Desert Park Discovery Center - Alice Springs

When planning our Northern Territory adventure we were told that Desert Park was the the must-see destination for homeschoolers.

Upon arrival each child is given a set of headphones with a device so that they can find out more about each area by entering the corresponding number. This is a bit of fun for the older kids who can figure out how to use it and are willing to listen to the explanations.

Get your walking shoes on.....

You need your walking shoes on as there's a lot of walking through beautiful natural bush land.

The path leads you around to different habitats unique to the Northern Territory including dessert rivers, ranges and gorges, sand country and woodlands along with information about how Aboriginal people lived off the land. I found that the most interesting realising just how intimately Aboriginal people knew the land and survived for centuries in such a dry climate.

Go see the live show.....  

It also has a center where you can view nocturnal animals and an area where they do a show that includes some adorable echidnas and native birds. My boys LOVED the show and sat quietly the whole time.

We spent about 4 hours at the park but could have spent a whole day if we had only taken the older kids. The little ones struggled to keep up as it involved lots of walking. The paths are pram friendly which I wish I had known beforehand. It's also important to note that it is easy to lose children if they wander off and take the wrong path - which we found out the hard way!

It was a great afternoon and so peaceful and relaxing walking through natural bushland. The kids learnt a lot and thoroughly enjoyed their time at Desert Park.

So, if you are in the Northern Territory or planning a trip to Alice Springs as a homeschooling family then I would definitely recommend Desert Park!