Red Centre Pilgrimage – Harvest Journeys Catholic Pilgrimages

Red Centre Pilgrimage

Journey to the Heart

Something deep and mystical calls all Australians to journey to the heart of our nation to honour its symbols, stories and beauty in a prayerful spirit of awe and thanksgiving. Be among the first pilgrims to take the journey to the heart, to witness the remarkable 20 metre Cross rising high on Memory Mountain.

Highlights

Alice Springs (1) • Ormiston Gorge • Glen Helen (2) • The Cross at Memory Mountain • Haasts Bluff • Hermannsberg • Standley Chasm • Simpsons Gap • Alice Springs (2) • Kings Canyon (1) • Karrke Abo­rig­i­nal cul­tur­al expe­ri­ence • Curtin Springs Station • Uluru – Ayers Rock Resort (2) • Mala Walk • Kata Tjuta National Park – The Olgas • Fields of Light Dinner experience

  • 9 Days / 8 Nights
  • Alice Springs to Uluru
  • Daily Mass / Prayer Service

Itinerary

Meal Code: (B) = Breakfast, (L) = Lunch, (D) = Dinner

* All tour inclusions and order of daily arrangements remain subject to change due to any unforeseen circumstances, which may arise, or at the discretion of the tour leadership.

Day 1Begin Alice Springs

Theme: New Beginnings

Proposed Mass / Prayer Service: Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, Alice Springs

Meet your group leaders and get to know your fellow travellers as we come together to share our first Mass followed by a group dinner.

  • Enjoy panoramic views from Anzac Hill overlooking the rugged West MacDonnell Ranges before joining the local parish community of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Parish, Alice Springs for Mass to experience something of the way the people live their faith and worship in this unique community.

Alice Springs Overnight (D)

Day 2MacDonnell Ranges

Theme: Springs in Dry Places
Proposed Mass / Prayer Service: Our Lady Of The Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Alice Springs

  • Visit Simpsons Gap, a stunning gorge carved out of the West MacDonnell Ranges by Roe Creek, where water flows through a small gap in the mountain range.
  • Continue west to Standley Chasm – Known traditionally as Angkerle Atwatye, meaning “Gap of Water”, Standley Chasm is a 3-metre-wide, 80-metre-high gorge. The walking trail to the Chasm and those in its surrounds offer chance encounters with a variety of inhabitants, including diverse bird species, lizards, wallabies, as well as native flowering plants and ancient cycad palms.
  • Visit Ormiston Gorge one of the most popular and photographed places in the Red Centre, where we will enjoy a picnic lunch and opportunity to swim in the waterhole
  • Travel on to Glen Helen resort for our two night stay.Glen Helen overnight (BD)

Day 3The Cross on Memory Mountain Immersion Day

Theme: Healing and Restoration

Proposed Mass / Prayer Service: Outdoor at the Cross on Memory Mountain

  • Travel out today to The Cross on Memory Mountain where a 20 metre solar-lit cross stands atop a sacred mountain where faith, culture and social enterprise combine to draw thousands of the faithful to a deep encounter with God and nature. Prepare for a unique immersion experience combining pilgrim-trek, prayer, song and indigenous cultural activities gathered around this amazing new Australian icon of unity and hope.
  • Visit to the nearby Haasts Bluff community and the Ikuntji Artists Centre where many indigenous artists are becoming world renowned for their inspired artwork and handicrafts.
  • Watch the cross illuminate as the sun sets and the ocean of stars in the night-sky take centre stage after our outdoor meal. Then join with the local indigenous community with a sing-along by campfire well into the evening before returning by coach to Glen Helen Lodge for our well-earned overnight rest.

   Glen Helen overnight (BD)

Day 4Glen Helen to Alice Springs via Hermannsberg

Theme: God’s Provision

Proposed Mass / Prayer Service: Alice Springs

  • Departing Glen Helen this morning we travel to Hermannsberg – the fully restored Historic Precinct of Hermannsberg was established in 1870 as a Lutheran Mission and is the birthplace of Albert Namatjira the renowned Indigenous Artist (the areas around Hermannsberg feature in Namatjira’s watercolours).
  • Arrive into Alice Springs for dinner.

Alice Springs overnight (BD)

Day 5Santa Teresa Mission Experience

Theme: Abundance of Blessings
Proposed Mass / Prayer Service: Santa Teresa Parish Church

  • Santa Teresa Mission. Established as a Catholic Mission in the 1950s by the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart and the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart. Santa Teresa is today an Indigenous Catholic Community of over 500 residents with a strong Christian faith with the church being a focal point of the community. Visit the Spirituality Centre for morning tea. Spend time at the famous Keringke Arts Centre where you have the opportunity to meet the artists. Celebrate Mass at the Santa Teresa Parish Church

Alice Springs Overnight (BD)

Day 6Alice Springs to Kings Canyon

Theme: Food for the Journey

Proposed Mass / Prayer Service: Outdoor at Kings Canyon

  • Tour the Royal Flying Doctor Service
  • Depart Alice Springs and travel to Kings Canyon
  • Stop at the Erldunda Roadhouse, “the Centre of the Centre”, where we will be able to have lunch, visit the kangaroo farm and emu enclosure.
  • Sunset viewing of Kings Canyon before dinner.

Kings Canyon Resort Overnight (BD)

Day 7Kings Canyon to Uluru

Theme: Wonder of Creation
Proposed Mass / Prayer Service: Curtain Springs

  • This morning you may wish to walk the Kings Canyon hike – a gentle 2.6 kilometre walk that follows a trail between the two soaring canyon walls. As you arrive at the lookout point, you will be welcomed by spectacular views of the sheer cliff face at the far end of the canyon. The more athletic may want to explore the iconic Kings Canyon Rim Walk – a six-kilometre circuit that will take you down into the Garden of Eden, a beautiful rockhole surrounded by rare plants, before ascending to 360 degree panoramic views over the red sand dunes.
  • Visit Curtin Springs Station – a working cattle station – where you will learn about the legacy of the Severin family and their outback heritage. Relax and enjoy a true Aussie-style barbecue lunch
  • Visit the Karrke Indigenous Experience for a one-of-a-kind authen­tic Abo­rig­i­nal cul­tur­al expe­ri­ence. The tour is a short walk and talk on areas of impor­tance in local cul­tur­al knowl­edge on bush tuck­er and bush med­i­cines, as used by the Lurit­ja and Per­tame (South­ern Aran­da) people.

  • Arrive at Uluru for dinner

    Uluru Overnight (BLD)

Day 8Uluru Discovery

Theme: Empowered to Shine
Proposed Mass / Prayer Service: Ayers Rock Resort

  • Guided walk around the base of Uluru (Mala Walk)
  • Visit Kata Tjuta National Park (also known as the Olgas) recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Area for both its natural and cultural values. to experience the Olgas as you walk through the Walpa Gorge, a natural creek bed that carves its way between the two tallest domes of Kata Tjuta.
  • Remainder of the afternoon at leisure
  • Fields of Light dinner experience – an evening of dining under the sparkling outback sky

Uluru Overnight (BD)

Day 9Depart Uluru

Theme: Gratitude & Peace
Proposed Mass / Prayer Service: Yulara Community Shed

  • Depart Uluru Airport (B)

Dates & Prices

Dates
Chaplain
Tour Cost
31 August - 8 September 2023
Fr Dominic Murphy OP
AUD from $5190
More info
BOOK NOW
RC2303
31 August - 8 September 2023
More info

Dates

31 August - 8 September 2023

Chaplain

Fr Dominic Murphy OP

Tour Cost

AUD from $5190

Tour Code

RC2303

Single Room

AUD $1750 Supplement

Air & Tour

-

Start/Finish

Alice Springs/Uluru

Prepaid Tips

n/a

12 - 20 October 2023
Fr Robin Koning SJ
AUD from $5190
More info
BOOK NOW
RC2304
12 - 20 October 2023
More info

Dates

12 - 20 October 2023

Chaplain

Fr Robin Koning SJ

Tour Cost

AUD from $5190

Tour Code

RC2304

Single Room

AUD $1750 Supplement

Air & Tour

-

Start/Finish

Alice Springs/Uluru

Prepaid Tips

n/a

* Prices are indicative and remain subject to possible changes in the unlikely event of significant exchange rate variations or minimum group size contingencies.

Inclusions

  • Accommodation at superior standard 3 – 4 star hotels with breakfast and dinner daily
  • Lunches as per the itinerary
  • Deluxe Air-Conditioned Touring Coach • Professional Driver / Guide throughout the program
  • Accompanied by a Harvest Tour Director
  • All sightseeing and entrance fees as listed
  • Quality Harvest pilgrim pack including Harvest backpack, Pilgrim Journal and Travel Wallet.

Not included

  • Airfares
  • Other meals not listed
  • Items of a personal nature including phone calls, laundry, beverages, etc.
  • Travel insurance - ask Harvest about its preferred Travel Insurance

Chaplains

AUGUST 2023

Fr Dominic Murphy OP

Fr Dominic is the Provincial of the Dominican Friars. He made his first profession of vows in 1993 and ordained a priest in 1998. He served in Sydney at Trinity Catholic College, Auburn before becoming the Vocations Promoter for 12 years. He also served in Melbourne for 6 years before returning to Sydney and has worked in university chaplaincy at the University of Sydney and ACU. He is currently responsible for the Dominicans in the Province encompassing Australia, New Zealand, the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

OCTOBER 2023

Fr Robin Koning SJ

Fr Robin Koning SJ is the Vocations Director for the Jesuits in Australia and New Zealand. As part of that ministry, he works with young adults especially through retreats and workshops on Ignatian spirituality. In the 1990s he worked for 5 years in an Aboriginal parish in the Kimberley, based at Wirrimanu (Balgo Hills). He has previously taught high school science and religion, as well as tertiary-level theology, and has served as assistant to the Jesuit Provincial. He loves cycling and singing, and dabbles in card magic.

Vision Christian Media

Launch of the Forgiveness Cross

  • “This pilgrimage provided me the opportunity to experience and begin to understand Aboriginal spirituality within the context of the Catholic Church and understand the lifestyle and challenges of those in the Northern Territory. It was wonderful to see the spectacular sights of Alice Springs, Kings Canyon and Uluru and understand their place in Indigenous spirituality.”

    Carla, NSW
  • “A dream of a lifetime come true. A deeper appreciation and respect for our beautiful Australian land. The connection between God and me through experiencing our land through the act of walking. Each step in life takes us closer to God. When I experience the beauty of nature and respect the elements, I’m drawn closer to God.”

    Sylvia, QLD

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