A Night at Field of Light plus some walking and a helicopter - Uluru, finally

[bPeteb]

Some pictures from around Sails

 

[bPeteb]

A visitor to our room the first night. Skink of some kind?



through the trees is Uluru



carpet in the main building (reception/Ilkari/lobby bar/shop)

 

[bPeteb]

The transfers from the hotel had you on a bus at 7:20 for the < 10 minute drive to the airport for the 9:20 flight. We had the car so left at 8. We had 300km included and drove 286km. Fuel cost as $52. Flight left on time back to Brisbane.







I'm really glad I've been. Partner gald that he's been back. Glad we've seen Field of Light. Glad the weather was kind. Glad we chose to walk the whole Valley of the Winds walk - it was the highlight for both of us. We enjoyed the resort, the staff, the food, the AV show that we went to at the theatre near Desert Gardens Hotel on the first afternoon. Package was good value in the scheme of what everything costs at Ayers Rock Resort/Yulara.

If you haven't been there, go!

 

[jch]

Looks awesome, I also notice that a number of Velocity credit cards offer Uluru as an option in the annual free flight. Do you know what is the optimal time to go weather wise, guessing Spring/Autumn?

 

[craven morehead]

There was something amiss with the housekeeping of our room. I'd hate to think it was because we were a gay couple but...

When we were at the airport to fly home we asked a couple we'd sat with at the Field of Light dinner if they'd had issues (two rooms away from ours) they said they even got turn down!.

Got back to the hotel after 4 and the room hadn't been serviced. I wanted to ask about drink vouchers (Le Club gold amenity) so I went over to reception, asked if they could check if the room would be serviced (it's $330 a night, I'm paying for it to be cleaned) and got the drink vouchers. The receptionist was surprised I hadn't been given a welcome pack but didn't offer anything other than the two drink vouchers.

Had a couple of drinks out by the pool

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and when we walked back to the room close to 6 the housekeepers trolley was at the door. We went back to the pool for a while. Went into the room and bin was in middle of carpet, pool towels not replaced, bathroom had been half done. Didn't bother following up.

Sunset at Uluru was a bit of an anticlimax. I'm thinking it's a bit reliant on some cloud in the sky to pick up colour. It was a bucket list tick, but the flies, and the buzz of the two drones a couple of tourists had launched, had us leave well before it went slightly dark

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Had dinner - a burger - at the Pioneer Hotel. 'Nough said...

Fantastic photos! Poor form from the housekeeping staff. I hope you fill out post stay survey and give them a serve.

 

[craven morehead]

Never realised DeathStar flew out there ex-BNE. Learn something every day on this forum

 

[RB]

A great write-up and some fantastic photos. Re the lack of wildlife, we were very surprised by the lack of birds & animals when we did our trip from Adelaide to Darwin. We saw much more when we visited parts of Outback Qld

 

[drron]

Enjoyed the TR.Some things have definitely changed since our visit 30 years ago.Then though the hotel was a sheraton and they had a lot of extras including a garden walk with the head gardener that I still remember.
The prices have certainly risen at far above the inflation rate.

 

[bPeteb]

Enjoyed the TR.Some things have definitely changed since our visit 30 years ago.Then though the hotel was a sheraton and they had a lot of extras including a garden walk with the head gardener that I still remember.
The prices have certainly risen at far above the inflation rate.

Al was there 30 years ago as well. Visually, through the Contiki alcoholic haze, he thinks little has changed. In our arrival literature they did offer a garden walk, plus daylight astronomy, didgeridoo lessons, talks on indigenous hunying. Lots of free stuff throughout the resort. We made use of the pool loungers instead, free, if only the drinks had been...

 

[bPeteb]

Looks awesome, I also notice that a number of Velocity credit cards offer Uluru as an option in the annual free flight. Do you know what is the optimal time to go weather wise, guessing Spring/Autumn?

I'd say anytime the average daytime temp is 35 or less. Also look for time when chance of rain is less too although I'd say that is most of the year. I think my sister was just unlucky.

 

[karen blancfield]

The occupancy rate year round is now extremely high.... even for locals, the prices don’t drop these days. It’s a long way from anywhere and expensive to run, staff, service...but there’s no place like it and no matter how many times I go, the colours, sand dunes etc stun the senses. Field of Light is a lovely bonus, under pristine night skies.

 

[docjames]

Great TR.

Expensive for what is is in a pure facility way, but understandable given the location and that “everyone’s a tourist”.

Hasn’t changed really since 1990. We played tennis there around midday on Xmas day (temp: 45deg)

 

[Rugby]

Thanks for a great TR - excellent pics.

 

[jjj777ccc]

Great TR - thank you.

 

[kermatu]

I also enjoyed the TR. Thanks for posting.

 

[Warks]

Was looking for info on Uluru here and found your TR - a long time since anyone's posted here so sorry for the resurrection. Enjoyed your report. I'm looking at using up a free flight (VA Amex) before the end of the year and so December looks like the time I'll be going. But I'll be doing it the cheapest way possible having just spent an arm and a leg on 3.5 weeks in California. Even the campground at Uluru charges $40 a night!

 

[karen blancfield]

Was looking for info on Uluru here and found your TR - a long time since anyone's posted here so sorry for the resurrection. Enjoyed your report. I'm looking at using up a free flight (VA Amex) before the end of the year and so December looks like the time I'll be going. But I'll be doing it the cheapest way possible having just spent an arm and a leg on 3.5 weeks in California. Even the campground at Uluru charges $40 a night!

But it’s worth it....as a local of Central Australia, I’ve been more than 10 times for work and pleasure. It never fails to stun me. The colours, the red sand....go. It will be hot but get out and about early, swim during the day and then watch sunset. Field of Lights is worth a splurge. Occupancy rate is very high all year round so there are really no off season rates any more.

 

[stm1sydney]

The Outback Pioneer Hotel at Yulara is pretty decent and reasonable value. And it's next door to the pub/bistro/BBQ.

Like @bpeteb, I found the Valley of the Winds walk at the Olgas to be amazing, and more interesting than the Rock itself.

You could try flying into Ayers Rock and out of Alice Springs, thus doing Rock/Olgas, Kings Canyon and Alice/Macdonnell Ranges in one (rushed) trip. Uluru Travel has decent value self-drive packages. We did the 6 day / 5 night package.