Uluru/Alice advice

[MTAB]

We have US friends visiting us in Cairns in April. They want to 'do' Uluru. They plan to fly from Cairns to either Alice or Uluru and from there (after 3 days) to Melbourne.

In terms of time, money and experience is it better to go direct to Uluru or to go to Alice and then trip to Uluru?

Any advice or suggestions re Uluru tours, accommodation and/or itinerary would be most welcome.

 

[Pushka]

There's no real need to go to Alice Springs. I'd go straight to Uluru and miss it.

Accommodation is expensive as you are captive. We enjoyed Feast Under the Stars. Take plenty of insect repellant. The flies there draw blood!

 

[MTAB]

There's no real need to go to Alice Springs. I'd go straight to Uluru and miss it.

Thanks for the suggestion. I was thinking Thant there may be more/cheaper hotels in Alice. Although the tour costs and time lost from Alice would probably defeat that.

PS Our pet cat is called Puschka, I wonder if you're related!

 

[AdMEL]

The only choice for accommodation at Uluru is Voyages (voyages.com.au) and whilst they have four or five levels of accommodation, none are cheap! A quick check for April shows Outback Motel is $198 a night, which includes return transfer from Ayers Rock airport. I've stayed there and it's ok, but not great.

Flights to Alice will likely be significantly cheaper than to Ayers Rock, though I think TT now fly to Ayers Rock.

I would recommend a trip to Kings Canyon and a walk to the rim for sunrise - in my opinion, better than Uluru.

 

[BAM1748]

I wouldn't be worried about missing Alice Springs, and it's about a 450km drive.

Matt

 

[AdMEL]

There's no real need to go to Alice Springs. I'd go straight to Uluru and miss it.

Accommodation is expensive as you are captive. We enjoyed Feast Under the Stars. Take plenty of insect repellant. The flies there draw blood!

Agree. Sounds of Silence is the name of the 'feast under the stars'! I missed that, but would like to do it one day.

Thanks for the suggestion. I was thinking Thant there may be more/cheaper hotels in Alice. Although the tour costs and time lost from Alice would probably defeat that.

PS Our pet cat is called Puschka, I wonder if you're related!

Accommodation will be a lot cheaper in Alice - 30-50% cheaper. But that saving will be eaten up by the cost and time to get to Uluru, which is a min. of 3.5 hours drive away!

 

[MTAB]

The only choice for accommodation at Uluru is Voyages (voyages.com.au) and whilst they have four or five levels of accommodation, none are cheap! A quick check for April shows Outback Motel is $198 a night, which includes return transfer from Ayers Rock airport. I've stayed there and it's ok, but not great.

Flights to Alice will likely be significantly cheaper than to Ayers Rock, though I think TT now fly to Ayers Rock.

I would recommend a trip to Kings Canyon and a walk to the rim for sunrise - in my opinion, better than Uluru.

Many thanks and also to BAM1748.

 

[Pushka]

Thanks for the suggestion. I was thinking Thant there may be more/cheaper hotels in Alice. Although the tour costs and time lost from Alice would probably defeat that.

PS Our pet cat is called Puschka, I wonder if you're related!

Ah. Pushka is our cats name. They are probably related.

It's still quite a flight time to get to Uluru from Alice. I'd still avoid it.

 

[Daver6]

I agree with others. Forget going via Alice (unless you enjoy driving?).

Sounds of silence dinner while expensive is well worth it. I was sceptical, but the food was good and a lovely evening was had.

Rent a car there. No 4WD required. While there, Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) is well worth a visit. In fact, for a walk, much more scenic than walking around Uluru.

Time permitting, Kings Canyon is quite spectacular too. We stayed there one night at a Camel Station that also has accommodation. The luxury tents were expensive (and not exactly luxuruious) but there really is no other option. Go with a sense of adventure and it is enjoyable.

Our days consisted of getting up before sun rise and going for a hike. We were there in Jan so stupidly hot. Generally back at the hotel before 10am, followed by lazing around the pool. Then sometimes a sunset hike and early night.

 

[AdMEL]

Time permitting, Kings Canyon is quite spectacular too. We stayed there one night at a Camel Station that also has accommodation. The luxury tents were expensive (and not exactly luxuruious) but there really is no other option. Go with a sense of adventure and it is enjoyable.

Not true! The place you are referring to is Kings Canyon Station, or something similar. There is also Kings Canyon Resort, which used to be owned by Voyages, when Voyages was owned by General Property Trust. GPT sold all of the resorts and Kings Canyon Resort (term used loosely!) is now owned by Delaware North.

 

[Daver6]

I stand corrected.

I now do vaguely remember the other option now that you mentioned it. My brain must have cooked in all that heat

 

[AdMEL]

I stand corrected.

I now do vaguely remember the other option now that you mentioned it. My brain must have cooked in all that heat

Especially if you went when I did, at this time of year!!

 

[suze2000]

I concur with the others. It's 450km from Alice to Uluru, and there's a 130km/h speed limit which only applies on the Stuart highway, so you save a little time there, but really it's a four hour drive, easily. We were just there, stayed at Emu Walk Apartments, which were fine, perhaps I worried a bit too much about the noticeably filthy carpet (location being what it was), but there is no pool there and we felt awkward about using the pools in the other hotels (though they imply you can). Do book the Sounds of Silence tour. Book in advance, you can't just organise that on the day (sadly, because if it's cloudy, you won't see anything, though it is still enjoyable) - it sells out every day. Allow more than the two nights we did, because really, when it comes down to it, it's only one day and you can't possibly see enough in one day to make it worthwhile.

 

[Pushka]

Emu Walk - I think that's where we stayed too. And yes, it's the Sounds of Silence dinner.

We went to Uluru to celebrate hubby's significant birthday and the dinner was this night. They explained the pattern of the stars and discussing Scorpio (his birth sign)

We were there in November and very lucky with the weather. It was warm but not hot. We walked around Uluru not on top. This was the start of discouraging people to climb it. The birthday night was clear. The next night we were going to do the Camel trek. I was on a camel (the first on the tour group) then out of nowhere a storm arrived and no one else was allowed on the camels and then they cancelled the trip. So much rain. It was fabulous and we were drenched!

 

[DC3]

PS Our pet cat is called Puschka, I wonder if you're related!

Sorry, but I have to ask. Why is your cat named "Puschka"? Does the word mean something?

 

[Pushka]

Our cat is Pushka too. For us it was a stylised version of "coughcat". Aren't you glad you asked.

 

[AdMEL]

Apparently Pushka is a real word. According to wikipedia, it is Russian for gun or cannon and Yiddish for charity box.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pushka

 

[Pushka]

I like the Rusky version.

 

[boomy]

As the others said, no need to stop in Alice Springs. Fly straight to Uluru and stay there for a few nights. Don't miss the Sounds of Silence, the Olgas and the sunset camel ride.
We stayed at Ayers Rock resort which was already completely refurbished and looked very nice.
I will also highly recommend a visit to Kings Canyon (about 3 hours drive from Uluru). This place impressed me more then Uluru.
We stays at Kings Canyon resort and were very pleased with the room.

 

[KitKat]

If time poor, and you would like to do Kings Canyon as well (I recommend), use Uluru as your base (fly in fly out here), and paying for a helicopter ride at dawn around Uluru and then continue on to Kings Canyon to stay a few hours there - do the moderate walk - takes a few hours and then fly back by helicopter to Uluru.
I think works out best if you have 4 in a group to charter the helicopter, yes it is pricey but I figured I am not going to go there again in the near future. Sort of a once in a lifetime...

Also at peak season, may need to go early to viewing points for the sunset/dawn in your rental car. Easy drive to the Olgas (agree more interesting walks) from Uluru.
Carry lots of water for your walks.

You are a captive tourist at Uluru, expensive accommodation for what you get but you are in the "middle" of Oz

addit: You get to see a lot more in the helicopter trip to Kings Canyon and back - feral animals, salt pans, dried river beds etc. It was a great trip/ride!