Uluru & Kata Tjuta
When living out bush, you live for long weekends and an opportunity to get out and explore the unexplored. This time we decided to be a little bold, risky & possibly crazy, heading 1500km’s south east to one of the Natural Wonders of the world: Uluru.
The Tanami
The HWY that connects the great northern HWY to Alice Springs is the Tanami. A short google of its drivability will scare even the seasoned road tripper, known for its deep gullies, wash outs and water lined banks. When trying to get information on our journey across it, tourists and locals alike weren’t of much use but with the small amount of info we were able to get, we decided to just go for it.
Our journey across was a prime example of why you should take people’s word as just that. People’s opinions, perspectives and own experiences shouldn’t depict your own opportunities. Fortunately, maybe due to the lack of recent rains, a recent grading (where the road is softened) and the small number of trucks using it, the road was fine. The 500km’s of dirt road still isn’t for the faint hearted with constant corrugation, and random unexpected pot-holes and wash outs that mean you have to keep your wits about you. But, other than a few dodges of holes and tired eyes from 10 hours of concentration, the road is drive able for any medium size veichle, 4WD unnecessary.
Of course, before you take the Tanami leap yourself, check the road conditions and government advice, we found https://www.hallscreek.wa.gov.au/services/road-conditions the best with daily updates! :)
Starting just 15km’s out of our home town, halls creek, the Tanami then stretches for 1000km’s to Alice Springs. After the first 500k’s of dirt and corregation you hit the NT’s beautifully newly laid bitcheman (sealed) road and the second half is fairly smooth sailing.
Fuel
Fuel: If you take one piece of advice for your Tanami adventure, it’s fuel. Fortunately we have a long range fuel tank (140L) and along with 2 x 20L Jerry Cans, we’re able to make it from Halls Creek to Alice Springs without filling up.
If you need too, or want to avoid bringing a load of Jerry cans with you, then you need enough to make it 740km’s to the small town of Yuendumu, a short detour off the hwy will greet you with coffee, food and fuel to get you into Alice Springs.
Alice Springs
Similarly, Alice Springs also has a bad rap, with recent riots and the huge import of police to control it. With our very small snippet as we drove through with a stop at BP to fill up, it seemed like a lovely place to live off face value. Beyond the Tanami is the Stuart HWY, which stretches from Darwin to Adelaide and that passes through Alice Springs. After a 5-10 minute drive through the town of alice, you continue along the Stuart hwy, once again rolling over straight, bush lined roads. Sealed the rest of the way if you decide to fly into Alice Springs instead of drive you can pick up a hire car and journey your way to Uluru yourself.
Uluru Way
Alice to Uluru is roughly 400km’s, passing the turn off to kings canyon and onto Uluru add where you’ll see Mount Connor. which from a distance can be easily mistaken for Uluru itself (we did!). But once you see the real thing, nothing quite compares.
You’ll spot the rock 40 minutes out of Uluru, its scale so large that I’m suprised you can’t see it from space. The view as you drive into the national park is absolutely stunning, distracting and mesmerising, almost a hazard for drivers in awe. Entry into the park will cost you $38 each for a 3-day pass, or if you’re spending a lot of time / will be returning you can purchase a year pass for $50. Tickets can be purchased online https://uluru.gov.au/plan/buy-your-pass/ but being the off-season we didn’t have to wait to get ours at the gate.
Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park
Opening at 5am each morning you can beat the heat, crowds and catch the sunrise all at once and we recommend setting the early alarms and enjoying your coffee and breakfast as the days first sun rays hit the rock. With the heat being extreme during our visit (45°) most walks were closed from 11am for safety, however it was too hot to walk even before then, so if you’ve got the motivation go for a sunrise hike instead. In the winter (May-October) you’ll be fine with walking in the day, but still pack your water bottles, hats and sunscreen and follow the parks advice on walk times and difficulty. One we really wish we had done was the 10km loop around the rock, walking next to the huge landmark mesmerising. There are dozens of hikes to do and we recommend visiting Uluru hikes to discover them for yourself.
After walking up Uluru itself was banned in 2019 following deeper cultural understanding and acknowledgement, driving around and hikes around Uluru itself are the main activities, however the park also offers dozens of fun activities to enjoy whilst you’re there. Hire a bike to ride around the island, or enjoy a lesson on didgeridoo from a local traditional owner. Some of these activities are free to enjoy and can help improve your own understanding on Uluṟu’s significance. Along the walks you’ll find dreamtime stories of how different landmarks formed, the story of the serpent in the waterhole and rock paintings, ancient story telling of key events that took place at Uluru, long before any europeans discovered it.
Cultural awareness
Whilst enjoying Uluru, like any culture in the world, it’s important to follow and appreciate what may be culturally appropriate in that place. For Uluru, there’s specific places where it’s deemed culturally inappropriate to take photos, so follow the parks maps for where and when you can pull out your camera. Coming to Uluru for its beauty, should coincide with leaving with a deeper understanding of its cultural significance. The Dreamtime stories are enriched into the rock, literally, and play a major role in its continued enjoyment of thousands of people around the world each year. Taking rocks, sand and water from national park (as any national park) is a definite no, and it was cool to hear that those who did this pre-understanding the significance of the place, are returning their keepsakes to its home via post to the national park. It’s difficult to ignore the spiritual aura of ‘the rock’, even by looking at it you can tell its importance to the aboriginal people. Saying Uluru is a special place, doesn’t quite do it justice.
Ayres Rock Resort
When the midday heat hits the park empties out, and rightly so, head back to Ayres Rock Resort and find yourself a deck-chair at one of the resorts 4 pools. Our favourite was sails of the desert, with the poolside bar hitting the spot with on-tap cocktails and a food menu to refuel after a day of hiking.
Driving into Ayres Rock resort, home to the resorts 5 different accommodation options, from camping to 4 star hotel was a trip down memory lane for me, remembering back to 2010 when my little family at the time journeyed here to celebrate my mums 40th birthday. We signed in at our campsite for the night, relatively empty due to the extreme heats but with more budget friendly options in their camp sites or cabins. If you’re looking to splash the cash, one of the other 4 accomodation options will be sure to tick your boxes.
Sunset at Uluru
As sunset time approaches, leave behind the pool and head back into the park for sunset. Our tip would be to get here early and find a spot in the Car Sunset Parking bay for one of the best views of Uluru as the sun sets behind you. Be prepared for some crowds and for people photo bombing your million dollar pics. We chucked up the roof top tent, cooked dinner and enjoyed a wine as the rock went from its deep red brown to the brightest orange you’ve ever seen. Golden hour paints the rock a stunning colour and it’s mesmerising - our camera roll full of its glow. You’ve still got some time after the sun sets before the park closes (8:30pm) and we recommend staying until the very last second, the enjoy the beauty of Uluru at night time, alone after everyone clears out and if you’re lucky, admire the stars and Milky Way as they begin to shine above it. After dark there are experiences such as 5 star dinners under the stars, the field of light, drone shows and light shows that will leave you mesmerised, but slightly out of pocket!
Kata Tjuta
Within the park is Kata Tjuta , which means ‘many heads’, reminding us slightly of the bungle bungles this small collection of domes sits 15km’s from Uluru. From its viewpoint you can see Uluru in the distance even, and again Kata Tjuta’s scale is large and unbelievable. The beautiful trails around Kata Tjuta allow you up the paths into the gorges and around the domes, where you feel so insignificant as a human, surrounded by 1065m high rocks. Insanity. Due to the heat we only spent a short time walking around Kata Tjuta and you can do both Uluru and it in a day, but if you can spare the time we recommend 1.5 days Uluru, 1/2 day Kata Tjuta.
The Journey Home
We spent 2 nights at Uluru, and after our long drive in managed to get 1 and a half days at the park after arriving at midday on the first day. Our alarms were set early to leave on our 3rd day as we journeyed back to Halls Creek before the sun rose. Our time here at Uluru was not only worth every one of the 27 hours driving too and from, but was more magical, spiritual and incredible than either of us would have imagined. From Uluru to Halls Creek it was 12.5hrs drive time (not including stops) so for some perspective that’s Perth to Exmouth, which many people do regularly. The distance far outweighs the destination and even the journey along the Tanami is beautiful, and not at all too gnarly. Again, golden hour becomes our favourite as the sun begins to set and the dirt of the Tanami turns to a beautiful glowing bright red, contrasted by the green trees lining the path. Sticking our drone in the air used up time on our way too and from, but was more than worth it for the shots, a forever memory of our long weekend to Uluru.
