Uluru Quick Trip

Considering flying in from Cairns one morning, doing the Sounds of Silence Dinner and tour that evening, and the Morning Sunrise Tour with walk around the base the following morning, and then catching a flight to Sydney. Would anyone care to comment on this proposal. We really don't have the time to stay longer. Would we be better doing this much or skipping it altogether. There probaabaly won't be a next time. Also, I'm only seeing Qantas flights into Ayer's Rock from Cairns and out to Sydney. Are there any other choices that I'm missing?

PS: Do we dare use the Lone Camel or Pioneer Outback Hotels????

As you say that you only have limited time and you probably won't be back ... I say go for it.

The Sounds of Silence Dinner is supposed to be spectacular and the early morning walk around the base will be special also.

Both those hotels get about a 3.5 out of 5 rating on Trip Advisor ... especially for those just spending a night or so there. Don't expect luxury, but the upside is that you can save your money for other activities.

Yes, QANTAS is your only choice on that route.

Would anyone care to comment on this proposal. We really don't have the time to stay longer. Would we be better doing this much or skipping it altogether. There probaabaly won't be a next time.

To put this into perspective, the distances involved means that it's like getting off a ship in Miami, flying to Chicago for dinner and a walk, and then flying to Phoenix before travelling home. Do you really want to do that?

We did a pre-cruise land tour in January 2006 which included a morning flight to Ayers Rock from Sydney, one night at Sails in the Desert Hotel, and a morning tour of Uluru, etc.

IMHO - one day, however broken up, is plenty. After all, how long can you stare at a rock??

I'm glad we went there...but wouldn't do it again.

Mike S

Appreciate the comments and advice from all. Now I'm not sure what I want to do; whether I should just go stare at the rock for a short while or not. But Globalizer you have a way with the analogy. It certainly gave me something to think about and the only hole I could poke in it was the fact that I have to fly back to "Phoenix" anyhow to come home! - and don't I get to see just a little of "Chicago" while I'm there for dinner! But putting this into perspective - you're also speaking to one who just last month landed in Heathrow, drove to within a few miles of Land's End for two days and returned to fly home. I enjoyed it immensely but I will admit that I did have some new-found relations to visit in Cornwall. Thanks.

I would do it but then I am an Aussie and most Australians want to see "the Rock" before they are too old. To see Uluru once in your lifetime and to have the Sounds of Silence dinner and the sunset and sunrise to me would be worth the flights. You do not mention what time of year you would be going.

If it is in our summer - December to March it could be extremely hot and therefore could be extremely tiring. If it were from April to October it would be a perfect time to visit.

My philosophy is that you never can count on returning that way again so do and see as much as you can whilst you are there as you do not want to be sorry once you return home. I have used this philosophy countless times when we have been abroad and if we have returned on a later visit then that has been a bonus.

Jennie

If it is in our summer - December to March it could be extremely hot and therefore could be extremely tiring. If it were from April to October it would be a perfect time to visit. Jennie

Far be it from me to shoot for anything but perfection! The visit will be this October!! Thanks for setting me up. :D Now since I see you're from Melbourne, let me put you on the spot. The trip to Uluru comes at the cost of eliminating Melbourne. Now how do you feel!!!:confused:

If we did Melbourne, we would have 2 1/2 days there, one of which we would plan on driving the Great OR as far as Port Fairy, and the other day and a half spent in Melbourne sightseeing. First, can this drive be done in a day - say 12 hours? with breaks to appreciate the scenery, relax, have a bite etc. Would traffic be horrendous, possibly on the first weekend in October? And second, should we chose Melbourne over Uluru ? and if we did, what would be your recommendations for the time we would have in Melbourne? Really hope to hear from you. Thanks. Richard.:D

Richard,

Now you have put me in a spot as I think that Melbourne is the most beautiful city we have ever visited and we have been to over 56 countries! Truly it is a lovely city, completely different from Sydney and there is so much to see and do here. Many U.S. visitors do say that they prefer Melbourne over Sydney as we do have a lot to show off other than a lovely Harbour, fantastic Bridge and glorious Opera house.

We are the Garden city of Australia as well as the Shopping, Eating and Sporting Capital of Oz. We are also one of the most liveable cities in the world. What more can I say? We have wineries very close to the city and a wonderful wildlife Sanctuary where you can see every type of Australian animal. Melbourne is also an easy walking city with free public transport that takes you around the city so you can see everything very easily.

The Great Ocean Road is fabulous and is equal to the Amalfi Coast road. If you want to do it, it will take you quite a few hours and I really do not think you would get the most out of it if you drive to Port Fairy and immediately return back to Melbourne. I would drive down to Port Fairy on the GOR, spend a night at this delightful town and return back next morning along the Princes Highway which would take about 4 hours. The GOR does not start until you reach Torquay which is about an hour and a quarter from Melbourne via Geelong. Once on the road it takes another 3/4 to get to Lorne where I would stop, have a coffee and walk and look at the shops. I would drive up to Teddy's Lookout for a wonderful view of where you are about to go.

I would then aim for Apollo Bay for an early lunch. Apollo Bay is another hour or so further on from Lorne. It will take another hour or so to get to the 12 Apostles where you need to get out and go for a walk to see both the Apostles and the Blowhole.

Once you get to either Port Campbell or Peterborough you more or less leave the coast and continue on to Warnambool where you can visit Tower Hill and Flagstaff Hill Maritime Village. If you don't get time to see all this on the first day, you will be returning via Warnambool so you can visit on the way back.

Then it is only a 22km drive to Port Fairy from Warrnambool. Port Fairy is the oldest setttled town in Victoria and has some quaint cottages, great restaurants and is worth visiting.

October is a good month to visit especially as we are now starting daylight saving a month early on the first Sunday of October commencing this year.

As far as what I would suggest you see when in Melbourne. That is hard as I would need to know what your interests are. We have the largest National gallery of Australian paintings in the country which is free to the public. We have a wonderful Museum, Public Library etc. A great Treasury Building that shows you how Melbourne was built on the Gold Rush and we have many beautiful buildings dating back to the 1850's when Melbourne was first built.

We have a wonderful zoo which is on acres and acres of land and the animals are in their natural habitat. We also have an Open Plains Zoo at Werribee which is very close to the city. We have the Victoria Market which a lot of overseas visitors love and we also have all the shopping precincts. I mentioned the wineries and the Wildlife Sanctuary which are quite close to the city, about 40km away. We also have the Dandenong Ranges which are only 30kms away and have the huge tree ferns and lovely walking trails.

If I were to choose between visiting Uluru and Melbourne and Victoria it would be a very hard decision to make as one you are visiting a huge rock in the middle of the desert far from anywhere but a very spiritual part of our country and the other is a most interesting and cosmopolitan city and a drive along a unique and historical road that was built by World War 1 veterans when they returned from the aftermath of that terrible war.

I hope I have helped your decision in some way.

Jennie

A few more points ...

I guess you could say that Uluru is just "a rock", just as you could say that the Grand Canyon is "just a hole" ...

As much as the Great Ocean Road is a spectacular trip and shopping in Melbourne is fantastic .... it might be a lot easier to find a city with great shopping and a pretty drive along the coast ... than it is to travel to the centre of the oldest, flattest, driest continent on earth and stare in wonder at a huge monolith and partake in a silver service dinner under a trillion stars with the eerie sounds of an aboriginal didgeridoo playing ...

I know which I would choose ....

A few more points ...

 

As much as the Great Ocean Road is a spectacular trip and shopping in Melbourne is fantastic .... it might be a lot easier to find a city with great shopping and a pretty drive along the coast ... than it is to travel to the centre of the oldest, flattest, driest continent on earth and stare in wonder at a huge monolith and partake in a silver service dinner under a trillion stars with the eerie sounds of an aboriginal didgeridoo playing ...

 

I know which I would choose ....

Vozzie,

I would also choose Uluru only because we haven't been there as yet.

But I do disagree that Melbourne is all shopping. Where else do you have mountains, wineries, wildlife, galleries, beautiful gardens etc all within a 40km range of a cosmopolitan city of over 3 million people and one that is safe and easy to walk around with wide, wide streets and great public transport which includes our fantastic trams. I didn't mention that we have a Restaurant tram which takes you around the suburbs whilst you either eat lunch or dinner. It is a great way to see how we live down here.

Also we have travelled extensively and nowhere have we found a road that comes anywhere like our Great Ocean Road. It is an outstanding achievement of how men using just picks and shovels managed to cut into the mountains and create such a fantastic and picturesque road. It is celebrating its 75 years this year and we consider ourselves so fortunate to be able to drive along it and see the magnificent views from every curve and bend in the road.:)

Jennie

"The Rock" is quite amazing and going there will show you what the centre of Australia is like. You will also get to see some original aboriginal art and culture. If you do go there you can go to "Sails" for a meal or drinks. It's 5 star and very nice. October will be nice and warm.

The Great Ocean Road is also beautiful and very interesting. If you go there try to do a helicopter flight along the coast. It is an amazing persective.

I'm from Sydney and we have a friendly "war" with Melbourne over who has the most beautiful city. Melbourne is known as a vibrant city, good shopping, food, galleries etc.

Going to Uluru will give you an understanding of how large and diverse Australia really is.

Whatever you decided to we hope you enjoy your stay.

Shamrock,

As you can see from the above posts we are very proud of our country and want you to make the most of your visit.

Beg, borrow, steal an extra day or two. Then your original itinerary will become a very enjoyable 'once in a lifetime' experience. JMHO.

If you can stretch to staying in the 5 star 'Sails in the Desert' hotel it is well worthwhile. Its a great experience being in the lap of luxury whilst your in the 'middle of nowhere'.

You will also want to visit Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), which easily rival Uluru itself for breathtaking beauty.

As Jenny mentioned, October is a perfect time to visit Uluru. The days will be warm and the nights cool, but not too cold. (remember you are in the desert).

By the way, October is not the best time to visit Melbourne. Although we are in the grips of a serious drought, if it ever breaks, October is a month of variable spring weather. It is often cold, windy and rainy. (we hope!).

Whatever you do, please enjoy our country. We welcome you.

Cheers,

Steve.

Thank you all so much .......for making it so difficult for me to chose. The descriptions you have given of both Melbourne and Uluru make both of them so tempting. I really wish we had the time to do both. This is going to be a very tough decision. But I really do appreciate everyone's interest and your attempts to guide me towards one or the other. One thing I did figure out in the meantime is that there isn't nearly as much price difference as I had thought between the top and bottom hotel options at Uluru and we would definitely upgrade. Thanks again for all your input. Decisions, decisions!:confused:

ShamrockFL, you took the words right out of my mouth. We're headed to Australia in Feb '08 and are seriously considering the same schedule as you for seeing Uluru. Are you using a TA or tour company, or are you putting your trip together yourself?

We'd like to do the Uluru Sunrise and Base tour on the morning of Feb. 15th, then fly to Sydney on the 12:20 pm direct flight. Is this allowing enough time?

Also, can anyone comment on the bugs/flys we might encounter at Ayres Rock in Mid-February? I understand vendors sell beekeeper hats to tourists to keep the flys away from your face.

If you bring/buy some fly repellant it will help immensly. We were there in October and the bugs didn't worry us at all, but we are Australian, so perhaps we are used to them. It will be very hot in February and you will need a hat, sunscreen and drink plenty of water. A sunrise tour will show you the amazing colour changes of the rock as sunlight hits it.

I believe the worst insect will be our big blowflies or bush flies. If you have a hat with either a net or bobbles hanging down that will help a lot.

As Mydream has mentioned it will be extremely hot, in the 40's which is well over 100F, think 110F, though it will be a dry heat which is much better than humid weather you will experience in Cairns before you fly to Uluru.

Take and drink plenty of water and you will be fine. Remember you will be in the desert in the very heart of Australia.

Jennie

Jenne,

I read with great interest your post to Richard on April 21. Now I'm thinking of changing my plans and visiting Melbourne instead of Uluru.

For someone who has never driven on the "other side of the road," how difficult would the traffic be to do your suggested drive to see the GOR and little towns along the way?

thanks,

john

John,

After I replied to Richard I realized that if you are driving down to Warrnamabool on the GOR you will be on the outside edge which is quite scary. What I would do would do the trip in reverse. Drive down to Warrnambool and Port Fairy on our Princes Highway first of all. That means that by the time you came to driving along the GOR you would be used to the car, driving on the opposite side and knowing the distance each side of the car.

You would then be on the inside coming back to Melbourne which is by far the easiest way to tackle the road especially if you are not used to driving on the "wrong side".

A few years ago my husband and I drove around Provence and along the Riviera to Monaco, going one way along the sea and coming back on the freeway. He said he didn't see a thing as he was concentrating so much on the road and how much room he had on each side.

Our roads aren't as crowded as over in France and driving along the GOR is lovely during the week. There is a lot more traffic during the weekends so aim for doing it sometime between Monday and Friday.

Jennie

ShamrockFL, you took the words right out of my mouth. We're headed to Australia in Feb '08 and are seriously considering the same schedule as you for seeing Uluru. Are you using a TA or tour company, or are you putting your trip together yourself? We'd like to do the Uluru Sunrise and Base tour on the morning of Feb. 15th, then fly to Sydney on the 12:20 pm direct flight. Is this allowing enough time?)

 

Sorry for the delay - it's a small world - we were enroute from Florida to....Timonium, MD!!! for the summer - too hot down there. No we are not using a TA, at least not as yet. I tend to do these things myself, so this trip is no different. These flight schedules are crazy - I thought either you or I were going nuts to start with, when you mentioned a 12:20 flight. When I looked at my date there is no such animal, but we're travelling on October 7th which is a Sunday, and it's totally different. Actually it's a little better. I have a noon flight and a 13:25 flight to chose from, and I'll opt for the latter just to be safe, but I would think you would be OK on the 12:20 - you really don't have any other choice for a direct flight. If you do the Voyages morning tour, they have a vehicle tour as oposed to walking around the base, which takes an hour less and is supposed to be back by 10 am I think. Also check out AAT Kings web site www.aatkings.com - they have some alternative morning tours which are cheaper and some don't take as long.

Come on you guys !!! What's this bug spray & nets stuff ... You're coming half way round the world to experience this ... take the varmits head on .. taste a bit of fly protein, or a bit of buzzing in the ears like the rest of us! Where's your frontier spirit?

We're off to Alaska in 6 weeks and do you think we're taking bear spray or wearing foot bells? Hell no, bring it on !!! Let them do their worst !

On second thoughts, I think we'll be safer facing the bears than you will facing our bush flies !

Avagoodweekend !

We're off to Alaska in 6 weeks and do you think we're taking bear spray or wearing foot bells? Hell no, bring it on !!! Let them do their worst !

In light of the rising frequency of Human/Grizzly Bear conflicts, the Montana Department of Fish and Game is advising hikers, hunters, and fishermen to take extra precautions and keep alert for bears while in the field.

 

We advise that outdoorsmen wear noisy little bells on their clothing so as not to startle bears that aren't expecting them. We also advise outdoorsmen to carry pepper spray with them in case of an encounter with a Grizzly Bear.

 

It is also a good idea to watch out for fresh signs of bear activity. Outdoorsmen should recognize the difference between Black Bear and Grizzly Bear droppings. Black Bear dung is smaller and contains lots of berries and squirrel fur. Grizzly Bear dung has little bells in it and smells like pepper.

Which reminds me:-

Globaliser, PM for you over at FT. :)

Seeing that you're from Cairns, and have to be on top of everything in that area, do you have any advice to offer on what to do and which tour companies to use while we're there. With three days to work with, I was thinking of one day on the GBR - or should I stretch it to two? We don't dive, only snorkel. If I did that we would have to combine Kuranda and Daintree into one day, if that is actually possible. Or how about one day for GBR, one for Kuranda etc. and another for Daintree? In your opinion are any of the tours or tour companies better than others? Also, this will be October 3, 4 & 5; is this school holiday week in Queensland, or will they be bombarded with people from other areas who are on school break?Appreciate anything you can offer to guide me on any of this. When I get to that stage, would it be OK to run some possible hotel choices by you to see what you think? Thanks.

Seeing that you're from Cairns, and have to be on top of everything in that area, do you have any advice to offer on what to do and which tour companies to use while we're there. With three days to work with, I was thinking of one day on the GBR - or should I stretch it to two? We don't dive, only snorkel. If I did that we would have to combine Kuranda and Daintree into one day, if that is actually possible. Or how about one day for GBR, one for Kuranda etc. and another for Daintree? In your opinion are any of the tours or tour companies better than others? Also, this will be October 3, 4 & 5; is this school holiday week in Queensland, or will they be bombarded with people from other areas who are on school break?Appreciate anything you can offer to guide me on any of this. When I get to that stage, would it be OK to run some possible hotel choices by you to see what you think? Thanks.

Hi there. I don't post here much now but seeing you asked... :)

If you don't dive and will only snorkel probably one day at the reef is enough if you only have 3 days here. If you like full days on the other two I would: 1. Go one way to Kuranda on Skyrail and one on the train, visiting Tjapukai at the base of Skyrail. 2. Do a trip to Daintree and Cape Tribulation. I am not up to date on tour operators so won't venture a view on who to go with.

I am not sure whether it is school holidays in Queensland then or indeed in any other state which of course also affects the number of tourists here. However it is a busy time of the year but it will never be so busy as to interrupt your enjoyment. As for the reef I'd watch the weather forecasts in the few days before and pick the best day. The best day means the lowest winds.

I'm know a little about hotels here so happy to advise. Have fun in your planning :)

ShamrockFL,

I'm afraid you're smack bang in the middle of school holidays

http://www.oztourism.com.au/ozhols.htm