Situated at the very centre of the Australian continent city of Alice Springs is home to around 30,000 people. Alice Springs itself is an important economic and transport hub for Central Australia servicing local mining and pastoral Industries. It is also the main access point for a wide variety of tourist attractions. From here we can travel to the West MacDonnell Ranges, Kings Canyon, Uluru  and many other sites.

Traditional owners of this region of Australia are Arrernte people, many of whom did not come into contact with European explorers until the late 19th century.

Alice Springs is also an important hub for government services, being home to the famous Royal Flying Doctor Service, and the Distance Education system called School of the Air. Both of these entities provide services to an area of nearly 1.3 million square kilometres, which is a little bit bigger than the total land area of South Africa.

Yulara and Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park

Kings Canyon, The Western MacDonnell Ranges, Tnorala, Palm Valley, Mt Conner, and the Devil’s Marbles

Some 450 km from Alice Springs we arrive at Yulara Village and a further 20km on is the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park. This National Park of over 1,300 square kilometres includes some of the most famous features of Australia.  Uluru and Kata Tjuta are iconic symbols of Australia and the red centre in particular. The traditional owners of this part of Australia refer to themselves as the  Anangu people,  who are in fact a cooperative of the Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, and Ngaanyatjarra people.

The rock formations of Uluru and kata tjuta are over 500 million years old and the national park they are found in is listed by UNESCO as a world heritage site both for its natural and cultural attributes. Uluru is arguably one of the most famous rock formations in the world.  Once in the area you can visit the National Park and attend each site  with one of the tours that we offer or in your own vehicle. Please be aware that there is no public transport in this area and so you must be either on a tour or with your own rental vehicle.

Visitors can either fly directly into Yulara or they can drive from Alice Springs. On the way the visitor has the choice to come directly via the Stuart and Lasseter highways or, if they have an appropriate vehicle, they can take the Mereenie Loop. On both of these routes one can make a stop at Kings Canyon, in the land of the Luritja people. Kings Canyon has both a hotel resort and more modest backpacker style accommodation as well as a campground nearby all of which are accessible through our website. The Kings Canyon walk can take between 3 and 4 hours to complete and is a 6 km loop. Some parts of the walk are a little physically challenging and so one needs to be at the appropriate level of Fitness. The site itself is spectacular, and the Valley is over 400 million years old.

It should be noted but if you choose to take  the Mereenie loop on the way to Kings Canyon, you can view Gosse Bluff known to Aboriginal people as Tnorala. This spectacular formation is the site of a comet impact some 142.5 million years ago,  during the Cretaceous period, which would have an impact area of 22 km in diameter and propelled molten rock hundreds of kilometres away.  Although you can see the formation from the road, direct access to it requires a very good four-wheel drive vehicle.

Australia is a very big place (see map above) so the vast majority of people will want to fly in and out to avoid driving very long distances. We believe the must-see place in this region is Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, but if you want to see any of the other sites mentioned above, then a good strategy is to fly into Alice Springs and out of Ayers Rock Airport or vice-versa.

With all of these things in mind, we suggest the following.

Day 1: Arrive Ayers Rock Airport and transfer to your accommodation. This afternoon visit the Uluru Kata Tjuta cultural centre for the first chance to get to know the local culture. You can travel around the base of Uluru and learn about the significance of the rock itself and some of its features, as well as the native flora and fauna.  Walk into Mutitjulu Waterhole and later  travel to Sunset Strip to view the effect of the setting sun on Uluru.

Day 2: You will need an early start if you want to watch the sunrise and its effect on the Eastern side of Uluru. Later this morning, you can travel to Kata Tjuta and stop at Walpa Gorge.  This is a chance to walk into the gorge and get to know the unusual rock formations between two of the tallest domes in this magnificent structure.

Please note that for the experienced walkers, there is a much longer walk at Kata Tjuta called the Valley of the Winds. This walk takes up to 4 hours to complete and is absolutely spectacular but does involve some challenging climbs and descents. In the summer months, the walk is open at sunrise and the rangers will clso it soon after so everyone is finished before the full heat of the day is felt.

As with all walks in Central Australia, we recommend that you carry with you a good supply of water, a proper hat, sunscreen on exposed skin, closed walking shoes and a face net or insect repellent. Kata Tjuta has no mobile coverage but there are Emergency radios at different spots within the park if anyone should require emergency assistance. It is a good idea to visit the ranger station at the Anangu Cultural Centre first before going on any walks and informing oneself about safety within the park.

 

Return to Yulara Village and transfer to Ayers Rock Airport for your onward flight.

Please note it is possible to do this same itinerary with greater Aboriginal content in a smaller group for a different cost.

Day 1: On arrival in Alice Springs transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon tour the highlights of this Outback town, the Telegraph Station, School of the Air, the Royal Flying Doctor and the Alice Springs Reptile Centre.

Day 2: This morning we travel through Heavitree Gap along the Stuart Highway and the Lasseter highway to Yulara. Enroute see the MacDonnell Ranges and Mt Conner. This afternoon visit the Uluru Kata Tjuta cultural centre for the first chance to get to know the local culture. We then travel around the base of Uluru where we will learn about the significance of the rock itself and some of its features, as well as the native flora and fauna.  Walk into Mutitjulu Waterhole and later  travel to Sunset Strip to view the effect of the setting sun on Uluru.

Day 3: An early start to watch the sunrise and its effect on the Eastern side of Uluru. Later this morning, travel to Kata Tjuta where we stop at Walpa Gorge.  This is a chance to walk into the gorge and get to know the unusual rock formations between two of the tallest domes in this magnificent structure.

This afternoon is at Leisure to enjoy Yulara Village.

Day 4: Return to Yulara Village and transfer to Ayers Rock Airport for your onward flight.

 Please note it is possible to do this same itinerary with greater Aboriginal content in a smaller group for a different cost.