September 30, 2012
Kakadu NP to Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP
Alice Springs
From Kakadu National Park south to Alice Springs the distance is about 900 miles.
Alice Springs was a surprise to us. It's surprisingly visitor friendly, perhaps because so many tourists fly in here. If you drive in from the north like us the little town is a bit of an oasis.
For us it was a good place to stock up and get the oil changed. Our mechanic, Dicko, was a font of information about living in the outback, as well as Toyota Hyace rental rigs like ours. Our time in Alice Springs was time well spent.
More about Alice Springs.
Parked at the Devil's Marbles, About 245 Miles North of Alice Springs.
A good place to overnight.
Playing In The Rocks
Tropic of Capricorn Marker About 20 Miles North of Alice Springs
Central Alice Springs
Dicko's Mechanic's Shop
West MacDonnell National Park
We decided to tour West MacDonnell National Park before continuing south to Uluru. This park is west of Alice Springs and easy to access on a nice sealed road. There are a string of waterholes at the foot of the range to the north of the road. Each has it's own ambiance, and several have camping areas.
More about West MacDonnell National Park
Rock Wallaby at Simpson's Gap
Swimmers at Ellery Creek Big Hole in West MacDonnell NP
Ormiston Gorge Overlook
Ormiston Gorge
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, theNational Park surrounding and including both Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (Mt Olga), is probably the top destination in the counrty for foreign tourists.
Most of these people fly in to Alice Springs and then use buses, rental cars, or rental vans to visit the park which is 300 miles to the south.
Although we enjoyed Uluru, we also liked Kata Tjuta, another nearby rock. It had a great hiking route called Valley of the Winds Walk.
More about Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP
The "We Were There" Shot
Rainy Day Hike Around Uluru
Waiting For the Sunrise
Uluru Sunrise
Uluru Sunset
Kata Tjuta From the Distance
Kata Tjuta Landscape
Somewhere Along the Valley of the Winds Walk
Kata Tjuta Rockface
Rig of the Week
Although they are unusual here, you will see a few American style Fifth Wheel RVs in Australia.
Some are imported, here's a company that does that:
Fifth Wheelers Australia
A few are manufactured in Australia, here's a company that does that:
Crossroads, Australia
