Hello all again---I have been busily making plans and booking accomodations for our 3 week Oz trip mid Oct thru 1st week Nov with the help of all my Fodor's pals who have graciously given advice. Now I need more help from you guys on AS/Uluru. I have read all the suggestions on this site that I can find and in my guidebook and am still uncertain about the best way to spend our short time there. We have 4 nights total. We are open to anything (almost!). Flight arrives Alice app 11:30 am. It looks like we should stay in Alice nights 1 and 4. Desert Park sounds like a must-see. As for getting to Uluru, we would probably be happier driving than going with a tour although I know tours can be very informational. Sounds like we will need to rent a 4WD if we plan to see Kings Canyon. Should that be a day trip? Saw talk about sealing the Mereenie Loop.....? Should we do West MacDonnell Ranges on the way to The Center?
Any input will be much appreciated!

There are flights to Uluru. You could either fly in or out of there, so that you don't have to do the drive twice.

We very much enjoyed Desert Park. We rented bikes in town and biked there and back.

In Alice Springs, visit the Frontier Camel Farm and "Take a Camel to Dinner". You'll have a 1-hour ride along the "banks" of the Todd River followed by a very delicious dinner & drinks. My only word of advice (other than to do this) is, when they offer a sheepskin for additional padding on your backside, take two...or you may come away with a lasting "impression" of your ride.

I agree that the Desert Park is worth seeing. Alice Springs School of the Air, the Alice Springs Telegraph Station and the School of the Air are also pretty interesting too.

A good dinner recommendation would be the Red Ochre Grill Restaurant, on the Todd Mall.

<b>"As for getting to Uluru, we would probably be happier driving than going with a tour although I know tours can be very informational."</b>

Uluru is approx. 450kms from Alice Springs over some very harsh territory. If you do decide to drive, make sure you have plenty of drinking water with you in case of emergency.

Good advice on the driving, Orlando Vic ... and I'd add, don't drive at dawn or dusk. You don't want to have the wildlife as a mascot on your car!

If you're considering the one way fly/drive option, make sure you check what the drop-off fee is for one way car rental. It can be prohibitive, and you may even find that one-way isn't offered between Alice Springs & Uluru.

Things to see in and around Alice Springs: another vote for the Desert Park, it trains your eyes to distinguish the different arid terrains.

Also I'd highly recommend the Araluen Cultural Centre (extensive collection of watercolours by Aboriginal artist Albert Namatajira), Papunya Tula Aboriginal Art co-op (one of the best places to buy Aboriginal art), Standley Chasm (great place to see black-footed wallabies), Olive Pink Botanic Garden (read Julie Marcus's biography of Pink, it's a cracker)

The Didgeridoo Show in Alice (?the Starlight Theatre) was also very good. Flying Doctors Service was interesting to visit.

I second the recommendation about Take a Camel to Dinner. The meal was the best we had on our trip. There's a little museum next to where you eat dinnner that has interesting information about the history of camels in Australia

Lynnie: as you may know, you can get to Kings Canyon on sealed roads via the Stuart or Lasseter Highway (the main route to Uluru) and turning off on to the Ernest Giles or Luritja Rd, respectively (depending on which direction you are headed). The trouble with this route (the one we took when we went to Kings Canyon), is you have to backtrack from the West MacDonnells to get there. The Mereenie Loop solves this problem, but as we found, you have to rent 4WD and you need to obtain a permit to enter the aboriginal land you cross en route. Doesnt look like the Mereenie loop will be paved any time soon, see:

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2...14/2570487.htm

With just 4 nights, seeing Kings Canyon, the West MacDonnells, Uluru and the Olgas is going to be tough. Renting a 4WD will help as it will let you get directly to Kings Canyon. But I dont think your idea of spending nights 1 and 4 in Alice is very feasible if you want to see these other places.

We spent a day/2 nights at Kings Canyon and did the wonderful hike around the rim. This is really the only way, other than a helicopter ride, to see the Canyon properly. It is not seen well from the road. At a minimum, you would need half a day for Kings Canyon, not counting any additional time getting there.

In the West MacDonnells, we stopped at Standley Chasm, Simpsons Gap, Glen Helen and Ormiston Gorge as well as doing the very rough drive into Palm Valley (we had a 4WD for this part). All these places were magnificent, the latter two especially.

Thanks all for the suggestions of places and things to see and do. RalhpR---Sounds like we should plan to drive to Kings Canyon after arriving in Alice, stay there the 1st night, hike it the next morning/day, then see other sights---as many as we can fit in (isn't this area about halfway?) on our way to Uluru, stay 2 nights there, back to Alice for last day/night then fly out. Judilie--I had looked into flying into or out of Uluru but it was cost-prohibitive so chose to double up on the drive.
Any other thoughts or suggestions?

Lynnie:

Your idea of 1st night in Kings Canyon, then Uluru should be feasible. Via the Mereenie Loop Rd (for which you will have to rent 4WD), the trip to Kings Canyon is ~ 4 hours. See

http://www.kingscanyonresort.com.au/getting-there/

Assuming you arrive in Alice on schedule, doesnt look like you'll be hitting the road much earlier than 1:00, once you've collected your bags, rented your vehicle and had a bite to eat.
So that gets you to KC around 5:00PM. Not sure what time the sun sets in Nov, but I'd guess somewhere around 7:30 (not accounting for daylight svgs, and I'm not sure that the Northern Territory observes it). That doesn't allow much time for seeing the sights in the West MacDonnells along the way (Standley Chasm, Ormiston Gorge, etc).

The website above gives 3 hours for driving to Uluru from Kings Canyon, and from my memory, that seems about right. So, provided you leave KC by ~4 PM, that gets you to Uluru at a reasonable hour (outback driving at night is not a good idea). There really isn't much at all to see between KC and Uluru, by the way.

So now, assuming you spend 2 nights at Uluru, you essentially have a day and a half to explore Uluru and the nearby Olgas rock formation (which in some ways is more interesting than Uluru). One suggestion I have is to get up early one of your two mornings to do the spectacular Valley of the Winds walk at the Olgas, my favorite hike in the area. Getting there early will insure you're not sharing the walk with various tour groups, which, as I recall ,typically arrive later in the day. Also, in Nov., temperature could be a factor, so the morning hours will likely be the best time to hike. The Olga Gorge walk is very nice too.

Then provided you get on the road by early-mid afternoon, you should be set to arrive back in Alice (450 km away by the main road) around dinner time for your last night.

Ralph

I agree with Ralph regarding his picks of Ormiston Gorge and Palm Valley - fantastic spots. But if you are limited which I think you are then Kings Canyon is Top of the Pops IMHO. My favourite place on the planet! I think Ralphs plan is very doable and a great option considering your time constraints.

I am looking at accommodations in Kings Canyon and the guidebook states the only 1 available is Kings Canyon Resort. It is very expensive. Any other choices nearby, not in the park?

lynnie...try Kings Creek Station...I copied the info below from a Kings Canyon Website.

"Kings Creek Station also has a campground and accommodation in safari style tents/cabins. (They are made from canvas but have a steel frame and solid floors, plus light and power, and shared facilities)."

KC is very remote, so I am not surprised there are very few options. We stayed at the Kings Canyon Resort campground in our rented campervan.