An outback property 380 kilometres north of Alice Springs in the Northern Territory may be the least likely place you’d expect to find three young Indian-Australian entrepreneurs.
But for Nikhilesh Jalla, Surya Mandarapu and Vamsi Koneru, who live 40km away from their closest neighbours, remoteness is exactly how they like it.
"Life is good here," says Vamsi, 28.
The three friends live in Wycliffe Well, a town known internationally as the “UFO capital of Australia”.
Despite not having seen a UFO, they admit to having the time of their lives.
Source: Wycliffe Well Holiday Park
"We love it out here. It is a bit lonely and far from the population, but the place has its charm," says Surya, a management graduate.
Surya and Vamsi know each other from India. Both of them moved to Australia in 2013 to study.
Like many international students, they started with random jobs. However, their entrepreneurial spirits drove them to Wycliffe Well.
Vamsi, Nikhilesh and Surya are having the time of their life at Wycliffe Well in Northern Territory Source: Supplied by Danyal Syed
And it was an opportunity to run the town’s most famous landmark that sealed the deal.
"I was working for United store in Darwin when the opportunity to take over Wycliffe Well Holiday Park came knocking. And we just jumped on it," Vamsi explains.
The park is a historical site which was a small roadhouse until 1985. It has been famous for its UFO sightings dating back to World War II.
Source: Flickr/Nicolai Bangsgaard CC BY 2.0
Surya shares the history of the spot. "This place was a stopover for soldiers during World War II. During those times many UFO sightings were reported. People working at the then-roadhouse started keeping a log of the sightings. Gradually, people started visiting from all over the world, and Wycliffe Well became the UFO capital of Australia."
In 1985, Lew Farkas turned the roadhouse into a theme park. In an interview with in 2017, he said he had spent $4 million over 25 years creating a completely alien experience.
The holiday park contains an auditorium, a man-made lake and a 300-seat restaurant.
According to , Mr Farkas claimed to have spotted more than 30 UFOs. However, he sold the property in 2009 to spend more time with his family.
"My children were going through schooling, so they were living in Alice Springs all those years. One time I got a call from school because someone had asked my daughter, ‘What does your father do?’ And she said, ‘I have no father.’ That's when I knew it was time to revaluate my situation. You know, business was good for us. It helped put my children through school, put food on the table, paid the bills and everything. But it was time to go," Mr Farkas told VICE.
Vamsi and Surya agree that the place can be lonely at times, but they have no intention of leaving any time soon.
Source: Wycliffe Well Holiday park
None of them has started their own family, but they are sure their life partners-to-be would love the town.
"We took over the place from an Indian family. This lady came from Hyderabad in India and landed straight to Wycliffe. The couple stayed here for three years, and they were sad when they left. They left because they had found a better opportunity. Surely, I can convince a girl to live here too," says Surya.
Living in a regional area far from the city has never bothered them.
"Life is great out here. People are respectful and welcoming. We have made some friends. There are numerous opportunities to grow. I can see development happening around. I can see lots of potentials," says Vamsi.
The young men have high hopes for a great life and they hope to eventually meet an alien… or two.
