8 Hele Cres is a thriving creative hub that Mparntwe delegates will visit as part of the Thursday afternoon program. Once a light industrial block, it has been transformed into an oasis for native flora and fauna by Mike Gillam and Maria Giacon.

Located along the bustling Todd Mall in central Mparntwe (Alice Springs), John Flynn Memorial Church sits where movement meets pause in the main pedestrian spine —where cultures connect.

Rooted in the community, the church will be the main venue for the Mparntwe Conference. It’s just next door to Adelaide House, another arid-zone design landmark, which will also host morning tea.

Kwartatuma, nestled within the West MacDonnell Ranges, is a place of raw desert beauty and deep ecological and cultural significance. Its soaring red walls, permanent waterhole (up to 14 metres deep), and rare, relict plant and animal species—including the once-lost Central Rock Rat—make it a true desert sanctuary.

On the western edge of Mparntwe (Alice Springs), overlooking the molten red hills of Tjoritja (West MacDonnell Ranges) sits a house designed to work with the extreme climate of the central desert. The Desert House by DunnHillam Architects was built in 2015 as a commitment from the clients to Mparntwe. An investment in place through design.

Delegates will start their MPARNTWE experience with a sunrise tour at the Olive Pink Botanic Gardens on Thursday 11th September, day one of the event. HERE, the landscape is the starting point. It’s a constant, shaping presence - defining how people live, move, and connect with the place. IT is a starting point for the MPARNTWE experience.

Bobbie Bayley, Owen Kelly and Tonielle Dempers are the creative directors for the RAA  Mparntwe (Alice Springs) event 11-13 September 2025. They live and work in Mparntwe, where they are continuously shaped and reshaped by the unparalleled complexity and presence of Central Arrernte Country.