Target: The Red Centre

[JohnM]

Tomorrow it’s on the birds PER-xADL-ASP to do an Outback Spirit tour of the Red Centre for five nights, plus an extra night in ASP at the end of the tour before getting on the ASP-xADL-PER birds home. All flights are J Classic Rewards.

The itinerary shows the route as starting at ASP and ending at AYQ, but we will take the option of driving back to ASP when the 4WD coach does the return shuttle on the main road.



As usual, the bulk of the TR will be done after return.

 

[billmurray]

Hope you brought your bat.

 

[JohnM]

Chugging along in 1F.

 

[n7of9]

I recently did a similar self guided road trip, it's wonderful country out there, enjoy! I also drove down to Coober Pedy which was not worth it overall, but at least now it's done

 

[Major]

Loved Kings Canyon

 

[Seat0B]

Those coastal photos are magnificent @JohnM

 

[JohnM]

On to the ADL-ASP sector in an E190. Rain over the last few months has made the country very green – and the bush flies horrendous (more so around Uluru/Ayers Rock than Alice Springs.)



There are still quite a few aircraft in storage at ASP, including two blue-tailed A380s that have been stripped of their livery.



Next morning, we hit the road.

Jumping ahead, the actual route.

 

[JohnM]

First stop, the grave of John Flynn (‘Flynn of The Inland’ - founder of the RFDS), a few km out of Alice Springs, with the backdrop of the West MacDonnell Range.

Someone previously had found a dead thorny devil and placed it on a Chux cloth next to the path. Terrible background, but it did allow it to be easily spotted.



On to Standley Chasm.

 

[JohnM]

Looking back.



Vertical panos.

 

[JohnM]

Moving on to Ormiston Gorge with a viewpoint stop on the way, with a mobile phone signal focussing hotspot on the hill.



The coach. Maximum 26 pax, which we had. Great group. Nobody was a problem – although that could be a mixed message. As they say, “If nobody is a problem on a tour, then it’s YOU!”

 

[JohnM]

Ormiston Gorge.

 

[JohnM]

Moving along and a viewpoint a little further west.

 

[JohnM]

Next, Gosse Bluff, an asteroid or comet impact crater (Gosse Bluff).



Locally-made road sign near a dodgy bend.



Pests.



Then it was into Kings Canyon Resort for two nights.

 

[kookaburra75]

Great to see the photos of my old stomping groups - and with the rains, it is looking good. I have it on my list to take MrsK to see that part of the world, so we're very interested on your take of the tour operator.

 

[JohnM]

Then it was into Kings Canyon Resort for two nights.

Before I forget, it is worth mentioning that a large proportion of the pax had come off the S-bound Ghan train at Alice Springs to join the Red Centre tour. Journey Beyond, the operators of The Ghan (also the Indian Pacific, Great Southern and The Overland) now owns Outback Spirit and they offer an integrated Ghan/Red Centre tour.

In 2022 I did The Ghan separately (A gallop on The Ghan).

The Ghan leaves Darwin on Wednesday and arrives in Alice Springs on Thursday for a day of sightseeing and the off-train BBQ dinner at the Telegraph Station that evening before continuing overnight to the Coober Pedy stop.

Pax opting for the Red Centre tour leave the train on Thursday for Alice Springs area tours on Friday and are accommodated for two nights in Alice Springs (at the Doubletree), while pax like us just doing the Red Centre tour join on Friday as Day 1, in preparation for the Saturday morning departure.

The Red Centre tour returns to Alice Springs on Wednesday afternoon, where the tour ends for Red Centre-only pax. Pax re-joining the train have that night at the Doubletree and the following day free in Alice Springs before partaking of the Telegraph Station BBQ dinner before re-joining the train to continue to Adelaide.

I think that it would be a great combination.

Carrying on.

At Kings Canyon there was the option to rise early to do the 6km rim walk. It’s a fairly tough climb up to begin the walk, although the rest is cruisy. I’ve done it before (Australia's longest shortcut) but I’m now almost 10 years older, so we opted to lie in and join the less arduous canyon floor walk (that I had not previously done) mid-morning after the rim walkers had returned.

That’s a much more solid climb up that hill than the pic captures, with rough, rocky surfaces and loose stones. There is no turning back permitted once you set out; it’s a one-way hike only. It turned out that it was still dark when those that did the rim walk set out. All the more reason for us not to do it. We had quite an age range on the tour, so the younger ones were into it.

Note the fly net. Not too many people ventured out without one.



Bush tucker.

 

[JohnM]

Then it was back to the resort for a chill afternoon before the evening drinks and light show.

 

[JohnM]

Great to see the photos of my old stomping groups - and with the rains, it is looking good. I have it on my list to take MrsK to see that part of the world, so we're very interested on your take of the tour operator.

What I posted above, just as you posted, may be of interest.

I have done three tours with Outback Spirit (this one, Kimberley in the Wet Australian Frequent Flyer Arnhem Land Australian Frequent Flyer PJM has been with me on two and we are doing Cape York in July.

If you want to get right into Arnhem Land, Outback Spirit is the only way you'll do it. They had to negotiate with about 28 TO groups to get access.

We think that they are superb. You pay - but you get.

Mate, I have no hesitation in recommending Outback Spirit.

 

[JohnM]

I don't know what happened when I copied those links.

They are in my signature, but I'll have another go:

Kimberley Wet aerial safari

Tomorrow morning it's on the bird to DRW before heading out on Wednesday morning to the Kimberley for five nights on this loop: There won't be much in the way of comms out there, so most of the TR will be after I return home.

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

A gallop on The Ghan

Time to hitch up the camels. Tomorrow, it’s sliding into 1A again. This time, PER-DRW in preparation for boarding The Ghan on Wednesday morning for the 2,979km run to Adelaide, arriving Saturday morning. There will off-train excursions at Katherine, Alice Springs and Manguri/Coober Pedy on the...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[JohnM]

Then it was back to the resort for a chill afternoon before the sunset drinks and canapes and the light show.



Bruce Munro’s ‘Light Towers’.



We were the Priviliged Ones who had the front section with drinks and canapes, to be followed after dark by the freedom to walk amongst the display.

 

[JohnM]

We then adjourned to a very pleasant outside BBQ dinner in our own area at the resort.