above with the punks.

A group dressed as the Heroes and Villains of Gotham caught plenty of attention.

The Spongebob car was particularly well painted with some great artwork.

The smoothest crew to come through were the Elvis crew. They even tried to woo some of the girls on site to no avail, and much laughter.

The Beach Boys were well dressed and had a surfing van to boot!

The Indian from the YMCA earned our award for the best dancer.

The best dressed….(drum roll)…. this was not an easy pick but we couldn’t get past David Bowie. Amazingly well done.

The group of minions also left an undeniable impression on Erldunda. Strangely we couldn’t find any photos of them though 🙂

With all the colourful costumes and crazy cars aside there were some wonderful stories shared. Some of which show just how powerful events like this are.

The most memorable story from the weekend was an Akubra hat which was auctioned off at the Erldunda site for the Variety charity by Variety Bash for $700. The hat was donated by a gentleman on the side of the road who had hand-crafted parts of the hat and wanted to contribute something.

The Variety Bash route changes from year to year, but they did visit us back in 2009. It was wonderful to hear recognition from some of those ‘Bashers’ of the changes we have made at Erldunda. In particular, they noticed the growth and change in the site since their last visit and the growth of the business.

In the words of Roadhouse manager Kira Boswell, everyone involved in the Variety Bash weekend at Erldunda “Enjoyed the experienced and felt lucky to be able to contribute towards such a worthy cause.”

 

Some More Fun From The Night Below