The Heavitree Gap, or Ntaripe in the Arrernte language, is a gap in the MacDonnell Ranges

MacDonnell Ranges

The MacDonnell Ranges of the Northern Territory, are a long series of mountain ranges located in the centre of Australia , and consist of parallel ridges running to the east and west of Alice Springs...

 of Central Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

. It is the southern entrance to the city of Alice Springs and in addition to the Todd River

Todd River

The Todd River is an ephemeral river in the southern Northern Territory, central Australia. The origins of the Todd River begin in the MacDonnell Ranges, where it flows past the Telegraph Station, almost through the center of Alice Springs, through Heavitree Gap at the southern end of Alice Springs...

 it carries the main road and rail access to the South.

The Gap was an important sacred site for the Arrernte people

Arrernte people

The Arrernte people , known in English as the Aranda or Arunta, are those Indigenous Australians who are the original custodians of Arrernte lands in the central area of Australia around Mparntwe or Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. The Arrernte tribe has lived there for more than 20,000 years...

 and its use as a thoroughfare was avoided prior to the construction of the road and later rail link.

The Gap was named by William Mills, the Overland Telegraph line surevyer who discovered the location for Alice springs. It was named after his former school in Devon.