Ayers Rock Australia - include a visit? yes or no

[RobertP]

We are currently planning a major trip to Australia touring around by car and internal flight(s) adding up to something like 6 weeks. late sept to mid nov 2010.

Here very roughly is the route

The thinner red lines are flights, thicker by car.

We have included a couple of days at Ayers Rock / Uluru mainly because it seems to be the thing to do

Normally we just find things online and book them ourselves but for comparison we have involved a specialist Australia travel agents that seem to know their stuff.
Ayers Rock is a tourist trap. Flights in and out, car hire, accommodation you name it is expensive there. The agent says it is not worth it and strongly suggests avoiding the place.

So if any photographers have been there do you see things differently?

At the moment it is still on the itinerary but nothing is booked yet. There is the thing that if you are going to see Australia you have to include it... but I dislike paying over the odds to a monopoly.

 

[wombar]

My brother went backpacking around Australia and said Uluru was a waste of time and money. I've not been there myself (though I have done a few days in Sydney on the way to NZ), but I don't think I'd bother either, unless it was on the way to somewhere I was going anyway.

It's not like Oz is short of things to see, and I'm sure there are plenty of other things you could spend your time and money doing.

 

[lazym]

The problem is 6 weeks in my opinion is not enough to do so many places in Australia, but if u rush a bit Ulury is definitely worth going to. the best way to do it is to rent a car nad drive, i wouldnt be bothered with tour operators.
Listen, ive met people on easter island complainig that statues were to small, food to expensive and bla bla, so some people complain wherever they go.

 

[gataki]

Hi,

I am lucky enough to have been to Australia many times as half my family are from there. There is nowhere that I don't like and I've had some amazing experiences exploring the country. A few years back I took my then 8 year old nephew to Uluru on a 4 day camping trip around the Red Centre. We had a great time and there is plenty of stunning scenery for photograpers - particularly in the early morning or evening - the fast changing colours on the rocky landscape are incredible.

One highlight for me has to be Kakudu National Park which is most easily reached from Darwin. It is one of the most beautiful places I have ever visited anywhere in the world. If you are buying an international flight into Australia, as a non-aussie resident, the internal flights are usually very reasonable.

Have a great trip - you will definitely want to go back - again - and again!!

Liz

 

[RobertP]

Thanks for the thoughts. it works out nearer 7 weeks. The travel agent is putting it together to our brief. They seem to be able to get the accommodation significantly cheaper than us booking via websites direct otherwise we would just be doing it all ourselves. Some of it we are leaving open and unbooked and will just stop overnight as we see places.

 

[Yardbent]

I had 4 weeks and only explored Adelaide - it is sooooo VAST
we did a week north of A. visiting the Flinders range
but a memorable trip was a week on Kangaroo Island south of A.

I think you have to balance time against experiences - if you spent too much time traveling to Ayers Rock - for what? - maybe that time could be spent more efficiently elsewhere.?

 

[mark greenhill]

Robert, first let me say that I agree with the consensus on giving Uluru a miss, for all the good reasons mentioned above.

Your travel plan shown here has you starting at Brisbane (known locally as "Brissy"), not Kurumburra as you mentioned elsewhere. So if you are going with the route above then after Port Douglas you will fly to Adelaide and travel along the Great Ocean Road that is really worth seeing - you may have seen my post on it sometime back. If you are in FNQ during October then you will be there for the Jacaranda Festival, not to be missed. Check out the dates online.

What concerns me about your proposed route is that all of it appears to follow the coast and unless you are an aweful lot into swimming, surfing and fishing then you are going to be pretty "sea sick" after some 4,000km (2,400 miles) of it.

I have personally traveled and trekked extensively throughout Oz and my recommendation would be that you try and balance your coastal run by taking a look at the interior West of the Great Divide. I would go so far as to say that it could be the most interesting, enjoyable and memorable part of your trip. But I doubt that 7 weeks would be long enough unless you are a seriously experienced F1 driver!

 

[mark greenhill]

It just occured to me - if you give Uluru a miss then why not visit Tasmania instead, that is very much like England? Please don't think I'm on a retainer from Tourism Tasmania; it's just that you are traveling half way round the world and missing Australia's most mind-boggling picturesque State. You could see much of it in a week - visit the infamous Port Arthur penal settlement where you poms incarcerated my poor, dear old Irish, great g'father for no more than fingering a loaf of bread that of course he had intended paying for all along! :shrug:

 

[RobertP]

Bit late for changing plans now as a fair bit of it is booked. We fly to Brisbane and stay a couple of days to recover then take the best part of 3 weeks to meander to Cairns airport. Some inland stays are included as well as coastal. Internal flight to Uluru for a couple of nights is also booked and the one out again to Adelaide.

Jill has contacts to meet up with in Adelaide then it's great ocean road with a couple of stops before Melbourne centre for 2 days. Off to family in Korumburra for a stay then more stops before central Sydney. Few nights after that in Blue mountains and Sydney airport for home.

Once in a lifetime type thing. trying not to think too much about the cost!

 

[mark greenhill]

Well I'm sure you'll have a ball with that itinerary and as I said elsewhere, don't forget to pack your camera - we'll all be looking forward to seeing your pics of a once in a lifetime type thing.

As for the cost - "there are no pockets in shrouds" as they say!

 

[mark greenhill]

I was hoping to see a few of your Aussie pics, Robert.

Searched your stats - did miss them?