Crack the champas and book in the most iconic place in Australia to explore because we have just entered our third year travelling Australia…….
Wow, never in our wildest dreams did we think we were going to reach two years on the road, living from our tiny home on wheels. Yes, it has been everything we expected plus more.
People ask us all the time “what is your favourite place in Australia?” and to be honest we don’t have one. Every place has something special about it and each place has something that other places don’t have. We certainly have our preferences, yes we like the coast, we like the heat and we don’t mind some fishing, rainforests or red dirt. But we could be happy anywhere, as long we had the opportunity to keep travelling.
To celebrate we decided to take a road trip to the red centre to visit the big rock, Uluru.
Alice Springs to Yulara
We left Alice Springs and hit the road, we could have driven all the way to Yulara in one day but 6 hours in the car is enough and the trip is so much better when you stop and enjoy the night under the outback stars.
Our first-night stopover was at Erldunda Roadhouse Desert Oaks, this is about 175 kilometres from Alice Springs and is great for a night stopover. There is an emu enclosure with some camels as well. Now if you are into facts this place is also ‘the centre of the centre’ which is the centre of Australia. There is a cool flag that you can take a picture under.
Yulara- Ayres Rock Campground
During our stay in Yulara, we stayed at the Ayres Rock Campground which is the only option for camping. It was absolutely packed when we arrived and we waited in line just to park in the overflow unpowered section. If you are wanting a powered site during peak season, our advice is to book well ahead.
Uluru
What a magical place Uluru is. It is a significant place to all Australians and a very meaningful and sacred place to indigenous Australians who believe the rock started forming more than 550 million years ago.
The rock is found in the Katu-Tjuta National Park and entry fees are required to be paid upon entering. We walked around the rock and contemplated whether or not to hire bikes, we chose not to as that would have made a very expensive day including bike hire. There is plenty of information placed around the rock to learn from and every day there is a free guided tour where you can tag along.
The Olgas
Would you believe there is more to look at and explore next to big red. Yes, The Olgas are beautiful large round rocks that have walking trails between them. If you have the time and energy then I would highly suggest checking these out. After the long walk around big red, we decided that was enough for us.
Your park pass lasts for 3 days, so ensure you make the most of your time in Yulara and enjoy your travels through the Northern Territory.
Kylie and Dan