ULURU a "Must do"?
 

We are traveling for 4 weeks next August to Australia.
I am finding it complicated and certanly far away, the trip to Uluru. Plus hotels seem to be few and expensive.
I am wondering is it is worth the effort.
Tks for your comments.

yes.

if you are at all interested in aboriginal culture.

as i posted before (and, thanks fodors- was quoted in the book saying) it is more than just a rock- they only print the pictures of the rock because that's all the aboriginals want photographed, but up close it is like a national park. there are interesting stories, events at night and hikes to a companion site, the olgas, a short drive away.

i am sorry i waited until my 4th or 5th trip to oz to see it, and i want to go back to spend more time there.

if you have been to the us grand canyon and like that, it is a similar idea- it is a lot more than it appears.

i would also say time of year is a factor- when i went the weather was ideal and i saw no flies.

kerikeri :)

No - you can get a lot of aboriginal culture in other places which do not add up to the dreadful and excessive costs of going to Uluru.

It would depend on your interests.
If you are interested in seeing a unique part of Australia,experiencing something of the "outback" & learning a little about Aboriginal lores & lifestyle and spend another day or so exploring the surrounding area; then perhaps it is for you. If it is a "tick off the list", probably not.

It's not at all complicated to get there - you can fly to Alice Springs or Uluru from all capital cities. If you fly into Alice Springs, you can either join a small tour or drive out to Uluru.
There are often quite attractive specials on flights to both.

It can be expensive and as it is, after all, an isolated area in the outback, it is not well serviced by myriad accommodation options. In common with many areas where there is a relative monopoly, the cost is indeed higher than one would wish. The difficulty in attracting and keeping staff is, again, in common with many isolated spots, including a number of exotic resorts, and can result in less than 6 star service.

This is a link to a modestly priced motel:
http://www.nomadsworld.com/productde...+pioneer+lodge

We went to Uluru this past November and it was a very interesting experience. It isn't really complicated to get to but Depending on where you are coming from and/or where you are going next it could be a long flight.

There's one company that operates all the major resorts/hotels in the area so there is a bit of a monopoly on pricing. As Bokhara pointed out it's a real "company town" atmosphere so don't look for bargain rates.

You can pretty much see the highlights the area has to offer in 2 or 3 days which is the length of time most visitors stay.

We stayed at Longitude 131 and even though it was the most expensive of the resorts in the area we thought it was worth the price even though we were paying 5-star prices for 3 star accomodations. The real attraction for us was the fact that our price included "everything" - all guided tours, all meals (dinning out out in the dessert under the stars on a cloudless night made for an awesome sight), transportation to all tour venues, etc. Our entire stay was planned out for us by the resort staff and we didn't have to do a thing but show up at the appointed time. It was the perfect way to fully explore the area to in the short time we were there.

This is a place that you should visit at least once during your lifetime.

This is a tough one. Uluru is a beautiful place - especially at sunset or after a rain. If you want to accept it on that basis, it's fine and so be it. Beyond that, it's one of the most mystical places I've been in my (fortunately!) long life. If you are willing to really look into aboriginal culture - there are some good books - it's a must do. As a postscript, to go through Austrialia and not go into aboriginal culture thoroughly or NZ without Maori culture - don't bother with the trip - you're missing what it's all about.

It depends on what interests you. If you like touring cities, then Uluru may not be worth it. If you like outdoor scenery and cultural history, then you should not miss it.

For me, it is absolutely un-missable and worth the time and effort to get there. I too find it a magical/spiritual place.

You can stay there comparatively inexpensively. There are fun little cabins that you can rent in the Yulara Campground, and the Outback Pioneer Hotel is not terribly expensive. There is a shuttle bus to take you wherever you want to go, and you don't have to eat in the fancy restaurants.

I think the Centre is a great place to visit and you can spend alot of time there...Have been to Uluru twice and loved it both times...it is hard to explain, but it is a very mystical place (at least for us it was). Don't miss the Olgas if you go and do the Sounds of Silence Dinner which is fantastic. Depending on your timing (and sense of adventure)...we flew into Uluru and then hired a 4wd and drove the Meerenie Loop (dirt track between Alice and Uluru) which is listed in some places as one of the top drives in Australia...took us about 6-7 hours, but you are in the middle of incredibly beautiful scenery that's pretty much all to yourself (we only saw about 6 cars the entire time)...dingos, emus, kangaroos, etc....good luck!

I too love the Centre. But for me it is not about Uluru, it is about the other places there are to go and see - swimming under waterfalls in the East Macs; hearing about the early explorers and learning about the flora and some small insight into aboriginal culture. There are day trips that will show you this.

But then, I have seen the Rock, and you haven't and you feel you must.

Agree accommo is outrageous but I guess it's to keep the numbers down. If you don't need luxe there is the Pioneer Lodge, and if you are willing to slum it for just one day, you could stay in the YHA facility there.

But then perhaps that doesn't appeal?

If you stay at any of the accommodations next to Uluru, you will pay top dollar one way or another (whether its for your bed, or just to eat a meal there). In that sense, it's like going to Disney - they've got you by the wallet.

It is worth going, but I don't recommend more than 2 days/2 nights if going during the summertime because of the flies and heat (which you aren't). It is beautiful to see Uluru and Kata Tjuta at sunrise and sunset. I really recommend the sunset Harley ride around Uluru. Also, I have done the Sounds of Silence dinner which I thought was going to be kind of hokey. While the food was pretty mediocre, the show after dinner was actually excellent. The Aboriginal center tour we did was not that good - I thought it was a little too staged. Had much more authentic experience and learned more at other Aboriginal centers around Australia - particular South Australia.

We debated the same thing for our trip last June/July. It was expensive and time consuming to get there...but we were happy we did.

http://www.onelittleworld.com/australia_7.html

Tks your replies.
taking into account all the information We have decided to go to Uluru area.
My reasons:
1.-Once in a lifetime.
2.-Found a reasonable air rate.
3.-There are not too many flies in August (correct me if I am wrong)
4.-I am sure we will enjoy.
5.- My wife found out through some friends in Sydney that it is a place that we should go.(unbeatable)

I have considered a trip to Uluru on a number of occasions and in each case have decided that the money can be better spent elsewhere. Perhaps once I've visited every other location worth seeing I will consider Uluru.

Car....good for you! You'll have a great time....I think there are flies all the time...on trips in June/July and March we had to contend with them, but they were not an extreme bother...when the sun goes down, the flies disappear, so if you are thinking about dining under the stars or going to the "observatory" for star gazing, you'll be fine...just bring a coat!

Just as a side note, I was having this very same dilemma because of the air expense. I decided to go, but only after I found out that my frequent flier miles with American Airlines support intra-Australia trips. For 20,000 miles I'm flying to Uluru and then to Cairns. Even if you purchased the miles, the cost would be $550, which seems less than the flights on Qantas. You may want to check if you have one, though I don't think Delta does.