Hello!<BR>I will be in OZ in July and want to visit the NT. I'll be travelling alone and want to get the most of my trip..having said that, I'd love to hear if posters think Alice Springs/Uluru is worthy place to spend a few days or an over-rated tourist mecca. Would Darwin and Kakadu be better choices?? <BR>Thanks All!!<BR>Debbie

It sort of depends on what interests you. I found Darwin to be a fairly conventional small city, i.e. not that much which is distinctive enough to make it a good tourist destination. Alice, on the other hand, is more of an outpost town, the central point for a large region of Oz. While not nearly as cosmopolitan, I thought Alice was much more interesting. I also thought that there was more to do nearby, particularly in the MacDonnel Range to the west. <BR><BR>I really liked Kakadu, particularly the ancient aboriginal paintings, and the wildlife along the billabongs. The experience there is going to be quieter and have more solitude, compared to Uluru. Still, if I had the choice, I would go to Uluru/Kata Tjuta first. Watching Uluru bathed in the sunset is a lifetime sort of experience! A walk on one of the fine Kata Tjuta trails is also great. <BR><BR>To be sure, Yulara, the network of hotels and restaurants near Uluru is a huge tourist complex, but I would still make the trip.

Dear Alf--<BR>Thanks for the feedback! Since this will be my first trip to OZ, but hopefully not my last, I think I'll do the Alice Springs/Uluru trek this time around and visit Darwin and Kakadu for my next adventure. <BR Debbie

Since you've made up your mind to do the Uluru/Alice area, here's some suggestions. Visit Kings Canyon and do the walk - about three hours along the top of the canyon. Go to the Olgas and do the walk through the Valley of the Winds - again about three hours.<BR>Try to visit the West and the East Macdonnells - both offer spectacular scenery. <BR>When you are in Alice, see if the Ted Egan show is on. Ted is uniquely Australian and spends a couple of hours singing (accompanied by an empty beer carton) and telling his stories about life in Northern Territory. We've been twice and really enoyed it each time.<BR>Next time, do Darwin, Kakadu (great paintings and wildlife), and also Litchfield (waterfalls and wildlife). Hope you have a great holiday.

Hello Marg--<BR>Thanks for the wonderful suggestions. I definately planned to stay active on this trip and your walks should keep me busy ;-) <BR>Debbie