【Travel】Uluru .::Summer::.

“It’s a big red rock, a big red rock, 
a whole lot bigger than a city block.
It’s one thing everybody wants to see, 
when they come to visit in the territory!”
– Big Red Rock by Warren H Williams

I heard this song on the Uluru tourist radio, and haven’t been able to get it out of my heard!

[Photos taken in November 2013. Blog written in May 2014]

Itinerary

• Day 1 (afternoon): Uluru base walk.
• Day 2: Kata Tjuta trekking + Kata Tjuta sunset.
• Day 3 (morning): Uluru camel to sunrise tour.

 

Flying to Uluru

The most convenient way of visiting Uluru is to fly directly to the Ayers Rock/Uluru airport, as the airport is only 15 minutes away from the town centre. However, a lot of people opt to drive here from Alice Springs, for two reasons: 1) there are things to see on the way anyway; and 2) flying to Uluru can be very expensive. The trick is to book discounted tickets well in advance.

I booked our tickets 6 months in advance and scored us our return tickets for $189pp!  My theory is, never be afraid of planning a trip early – if you want to go on that trip bad enough, you will always find a way to make it happen.

Currently, only two airlines offer direct flights from Sydney to Uluru (aka Ayers Rock), Jetstar and Virgin Australia.

By the way, both “Ayers Rock” and “Uluru” mean the same thing – the big red rock. “Ayers Rock” was named by the discoverer after the then South Australia secretary Sir Henry Ayer; and “Uluru” is the aboriginal name of the rock.

 

The Weather (summer time)

We went in November, the start of summer in Australia.

It was hot. Really hot. 35 degrees Celsius hot.

Buy a fly-net and thank me later. You can get them in the town centre or at the Cultural Centre (2 for $20). In Australia, summer is always accompanied by countless flies, and they tend to zoom straight to your face and past your eyes, and love to rest on your face.

Wearing a fly-net is definitely not fashionable, but having black dots of flies on your face is definitely worse!

You’d do anything when you’re desperate.

 

Accommodation

The accommodations are all within the Uluru Rock Resort, except for Longtitude 131. The hierarchy (by price) is: Longtitude 131  >  Sails in the Desert > Desert Gardens Hotel > Emu Walk Apartments > Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge (aka the YHA) > Campground.

Longtitude 131 is not only located in a different part of the town, it is a different class than any others altogether. Oparah stayed at Longtitude 131 when she visited Uluru. A single luxury tent will set you back $1,780 per night!

We stayed at the Outback Pioneer Lodge, the price was a lot more friendly at $46 per bed per day. The amenities include a bar, alcohol takeaway, a BBQ restaurant, a takeaway food counter, and a full kitchen (utensils, pots, pans, gas stove, sinks, cups and plates, fridge) for 24-hour use.

 

Uluru/Kata Tjuta National Park Pass

You must purchase the national park pass in order to get to the rocks.

The only short term option for tourists is the standard 3-day pass. Like most national parks in Australia, you must write your name on your ticket and date it once you have purchased it, and it’s valid for 3 consecutive days. You can get the pass at the National Park entrance, or at the tourist centre.

A list of fees can be found on the National Park’s website.

 

The Uluru base walk

Do it.

It’s the only way to truly appreciate the full magnitude  of Uluru’s magic.

Everything else becomes irrelevant and insignificant as you walk on. It’s just you versus the rock; you versus the powerful mother nature.

It truly was both a physical and a spiritual journey for me. No wonder the Uluru is considered a sacred site for the Aboriginals, the “anangu”, the owner of the land.

Having said that, it is a 10.4km dirt road walk, so do weigh up your fitness level before committing to it.

The average time to complete the walk is 3 hrs 30 mins – we did it in 2 hrs 15mins! Woohoo.

Tips:

• Start the walk in the morning before the sun comes out to avoid the heat, and the flies.
• Bring a backpack and plenty of water.
• There are 2 water stations along the route and a few resting areas if you need to get a refill or take a breather. Even though the water tastes a bit funny, it keeps you going. If you’re a fussy drinker, then pack more of your own water.
• Wear comfortable shoes, but not your favourite shoes as the red earth is pretty tricky to get off!

On a side note, we didn’t climb the Uluru. You are legally allowed to climb it, and they open up the trail when the weather permits, however, bearing in mind that the local Aboriginals ask you respect their sacred site and do not climb the Uluru. It is also a dangerous climb and many people had died climbing it, and this makes the local people sad.

 

Uluru Sunset

Time it. Be there.

There are designated sunset areas marked on the tourist map that you can follow.

 

Kata Kjuta

Kata Kjuta is another cluster of huge rock formations near the Uluru (within the same national park). There are a lot of trails to explore, and the most popular one is the intermediate Valley of the Wind walk. Unfortunately, the trail was closed as the temperature was above the safety of 36 degrees.

We ended up doing the Walpa Gorge. It’s also relatively short and sweet walk (30 minutes one way) but magnificent nonetheless.

The monstrous rock formation at the Walpa Gorge walk (the small figure is Mike!).

Red earth and huge rocks, the signature “red centre” features.

We watched the sunset at the Kata Tjuta sunset viewing area on the second day. A bottle of sparkling, snacks and a loved one is all you need to enjoy a romantic sunset.

 

Getting around

The best way to get around town and between the big rocks (Uluru – Kata Tjuta) is by car. Do book it in advance to make sure you get a car as this is a remote town. If you are planning to pick up your car from Alice Spring and drive to the Uluru (or the other way around), you need to ask whether this will involve any extra fees.

You do not need a 4-wheel drive for the Uluru and Kata Tjuta. All the roads leading to and within the National Parks are well paved.

I saw that Hertz offered pre-purchased  petrol for a fixed rate, i.e. so you don’t have to fill the car up before you return it, they will just fill it up and pay with your credit card. Their rates were actually slightly cheaper than the only petrol station in town when we went!

 

Eating in Uluru

If you’re staying at the Outback Pioneer lodge, the cheapest option is to buy groceries at the local supermarket, IGA, within the resort town and cook it at the kitchen.

The IGA also sells grilled whole chicken and hot pies, however, they’re always sold out during dinner time.

Alternatively, you can try the Outback BBQ at Outback Pioneer where you can buy your meat at the register and BBQ it yourself using their professional stove, and fill your plate with the hot food buffet (salad, pasta, potato, vege, etc).

Wrap your day up with live music and a pint of beer at the terrace with the friendly Aboriginals!

 

Camel to Sunrise 

Did you know there are at least 2 million camels in the Northern Territory?

Seeing Uluru from a different angle – on a camel – was a fun experience. The only camel farm in Uluru offers camel tours both to sunset and to sunrise, see Uluru Camel Tours for more information. We did the Camel to Sunrise tour: the camel ride was approximately 1 hour and the tour time was 2.5 hours in total (including hotel shuttle, introduction and morning tea). For $119pp, it was good value and good fun!

Time is of the essence – 2 people from our tour slept in so we had to leave them behind otherwise we would’ve missed the sunrise!

Our tour guide was funny and had a good insight on the local life and camels.

A photographer followed us and took some amazing photos (the above 2 group shots) for us. We bought a photo DVD for $30 because I just found it so amazing to have the camels, sunrise and Uluru (and ourselves!) in one photo. The guide was happy to take photos for us with our camera along the way so we didn’t feel pressured to buy the photos.

Northern Territory scenery.

Our camel – Cusco! The only camel in the farm born in captivity.

Mr Camel, you tired?

Happy snap!

HER{curio}MAJESTY – I was here. November 2013.