Uluru

Old Sep 28th, 2016, 05:10 PM
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Uluru

My husband and I are spending 2 weeks in Austalia in November, and would like to visit Uluru for 3 nights or so. So far, it seems that places are either insanely expensive or have terrible ratings. Cost isn't necessarily prohibitive, we're just looking for the best experience that is also worth the money.

The other option we're looking at is skipping Uluru and visit Melbourne and GOR.

Any input would be appreciated! Thanks in advance!
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Old Sep 28th, 2016, 05:43 PM
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I'll preface this by saying that although we lived in Australia for seven years, we never went to Uluru, due in part to lack of interest, and due in part to the issues you've pointed out, not to mention the logistics involved in getting there, the heat and the flies.

My understanding, and this could well have changed, is that one company operates every single facility at Uluru. No competition, so no incentive to offer stellar accommodation or service.

Toss in being in a very remote location, which could lead to staffing and supply issues, and well, you can see the potential for problems.

November isn't particularly a good month to visit - temps will be well into the mid 30's (90F and up) and the flies will be fierce.

So, I guess you need to ask yourself if visiting the rock is worth the investment of time and money needed to get there.

And FWIW, Mt Augustus in Western Australia is 2.5 times the size of Uluru and the world's biggest rock.

I've always wondered why international visitors seldom go out of their way to see it
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Old Sep 28th, 2016, 05:54 PM
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And on the flip side, here are some reviews that rave about the place:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUser...y.html#REVIEWS
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Old Sep 28th, 2016, 11:19 PM
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+1 for Melnq8's excellent advice.

Uluru & Melbourne have absolutely nothing in common, so I'm not sure how useful the opinions of strangers who know nothing of your interests would be.

Best advice I can give is to read up on both & make your choice on that, bearing in mind your budget etc.
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Old Sep 29th, 2016, 02:22 AM
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Totally understood that they're very different. We generally like cities (though also enjoy camping, hiking, etc.) I've gotten feedback that Melbourne and GOR are stunning, but there are many beautiful coastal roads in the world. We've been told that Uluru is "uniquely Australian" and not to be missed.
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Old Sep 29th, 2016, 05:55 AM
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That's how I felt about Coober Pedy - it was by far the most unique place we visited in Australia and I was so glad we made the eight hour trek from Adelaide (via car) for our two night stay there.

It was a memorable highlight, but unlike Uluru, if you ask the average visitor about Coober Pedy, they wouldn't know what you were talking about.

Truly though, there are so many uniquely Australian experiences, that one not need not look very hard, let alone spend heaps of time or money to find them.

Kangaroos lounging on golf courses - uniquely Australian. Koalas snoozing in the trees overhead - uniquely Australian. Quokkas under your picnic table - uniquely Australian. Endless red dirt and dusty sage scrub rimmed by stunning pristine white sand beaches and gleaming turquoise water - uniquely Australian.

My daily walk in the regional park near my former home in Perth was uniquely Australian - black swans, singing magpies, laughing kookaburras, kids footy, the occasional sausage sizzle and native plants I'd not seen before or since. Our long alfresco lunches at a winery in the Swan Valley were uniquely Australian (and sorely missed!)

As for the GOR - it's definitely a pretty drive and there's quite a lot to see along the way - free roaming koalas for one...but as with most places well advertised by tourist boards, it wasn't a highlight for us. It paled in comparison to the Great Ocean Drive in the Golden Outback - Esperance. Esp...what, you say? Exactly.

Do what makes sense for you, but have no fear about finding uniqueness in Australia.
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Old Sep 29th, 2016, 07:39 AM
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>

Didn't you just rail on about Uluru being difficult to access? At least it has direct flights on jet planes landing 20 clicks away. Mt Augustus is in the middle of a large hunk of nowhere.

To the OP: going to the Red Center/re in November is . . . a bit daft. I've been twice - once in an April and once in a June in separate years (16 years apart). The flies in April were fairly aggressive and that's the Australian equivalent of October. (In June, they were relatively absent).

You're proposing to go in November, which is the Aussie equivalent of May, which will mean you will be coated with the bloody things. Granted, that may be a thin veneer, but you'll see the Red Centre/er through the holes of a fly-be-gone net in front of your face or you'll get a ton of exercise doing the Aussie wave to get the little effers out of your face. Do not underestimate how may of the buggers will be out for you.

And 32C is 90F. The average in November is 34C, which is about 93. That's an AVERAGE for a month in which the weather is changing. If you're intending to go over Thanksgiving, it will be hotter because you will be closer to Aussie summer.

As for the "it seems that places are either insanely expensive or have terrible ratings" issue, you will be in the middle of a nowhere that has become a "somewhere" due only to the tourist industry. From a practical standpoint, that means it is harder to reach and harder to supply. If you've been to Alaska, you understand the point - prices are higher, selection is less. That said, if you want to pay out the schnoz, then there are luxury properties. If you want something semi-reasonable, the Emu Walk Apartments are good.

And if you want to cut the costs of transport and touring, rent a car and drive to the monoliths on your own. Rangers do guided tours at Uluru (forgot if true for the Olgas).
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Old Sep 29th, 2016, 07:42 AM
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PS - Accor hotels runs all the properties.

PPS - our kids thought it was really unique to look up in the trees in the Adelaide Hills and see the undersides of koala derrieres. You don't get that in the US.
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Old Sep 29th, 2016, 09:25 AM
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Not railing so much Russ, as wondering about all the fuss over big rocks in general.

Never understood the attraction of Wave Rock either.
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Old Sep 29th, 2016, 09:35 AM
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>

Good gosh, how could you not? It's a ROCK and it looks like a WAVE!

;-)
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Old Sep 29th, 2016, 12:22 PM
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>

But such a beautiful nowhere......
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Old Sep 29th, 2016, 04:17 PM
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I'm on the "do visit" bandwagon and I may have been daft to visit in December, but I also enjoyed hiking in the area. The weather didn't bother me, but D.C., where I come from, could be as hot in the summer. I do agree with others that it's hard to compare what is a "must" as there is so much to see and do in Australia. I'm coming back for my third trip in December and I've only scratched the surface.
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Old Sep 29th, 2016, 04:23 PM
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tripplanner - do go back when it's not so bloody hot - it'll be a whole new experience for you
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Old Sep 29th, 2016, 06:40 PM
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Thanks Melnq8. I do hope to make it back during cooler climes. This upcoming trip will take me to Sydney for NYE followed by Tasmania and Melbourne; cannot wait!!
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Old Sep 29th, 2016, 07:36 PM
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Good choice, tripplanner - have fun (again) in our country!

Mel - when are you coming back?
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Old Sep 30th, 2016, 01:54 AM
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Thanks Mel, that's all very helpful!
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Old Sep 30th, 2016, 06:04 AM
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margo - if only!
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Old Oct 8th, 2016, 11:49 AM
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Last time I visited VIC, I stayed in MEL, went around Philip bay, drive GOR and did a side trip to Ballarat area and took a flight to Uluru.

It was not our 1st visit to VIC or Australia. So my top 2 is highly biased but it is Uluru and Ballarat.
I love desert and spectacular landscape, so Uluru. I think we stayed in Ému walk apts that was very nice albeit not cheap. There was a very interesting aborigene man talking about culture and conducting walks in the gardens, explaining plants and fruits.
Only minus point was flies.
Ballarat ? For the old town, maybe Disney like but interesting . And for the zoo, You Can pat kangaroos, koalas and see snakes from a safe place (which I do prefer as I nearly stepped on a brown snake while hiking).
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Old Oct 20th, 2016, 03:07 PM
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Hey Kerrymp.
I'm with BigRuss on this one. November is definitely not the time to visit the Red Centre. I went in June/July about 10 years ago (I'm from Melbourne), so that was the middle of winter, although the nights were wickedly cold the days were 25-30 (Celsius) every day - we were there for 3 days.
If you do go through, as BR said I would definitely invest in a net hat. You might look silly but unless you want flies crawling in your mouth as you speak & breathe then it's a necessity. Also I stayed at the resort, I think it's called Yalara? We camped but it did have units/cabins there too & the facilities were quite nice - though that was 10 years ago. I can say though, without a doubt that it's on my list to go to again, it was like nothing I'd ever seen before & the pictures do NOT do it justice!
Like you said, the GOR is beautiful but like a church for me - seen one, seen them all & you definitely can't see all it has to offer in a day. I would recommend Melbourne although I may be biased!!! but it wasn't voted the most liveable city several years in a row for no reason! It has great public transport options, cheap or expensive accommodation (something to suit everyone), beautiful beaches which you'll be able to visit & enjoy that time of year, an endless range of restaurants, shopping and beautiful scenery too - there really is something for every taste!!!
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Old Oct 21st, 2016, 05:36 PM
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Lauren87 -

Just curious, what's wickedly cold for an Aussie?
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