Kittie

Hello again! <BR>Can anyone give me some advice on whether to stay in Alice Springs or closer to Ayer's Rock? We would like to visit both places, but we don't know where would be the best place to stay. We probably won't be doing any hiking trips other than to see Ayer's Rock. We will be flying into Alice Springs from Sydney. <BR>Thanks <BR>Kittie

David

Hello Kittie, <BR>This may be a surprise for you but Ayers rock is 440kms from Alice Springs. Its been 10 years since we were in that area....but basically the distance involved means you have to stay at "Uluru" for at least one night. That is good as the rock looks its best at sunrise and sunset....especially at sunset. Don't forget the extra 30kms to see the Olgas...Uluru's poor cousin but well worth the effort. <BR>On the way back I would recomend that you visit Kings Canyon. It is truly worth the effort. When we were there the camping was basic but I understand it is alot better now. <BR>Kittie...in summary your best bet would be to try and hire a campervan for a couple of days. This will give you the freedom to do what you want and is the only way really to cover the distances involved and at the same time maximise your time...let me know if we can help you more. <BR>David

Hans

Hi Kittie! Two years ago my wife and i spent our honeymoon in Australia and New Zealand and made stops at both Alice Springs and Uluru National Park (Ayer's Rock). To be quite honest with you, we found Alice Springs to be rather dull and as a result, I would suggest that you try to fly directly into Ayer's Rock Resort. In addition to Alice being pretty boring, the drive from Alice down to Ayer's is long and not too exciting. With that said, Ayer's Rock is well worth a visit as is King's Canyon as was mentioned in a previous posting. Make sure you also check out the Olgas as they are well worth a visit. If you do stay in Alice, there are a couple of resorts on the edge of town which are nice...we stayed at the Territory Motor Inn right in town on the Main Street and it truly was just a motor inn. Nonetheless, being in the center of town meant that it was easy to walk around and find a nice place to eat. I hope you have a great trip--Australia is a wonderful country!

Kittie

Thank you both so much! It sounds like Ayer's Rock is the winner. The other suggestions you both have made sound great. <BR>Thanks again! <BR> <BR>Kittie

Hans

Kittie: One more thing about the Ayrer's Rock Resort I forgot to tell you. There are at least three accomodations there: the emu walk apartments, the sails of the desert and one other than I can not remember the name of. The emu walk apartments are like studios and if you are a tight budget they are the way to go. We ended up staying in the middle property (the one I forgot the name of). The nice thing about this property is that about two years ago they opened new "deluxe rooms" from which you can lay in bed and see the Rock--the room was amazing! Great views, comfortable, very clean and nicely appointed and, the best part, still much cheaper that the sails property which does not have as nice of a view! Have a great trip.

Steve H.

Kittie, <BR> <BR>We were in Ayers Rock about three weeks ago. We did not see Alice Springs so I cant coment on that. The first thing is to buy mosquito netting. None of the guide books say it, but during the day the fleas at Uluru (and Olgas) are a major pain. It will be the best 5 bucks you spend. Uluru is expensive. We stayed at the Outback Pioneer which was a small room with shared bathroom. It was $124 Aust. You can camp or sleep in a dorm type room for less. The nicere hotels will run you around $300 Aust. <BR>Many of the tours they have are also costly. Uluru experience is a good one that is kept small in number. I would also say visit the cultural center first-it gives you a better understanding of what everything means. Too, it has a much sterner plea not to climb the rock. The issue is not black and white but one gets the sense it is disrespectful to climb. Some of the guides told us that the main reason was the aborig. get upset if someone gets hurt.While that is true at the cultural center their desire to have you NOT climb is very clear. <BR> <BR>We also visited Darwin/Kakadu and Pt. Douglas area if you have any questions email me directly.

Peg

Steve, do you mean 'flies' not 'fleas'. Always take Aerogarde when travelling the outback. Peg.

David

and be prepared for some insect type of discomfort not matter what sort of repellent you are using