Ayer's Rock

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PMU

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Anyone got any hints on Ayer’s Rock, Kings Canyon, Kata Tjuta, etc.? Any tips for accommodation at Ayer’s Rock? My plan would be to hire a 4WD in Alice Springs for local drives to Kings Canyon etc.
 
Would you consider hiring a 4wd camper van?..there's a good campsite near ayers Rock and others at the key attractions in the area, and it's great fun.

See http://www.britz.com.au/home/Page.aspx?page_id=873 for suggested itineraries.

Have gone from Darwin to Alice in a camper a couple of years ago and thought it was the best part of our Australian trip.
 
Ayres Rock -
You could join a group. We joined a group of 10 and had fun on the minibus and around the camp fire at night - stayed at a campsite (no driving and maybe some good company if there's just two of you travelling!). We joined the group in Alice, if you stay in Alice - stay on the 'right' side of town - not on the other side of the river bank. We were advised to take a taxi to the centre of town instead of a 5 minute walk as it wasn't deemed safe enough to cross the river bank because the Aboriginals consider the river bank 'their territory'....
 
Also joined a large group and did a trip from Alice Springs to Ayers Rock (stayed in hostel in Alice Springs) and mini bus collected us at 6am in the morning - took maybe 4 hours driving time to get there, stopping off half way at a camel farm to have a go!! Once there, you can camp out in the site close enough to Ayers Rock and Kings Canyon - basic tents, superior tents and sleeping bag options available! Early rise in the mornings to see the sun rise over Ayers Rock. Well worth it tho!
 
by the way, its called Uluru now.

I did the group trip as people outlined below. Was grand, but if i was doing it again I'd hire a 4wd.
 
I did it a few years ago as part of a group trip from Adelaide to Alice Springs and stopped at Uluru for a few nights. The trips can be great as you meet a lot of similar minded people on them and you usually get an Australian guide who can have some invaluable local knowledge.

I did it with Groovy Grape, based out of Adelaide, did the 6 day "Water 2 Rock" tour and it was definitely a highlight of Australian trip. I've never heard anything bad about them.

Have a look at http://www.groovygrape.com.au/ for more details of them. There are a lot of similar companies such as Wayward, NT Adventures, etc. Oz Experience also operate in this area but it is aimed at a younger crowd (17-21) generally.
 
In saying all of that, and as great as Uluru is, and it is a long walk around the base, do it very early in the morning before it gets too hot if you are doing it...I thought Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) was a far better walk, but Kings Canyon was the best of the three. (There is a huge rock pool in Kings Canyon that you can swim in, make sure to wear or bring swim wear if you are walking through Kings Canyon, it is brilliant to jump into it half way around in that heat!)
 
Thanks for the advice, particularly Muzaway’s to hire a camper van. I’m checking this out. I was more worried on Ayer’s Rock Resort. Colleagues have stayed there but in the top price hotels. From the reviews on Tripadviser, at the bottom / middle price range (where I’d be staying), not only does it appear to be poor value, but more worrying, the more recent reviews are uniformly bad. So a 4WD camper may be the ideal solution. I’ve checked out the tours but they end in Alice Springs and we fly out from Connellan.
 
just one suggestion if you are going to Ayers rock going in the Winter, I went in the Winter and I have about 5 layers of clothing on me by the top I had just my t shirt on I would hate to see what it is like in the Summer and there are a load of Mossies around at that time of the year
 

LOL, I was at Ayers Rock in May 2004... and I've never been so cold! Around the campsite I was wearing 2 pairs of socks, cycling shorts, jeans, vest, t-shirt, 2 jumpers & a hat!! ...kinda different from most people's experiences of the Red Centre!
 
If you fly out of Connellen then you'd probably need to get yourself out there from Alice after you drop off the 4wd - if you go with that option.

A one way car rental from Alice to the airport might be cheaper than the bus and would be worth checking out.

M
 
Hi. A cheaper option in the resort is the Youth Hostel which, while not owned by the YHA is affiliated to them so you can find info on the YHA website. I stayed there in Janurary in a 4 bed dorm for about 35-40 aussie dollars a night. Its expensive enough for a hostel but the cheapest option by far at the resort. There are also 12 room dorms but the 4 bed dorm is definitely better. The dorms have air-con. You might not usually stay in hostels but if its only for a few days it might be worth it for the savings. The hostel is part of a hotel complex so theres a restaurant/bar there or a kitchen if you want to cook yourself.
I don't know what time of year you're going but I found the heat in Janurary pretty unbearable. After 8am in the morning it was just too hot for me to go on any walks so we did some walks just after sunrise. We rented a car in Alice Springs, drove to Uluru and then flew out of Uluru. I thought this was the best option but just a word of warning petrol is so expensive 'cause you're in the middle of nowhere!!
 
I suspect there is some misinterpretation between Bramble and deanwood's posts. Our 'summer' is their winter. I went in mid August and it was just right. Very cold in the morning - around 6 degrees, up to 29 degrees the high at lunch time and around 10 degrees at night. layers of clothes are essential!
 
Albany said:
There was a mourning ritual at Uluru, which is a place of spiritual importance to the Aboriginals, and there were many grieving people paying their respects at the base of the rock.
Click to expand...
Propaganda!! ayers rock despite what the australian tourist board have contrived, is of no significant importance to aboriginals, unlike numerous other sites in australia. Changing the name to Uluru is more of it..I can't understand the need of so many people to travel to the centre of australia to see a rock (and its not even the biggest one in Oz). By spending so much time on this you're invariably going to miss out on many other worthwhile sites in Oz....and have those bastard bush flies to contend with!
 

I dunno, driving through the Northern Territory including a visit to Uluru and the Olgas was the highlight of our three month trip to Oz!

The country does have many sites which viewed on their own could be considered underwhelming but I think that's true of everywhere, and Uluru and co. aren't one of those sites.

If the OP wants to drive around and visit Uluru and Kings Canyon etc I think a great time will be had. All the other many attractions in the country aren't going to go anywhere, and his/ her appetite may well be whetted for a subsequent visit.

By all means visit Sydney and the east coast etc - and maybe see these places before hitting the interior, but IMHO we felt our time in the outback and the people we met there showed us something uniquely Australian while the former destinations are a tad more generic.
 

Nonsense, it is worth seeing. Very impressive at dawn and sunset when it changes colours. I didn't climb it but opted to walk around it which was worthwhile. Kings Canyon is class too - deffo bring swimming togs. Olgas worth a look as well. A camping tour in that area or around Darwin's parks well recommended.
 
I didn't say it was not worth seeing...just not worth going to see....There are plenty of things in North west Oz that kick the ass of ayers rock such a Kirangini nat. park or ningaloo reef. Contrary to popular opinion I thought many national parks etc in the northern territory were overcrowded, ayers rock fits into this category. On the other hand there are many excellent national parks etc on the east coast that not many people go to, so its much easier to avoid the crowd on the east coast who stick to the usual overhyped spots such as frazier island and the whitsundays. Anyone been on Hinchinbrook Island?..defo my favourite spot in Oz

My point is that if you go there its fine, it just means with limited time you can't go somewhere better as it takes so long to get there
 
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