Uluru (Ayers Rock) Tours
 

I'm considering taking my aunt to Uluru for her 80th birthday in August.

I can get a good(-ish) 3 day package, airfares and hotel, so now I need to decide what to do there.

We'll do the sunrise and sunset at the rock, and probably Sounds of Silence dinner.

What else?

She's pretty fit for for an 80-y-o (fitter than I am:( ), but trips with several hours of walking are not appropriate.

I thought of Kata Tjuta - what tours to take?

Should I hire a car?

Any suggestions or comments will be helpful (it feels funny being on this side of the questions ;) )

Yes Margo ... you are the one usually dispensing good advice! I was going to suggest Kata Djuta (The Olgas). I actually thought they were more beautiful than Uluru itself. I can't recommend any particular trips ..I'm sure wherever you are staying will arrange one which will be as good as any.I wouldn't suggest driving but others may disagree. Have a great trip!

Why not look at the costs of tours and compare with the cost of hiring a car. Personally I prefer the freedom of having a car and stopping and looking wherever I feel. Also bear in mind that the current entrance charge is $25 each which may be included in the cost of organised tours.
There is a long walk (about three hours) at Kata Tjuta but also a much shorter walk of about 30 minutes. I'm with Peteralan - much prefer Kata Tjuta to Uluru even though that is pretty spectacular.
Hope you both have a great time.

Hi Margo,

Now I understand the comment on another thread about your aunt being half way around Uluru from another thread.

While its a long drive from Alice springs if you stop at Stuart's Well you could meet Dinky!

Since we had a car from the drive we could come and go as we pleased. I think you might appreciate the flexibility. Also you can visit the 2 sites against the tour bus flow.

We walked around Uluru on a drizzling morning and it was lovely. Its level, so your Aunt may be able to do this.

The sunset at Uluru was very nice, but we actually had to buy those funny fly masks to stave off the savage beasts.

The walk into the Valley of the Winds at Kata Tjuta is a real push, but if you don't hike up to the lookout and go in backwards it might be doable.

We stayed at the cheapest room at The Pioneer Outback Hotel w/ private bath. We had 4 bunk beds.
They have 4 bunk bed rooms w/o bath and immaculate abulation blocks for less.

The whole resort is actually nicely designed from an architectural viewpoint, but the shuttle bus ( within the resort only not out to the rock), doesn't start up til 10 AM or so.
Its worth going over to look at Sails in the Desert, really pretty, but beyond our pocketbooks.

Remember to avoid Curtin Springs.

Andrew/David

Thanks, all!

My aunt has decided she wants to ride around the rock, or something, on a Harley Davidson, for her 80th birthday!

I think I'll need a plentiful supply of booze, or tranquilizers, or both!

I'm moving towards the car option - for some freedom. We're flying in and out of Yulara, so will probably miss Curtin Springs (how sad!)

How far again from the rock to the dingo???

Do you think a dingo would take an aunt? Perhaps if I knitted her a nice little matinee jacket?

Margo , 4+ hours from dingo to Rock.
The Lassiter Highway from the Stuart Highway to Uluru is the only road in the NT w/ a speed limit ( and cameras) not at all clear why. So you'd have to make up time on the Stuart. Will you be riding in your aunt's side car?

cheers from Andrew and John

G'day, AD & J - thanks for the tips!

I'm starting to regret this idea! By the end of it, I'll be homicidal, or suicidal, or both!

I think I'll pass on the Harley - and need to research more!

Hi Margo

Sorry I'm getting in this a bit late but to my recollection the walk around Uluru was about 6 miles. This could be a bit much if the temperature is up that day. Also my memory seems to recall that you can't walk totally around as there is a certain area that is deemed spiritual by the Aboriginals and you should be driven around this point(??)

Like Andrew we also stayed at Pioneer Outback but had a nice motel type room with two queen beds and private bath. Our meals there were pretty good.

Sounds of Silence (for us) was getting bitten by bugs constantly as we were there in March. It did take away from a lot of the dinner with the swatting and yes we did have insect spray with Deet.

Too bad you could rent a Harley as many people rent al imo for a few hours and just take Auntie around the Rock in style!!

Why not a camel ride to Uluru? There's a camel farm that offers sunrise trips!

All suggestions are under consideration, thanks.

I'm putting some faith in the dingo taking her.....

For starters Margo, don't be a PC tosser and introduce the place to her as Ayers Rock. The new age tourist brainwashing approach of renaming the damned things apalling, don't fall for it. :)

Margo, Remember Dinky is a celebrity. Dinky didn't fly down to the ABC studios, they flew up to him.

Your aunt may have to promise him accomodation at Sails in the Desert and dinner at sounds of the desert or whatever to get him to pal around with her.

AndrewDavid

>>>>>>The new age tourist brainwashing approach of renaming the damned things apalling<<<<<<

You're absolutely right, Xbgtcoupe, one should never rename a place once it has been renamed. :-d

Jeez!
My sole aim in life in to be a PC tosser! Whatever that is????

Well! I'm b-a-a-a-c-c-c-k-k-k!

3 days with the aunt - so litle sanity remaining (started at a pretty low level, though!)

The flight from Sydney was delayed a couple of hours because of fog (almost the only fog this winter - typical!!!).

After some confusion about accommodation, end up at Outback Pioneer - as part of the Qantas package we took. It was fine - clean, quiet, comfortable, and with a pub!

We did the Sounds of Silence dinner, as we were there on my aunt's actual 80th birthday. It IS expensive, and the food is ordinary (well, exotic, but reheated buffet style, and not too flash!). Surprisingly, the wines were reasonably good and plentiful. It was a great location, though, and my aunt enjoyed it. The astronomer talk was quite interesting (and witty).

Thursday we organised the Harley trip for aunt. That, too, was expensive, but she absolutely loved it and had a ball. I've just emailed her pic on the bike to her local newspaper.

We picked up a car, and some food, and did the Rock thing - and then one of the aboriginal tours from the Cultural Centre - quite interesting. The talk was given by an aboriginal lady who was quite whimsical, and we waited to a while at a waterhole to see 'her' goanna - apparently she's waiting for it to get a bit larger before it becomes dinner. The goanna was a no-show though - perhaps someone else ate it?!

The much vaunted sunset was a bit of a letdown - no brilliant colours - but - it's all interesting.

Next day, drove to Kata Tjuta - but aunt found the walking too hard, so we just mooched around there.

Afternoon, we went over the Rock in a helicopter - just great and gave us a different perspective. They locked us in - so no chance of aunticide.

Saturday morning - sunrise, but cloudy, so again a bit disappointing. We were surprised to see how many people still climbed Uluru, despite all the signs asking tourists not to.

We did not see a single dingo (singing or otherwise) or any other wildlife, other than a few birds - perhaps they were all avoiding us. The flies weren't too bad, and the weather was brilliant the whole time we were there. Unbelievably blue skies and comfortable temperatures.

Overall, we had a great time, and aunt has returned, more or less intact, to her country town, and I'm left looking for the remains of sanity!

Thanks all for your advice.

Hi Margo,

In typical Aussie fashion, I managed to loose this thread, and thought you were lost as well, but PeterAllen
set me straight and here you are. How's that for a run on sentence?

I'm glad your trip was a success. Can you post the Harley pictures here?

We stayed at Outback Pioneer also and found it perfectly comfortable.

I'm glad you had fun with your aunt. "so little sanity left..." were you refering to your auntie or your own after the expedition. Regardless, I'm glad you are back and had not been eaten by a dingo.

best wishes, your friend, Andrew

PS Did you ever hear the audio clip of Dinky that Neil sent me?