Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

388
CHAPTER 7 . THE RED CENTRE
Don’t think a visit to Uluru is just about snapping a few photos and going
home. You can walk around the Rock, climb it (although the local Aborigines
prefer you don’t), fly over it, ride a camel to it, motorcycle around it on a Harley-
Davidson, trek through the Olgas, eat in an outdoor restaurant, tour the night
sky, and join Aboriginal people on guided walks.
Give yourself at least a day in the Uluru area; you could easily stay 2 or 3.
Isolation (and a lack of competition) makes things like accommodations,
meals, and transfers expensive at Ayers Rock. A coach tour or 4WD camping
safari is often the cheapest way to see the place. See “Exploring the Red Centre”
at the beginning of this chapter, for recommended tour companies.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE By Plane Qantas (& 13 13 13 in Australia; www.
qantas.com.au) flies to Ayers Rock (Connellan) Airport direct from Sydney, Alice
Springs, Perth, and Cairns. Flights from other ports go via Alice Springs. The airport
is 6km (3 3 ⁄4 miles) from Ayers Rock Resort. Expect to pay around A$115
(US$75) one-way. A free shuttle ferries all resort guests, including campers, to
their door.
By Bus Greyhound Pioneer (& 13 20 30 in Australia) makes a daily trip
from Alice Springs (trip time: 5 1 ⁄2 hr.), dropping you to your hotel door at Ayers
Rock Resort. The fare is around A$71 (US$46).
By Car Take the Stuart Highway south from Alice Springs 199km (123
miles), and turn right onto the Lasseter Highway for 244km (151 miles) to
Ayers Rock Resort. The Rock itself is 18km (11 miles) farther on. (Everyone
mistakes the flat-topped mesa they see en route for Ayers Rock; it’s Mt. Conner.)
If you want to rent a car in Alice Springs and drop it at Ayers Rock, brace
yourself for a one-way penalty. Only Avis, Hertz, and Thrifty have Uluru depots:
Thrifty charges a one-way fee of around A$110 (US$72) for bookings under 3
days; Hertz charges A$137 (US$89) for bookings under 7 days; and Avis charges
A$137 (US$89) for bookings of 2 days or less.
VISITOR INFORMATION For information before you leave, contact the
Central Australian Tourism Industry Association (CATIA), 60 Gregory Terrace,
Alice Springs, NT 0870 (& 08/8952 5800; www.centralaustraliantourism.
com), or drop in to its Visitor Information Centre if you visit Alice Springs. One
of the best online sources is Ayers Rock Resort’s site (www.voyages.com.au).
The Ayers Rock Resort Visitor Centre, next to the Desert Gardens Hotel
(& 08/8957 7377), has displays on the area’s geology, wildlife, and Aboriginal
heritage, plus a souvenir store. It’s open daily from 8:30am to 7:30pm. You can
book tours at the tour desk in every hotel at Ayers Rock Resort, or visit the Ayers
Rock Resort Tour & Information Centre (& 08/8957 7324) at the shopping
center in the resort complex. It dispenses information on and books tours as far
afield as Kings Canyon and Alice Springs. It’s open daily from 7:30am to
8:30pm.
One kilometer (just over 1 ⁄2 mile) from the base of the Rock is the Uluru-Kata
Tjuta Cultural Centre (& 08/8956 3138), owned and run by the Anangu,
the Aboriginal owners of Uluru. It uses eye-catching wall displays, frescoes, interactive
recordings, and videos to tell about Aboriginal Dreamtime myths and laws.
It’s worth spending some time here to understand a little about Aboriginal culture.
A National Park desk has information on ranger-guided activities and animal,
plant, and bird-watching checklists; there is a cafe, a souvenir shop, and two