The strange history of Australia’s UFO capital

The wacky tale of Australia’s self proclaimed UFO capital endures despite floods rebranding Wycliffe Well a ghost town in recent years. Today, Wycliffe Well, which sits on the Stuart Highway about 400 kilometres north of Mpartnwe / Alice Springs, has a population of zero humans and an indeterminate number of alien residents. But its colourful history has seen many visitors since the roadstop’s inception in the 1980s.

Back in 1985, a former sailor, Lew Farkas, decided to relocate with his young family to run a remote roadhouse he knew little about, 650kms from the nearest ocean. A self-confessed alien skeptic, he quickly began noticing bizarre goings-on that couldn’t be explained.

A journalist at a nearby newspaper wrote a story about the so-called sightings in the Wycliffe Well area, which was quickly picked up by media around the world. Receiving calls from around the world, Lew decided to focus his marketing around the space-craze that descended upon the tiny roadhouse. Lew spent an estimate $4million converting the joint to become a destination of its own - a galaxy restaurant, motel, caravan park, museum and more. Lew said in an old interview that the UFOs were good for business - customers would come in looking for a room after being chased down the highway by suspicious lights.

After twenty five years operating Wycliffe Well, Lew sold the business which went on to change hands a few times before its eventual demise after flood damage two years in a row in the early 2020’s. The roadstop was abandoned and today has fallen into disrepair - but the murals and alien paraphernalia still stand, and some believe the old roadhouse sees more extraterrestrial visitors than ever.