Alice Springs Jeep hiring Off Road

[jmayo]

I need advice on Oz and in particular hiring a 4x4 in Alice Springs.
Has anybody any information on jeep 4x4 hiring in Alice Springs.
I want to do the usual touristy stuff like visit Uluru, Kings Canyon, The Olgas, etc.
Has anybody done the [FONT=Tahoma, Verdana, Arial]Mereenie Loop road or any other of off road tracks?
Just wondered if some of the hire companies forbid you from doing any of the off road tracks?
J

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[PMU]

I hired a 4X4 from Europcar in Alice Springs last August, but I got it at a cheaper rate through this consolidator: Eddie The, Travel Australia Now Pty Ltd. www.asiacarhire.com; Tel: +61 3 9372 1166; Fax: +61 3 9372 2896; email: slteh@connexus.net.au. I needed four cars in my Aussie trip and this guy fixed me up – no problems, got one way drop off fees cancelled, etc. So he’s highly recommended.

Go for a real beast like a big diesel Nissan Patrol. Check that the spare is inflated, that there’s a jack, etc. if you get a puncture; also ensure that your insurance covers punctures. With a big 4X4 there should be no exclusions but if you have a smaller all wheel drive or a regular saloon you will see that Meerinie Loop is excluded – so go for a big 4X4. You’ll have much more fun. Mereenie Loop isn’t that bad and really should be done at about 55kph – but if you’ve got a big beast you’ll be tempted to do it at 110kph – which can be very dangerous if not nearly lethal if you become unstuck. (I’m speaking from personal experience here). You can drive the Mereenie Loop to King’s Canyon; stay at King’s Creek Station http://www.kingscreekstation.com.au/; then drive back via the (four wheel only) Ernest Giles Road. Just beware of wandering camels and roos. And don’t under any circumstances drive after dark on outback roads.


Also there’s great four-wheel driving in Palm Valley, N'Dhala Gorge and the East and West MacDonnell ranges so give yourself plenty of time. I stayed in this place in Alice: http://www.theswagmansrest.com.au/ [FONT=&quot] It’s right beside the car hire firms, garages and is only a short walk from the town centre.
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[jmayo]

PMU
that information is great and much appreciated.

I was going to use Trailfinders to do two separate bookings in Australia and try and get the longer term rates even though the cars were hired at different locations and times.
The plan is to spend week around Perth, 5 days around Alice and 9 days Sydney to Melbourne.
The Alice portion of the trip is more difficult since I really want a 4x4 and possibly do the Mereenie Loop. I know some car (4x4) hires state you cannot do these off road tracks.
I came across same thing in Canada regarding gravel roads.

What is the Mereenie road surface like, is it gravel, rock or is there loose sand and dirt sections?
Are there setions like the old corrugated washboard, I always wonder what speed to do these at because you always get a bit of a buffeting.

The plan is to try and head west out of Alice, goto Kings Canyon, The Olgas, Uluru and eventually loop back again to Alice.
Not sure what to visit along the way e.g. Finke Gorge, Ormiston Gorge, Glen Helen Gorge, Glen Helen Resort, Hermannsburg etc

What about permits for Aboriginal Land, are there requirements and do they forbid you from entering sections.

Do you only cross National Parks and Aboriginal Lands or do you need to cross any privately owned stations?

Sorry about all the questions but trying to get as much information as possible.

 

[PMU]

Around Alice you’ll need more than 5 days, i.e. 1-day for the East MacDonnell ranges, 1-day for the West MacDonnell Ranges. You could spend longer if you're into walking or hiking. Then around the Mereenie Loop to Kings Canyon. If you want to do the King’s Canyon rim walk you’ll need 1 day to do it, with a night at either end. You can then drive from Kings Canyon to Ayer’s Rock by tarred road. I spent two nights (i.e. one and a half days) at Ayer’s Rock but could have done with at least another (e.g. I didn’t have enough time to do the Valley of the Winds walk in the Olgas). Accommodation at the Ayer’s Rock Resort is expensive, but I got a cheaper rate with this lot: Hotel.com.au . Glen Helen is interesting, but not that interesting. Palm Valley is better. In Alice itself you could easily spend a day at the Cultural Precinct and the Desert Eco Park. The Meerenie Loop road is graded at Hermannsburg, i.e. horizontal corrugated ruts with the loose sand cleared off, then gets more into channels between the sand. So if you stick to the tracks you should have no problems. It also has large dips in it, with mix of loose gravel and sand at the bottom. If you skid, your wheels throw up a thick cloud of dust and sand so you can’t see where you are going (w[FONT=&quot]hich is very disorienting[/FONT]). And you don’t want to crash, hit a camel or anything. You can get Meerenie Loop permits at the garage in Hermannstown, but there were none available when I was there and nobody asked for one. You also need a permit to get into the National Park at Ayer's Rock.
[FONT=&quot]9 days Sydney to Melbourne is too long. I did this a few years ago and I think it took me four days, three nights travelling.[/FONT]