Flies at Uluru?

[M&Dcruisers]

I heard that sometimes there are hoards of flies around Uluru. I am doing a few days pre-cruise at Uluru and I'd like to know if flies will be an issue in late November and early December?

[room010]

Flies are around all year round. Welcome to outback Australia! They are mostly little sand or desert flies that won't harm you but they can be annoying if they buzz around your face. You can't do much about them except develop the "Aussie Wave" where you bat them away with your hand or you can get a special net that covers your hat (compulsory down under) and face. I've seen these nets in Candian camping shops for mozzie protection.

[Pushka]

Yup. And likely to be hot too. Sometimes some of them nip you too, we found this at Alice Springs. Enough to make where they bite bleed a little. Perth is another bad spot for flies.

[GradUT]

We've experienced flies at Uluru, but never had any that bit us. We opted for the "Aussie Wave" rather than buying a net. And as Room010 indicates, you MUST have a hat for everywhere in Australia. (The sun-safe campaign in Australia is "Slip-Slop-Slap": Slip on a shirt, Slop on the sunscreen, Slap on a hat.)

I would be more concerned with the heat than the flies. It should be over 90 degrees daily in November/December.

[donaldsc]

You can not imagine how many flies there are. They do not bite you but they go into all your body orifices looking for moisture.

Definitely buy a net. You will be miserable w/o one.

DON

[Pushka]

Originally Posted by donaldsc

You can not imagine how many flies there are. They do not bite you but they go into all your body orifices looking for moisture.

Definitely buy a net. You will be miserable w/o one.

DON

Hmm, I live in Australia and have never seen anyone wear a net. Sand flies do bite! Little black ones, the most prolific, don't!

[room010]

I wear a net if the flies are really bad. I don't mind looking like a dag if it means not swallowing the little b#ggers while on my morning walk

[cassamanda]

Just wear a hat for the sun and slap on plenty of insect repellant which you can also get as a spray on and some come combined in a sunscreen. Available everywhere. Wear a net if you want to look stupid.

[turtlemichael]

As someone with an Australian twang once said: "When you come to the tropics in 'astraya, it's not only the 'eat, it's also the 'umility"

[cjm66]

Originally Posted by cassamanda

Just wear a hat for the sun and slap on plenty of insect repellant which you can also get as a spray on and some come combined in a sunscreen. Available everywhere. Wear a net if you want to look stupid.

Agree about the hat and repellent. Try Natures Botanicals for the bush flies. I would not worry about looking like a dork, nothing worse than sucking in bush flies as I recall from a fishing trip on Lake Eucambene in a year infamous for bush flies. Lean back to cast and almost without thinking your mouth opens in concentration (we were learners) and you suck in air and a mouth full of flies as your cast goes wildly off target. We quickly donned the daggy face nets the locals had suggested and blessed the relief!

Colleen