Some quick facts

Some useful information:

Population of Alice Springs: 27,000

Exchange rate: 

$1 AUD = $.73 USD

Time:

13.5 hours ahead of the east coast, during USA spring/summer

12.5 hours ahead of EST, during USA fall/winter

Weather:

Winter: June to August (0-68F)

Summer: December to Feburary (68-96F)

Travel: 

To drive 

Adelaide: 16 hours, 5 minutes

Darwin: 17 hours, 17 minutes

Melbourne: 23 hours, 51 minutes

Canberra: 1 day, 2 hours

Perth: 1 day, 3 hours 

Sydney: 1 day, 4 hours

Brisbane: 1 day, 9 hours

To fly (Google flights, Feb)

Adelaide: approx 2 hours, nonstop: $200-$300 USD

Darwin: approx 2 hours, nonstop: $300 USD

Melbourne: approx 2.5 hours, nonstop: $750 USD; approx 5 hours, 1 stop: $400 USD

Canberra: approx 4.75 hours, 1 stop: $760 USD; approx 6.50 hours, 1 stop, $495 USD

Perth: approx 3 hours, nonstop: $900 USD; approx 6.5 hours, 1 stop: $600 USD

Sydney: approx 3 hours, nonstop: $760 USD; approx 5.75 hours, 1 stop: $360 USD

Brisbane: approx 5.75 hours, $420 USD; approx 10 hours, 1 stop, $350 USD

To train 
It's actually harder than I thought to research this section. I assumed rail travel in Australia would be like traveling in the US via Amtrak, or like traveling in England with the National Rail. You go to the site, say where you want to go, and it tells you what the price is. However, it's more like searching for airline tickets, where several private companies offer different trips and different rates, and go to different locations.

So, stand by - more on rail travel to come.

Here are the basics - if you want to get to Alice Springs via rail, you must travel on The Ghan. The Ghan is the only train that goes to Alice Springs. Prices depend on how fancy you want to travel. If your departing from the North, you'll leave from Darwin. If you're departing from the South, you can take the train from Adelaide, Port Augusta or Tarcoola.

This interactive map can be found here: http://www.railaustralia.com.au/whichRailJourney.php