Front page story on Uluru

Gerty Dancer · Guru

Front page story on Uluru

pauline · Guru

Have not been yet, but do hope to see it at least once.............

bill12 · Guru

I have been to the top twice! Wouldn,t do it again , though. Hardest camp ground in OZ. Broke steel pegs putting up the tent, and its expensive, also.There was a japo, up there with his pushbike! just what you need , a bike on top of Ayers rock. Takes all kinds, I suppose. Bill

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

for me it's the same as Broome a once only, if you have not been there then you should go just to see for yourself and you decide if you want to return.

We were lucky to go there many years ago before it got taken over.

-- Edited by _wombat_ on Thursday 17th of November 2011 10:51:07 AM

Elle on Wheels · Guru

I did a day tour of Uluru and would not want to camp there. It's fantastic and I'm so glad I saw it but would not go back because of all the reasons above - too commercial etc.

Clare46 · Senior Member

I think I preferred the OLgas over Uluru

rredbeak · Senior Member

not boasting.....

weve been several times and NOT read the article [i assume you read it in a paper],but where is is commercialised?

Yulara is the ONLY place to stay that im aware of [unless you drive 80Km daily from Curtin Springs],and its designed in such a way that no matter what your method of travel/camping theres accomodation for you. Hire tents to 5 Star luxury.

BUT,Yulara is maybe 10Kms from the rock... At the Rock you have aboriginal tourist trade sales,Food for cafe type ppl.

Now,that only leaves the Rock,Nothings changed in the 20 years weve been going there,Same as the Olgas.NO shops there..

So may i ask where is the commercialisation please?

Cupie · Guru

Clare46 wrote:
I think I preferred the OLgas over Uluru

Me too.

I evjoyed waiting quietly in a shady spot on the track till the babbling tourists passed by & then masses of small birds would magically appear ... until the next lot came into hearing.

Walked to the top of the rock & went on a tour round it & did the bubbly and nibblies at sunset with a battery of cameras. Enjoyed it all but the Olgas walks were better for me.

Like many things, once is enough.

Terro · Guru

Went to the rock in 09. Didn't climb. Hopefully go again in 12 won't climb then either. There is so much to see and do. Agree with some others the Olga's are the more interesting. Yulara I felt was quite reasonable for sites and shopping apart from the bakery.

Terro.

rockylizard · Guru

Gday...

Was last there in 1983 (now that's a long time ago). I loved Uluru and Kata Juta (Ayer's Rock and Olgas then).

Yulara had only just opened the camping ground, the rest of Yulura was still only half built. The 'new' sealed road into Yulura from the highway had only been completed the week before.

Spent our week there wandering all around the Rock and Olgas in our old Land Rover, by ourselves, hardly any tourists (it was October mind you and 45degC) and it was wonderful.

Had been there before Yulura was a gleam in someone's eye and loved the place. From photos I have seen over the past decade it has become too 'civilised' for my liking now (and flamin' expensive).

Boardwalks and fences to 'direct you where you can and can't go' etc. The only reason I would go now is to get some digital photos rather than scan all my old 'analogue' ones that are fading. Then again, bit hard to get photos with all those crowds around biggrin .

Guess I was born a century too late to enjoy the country as I would prefer to see it.

Cheers

John

wendyv · Guru

Have been there 4 times. Have stayed in the Yulara campground for up to a week at a time. We don't climb the Rock, but love the walk around it and have been lucky to do that in both good weather and rain (when lots of streams and waterfalls were running off the Rock). Also love the Olgas and the Valley of the Winds circuit walk.
Yes, the campground is expensive but sometimes one has to accept such things in order to have great experiences.
Yes, there are commercial, tourist oriented shops in Yulara village, but such things are expected by many tourists. I actually have found the Yulara supermarket prices to be quite reasonable, considering distances goods must be transported.
I'd be quite happy to go back another time, though that is probably wishful thinking now.

Happywanderer · The Master

rredbeak wrote:
not boasting.....

weve been several times and NOT read the article [i assume you read it in a paper],but where is is commercialised?

The article was on the front page of TheGreyNomads website, rredbeak, where you have to go into to get into this forum. It has now been replaced by the one about camping on the roadside of the Stuart. You can still find it if you go to the second page of that one.

rredbeak · Senior Member

the forum is in fav not the front page,but point taken.

Esmeralda · Guru

I went to Uluru (and the Olgas) once a long time ago, when you could still camp close by and there were a few small motels and NO RESORT - it was beautiful and that is how I prefer to remember it. So no, I don't think I will go there are again.

tonyd · Guru

Pop in to see Mt Augustus, about 250km inland from Carnarvon in WA. It's twice the size of Uluru. Apart from being the world's biggest monolith, it will also give you a vague idea of the size of Kevin Rudd's ego!
Cheers, Tony

jimricho · Guru

Uluru and the Olgas are awesome and well worth at least one visit. I visited there several years ago on a 4WD trip from Byron Bay to Steep Point. That said, I doubt that I would go out of my way for another visit, having "ticked that box"

jimricho · Guru

tonyd wrote:
Pop in to see Mt Augustus, about 250km inland from Carnarvon in WA. It's twice the size of Uluru. Apart from being the world's biggest monolith, it will also give you a vague idea of the size of Kevin Rudd's ego!
Cheers, Tony

Can't you keep the political cheap shots for another forum somewhere else.

Cupie · Guru

The forum is a much nicer place if we keep politics out of it.

Hylda&Jon · Guru

Cupie wrote:
The forum is a much nicer place if we keep politics out of it.

Ditto

Happywanderer · The Master

rredbeak wrote:
the forum is in fav not the front page,but point taken.

You don't know what you are missing rredbeak. Lots of good stories on the front page. I read them first before coming in here.

I wonder how many other members go straight into the forum and don't actually see the main front page. I bet there are a lot.

_wombat_ · Master (of Mischief)

I read the front page and also make some comments to Cindy

Esmeralda · Guru

Cupie wrote:
The forum is a much nicer place if we keep politics out of it.

Very true Cupie!!!

rredbeak · Senior Member

TY to the Kindness of a forumite ive found the now old publication on Uluru.

I have to say Honestly because we only stay in the van park im NOT qualified to comment as weve never stayed in the luxury hotels. The Van park section has 2 HUGE toilet/shower/Laundry blocks and are absolutely spotless and are cleaned daily,there is a 3rd laundry on the left entry to the van park,also spotless.

As was already stated in this thread that the IGA is exceptionally reasonably priced considerring the remoteness. There is only 1 Service Station in Yulara and Prices amazingly are equal to the qld coast. Considerring the remoteness its bloody cheap

Yulara is built on 3 giant roundabouts,theyre easily 1KM across. The FIRST roundabout houses the van park,hotels,shops. The Second houses the yulara residents. The 3rd houses the schools and ovals/sports fields

And YES we will continue to return.

cheers rod

-- Edited by rredbeak on Friday 18th of November 2011 02:30:09 PM

Boroma577 · Guru

Gerty Dancer wrote:
Cindy asked the question... is Uluru a once-only destination for you?

Yes and only to photgraph it as I drive past.

beiffe · Guru

never been and have no desire to go there. I am happy sitting along side a river etc. I prefer Victoria SA and parts of NSW. Since QLD closed heir rest stops I have moved that from my list and looks like TAS is going the same way which is a pity as it was to be next summers spot. The 5 months of my money is no good to them as I don't use caravan jails.

I don't mind doing voluntary work for nothing but wont pay to be jammed into a jail.

We are all different, that's what makes us all tick

Regards
Brian

Happywanderer · The Master

I had not realised Qld had closed their rest stops Brian. When did this happen? I have a list a mile long of free camps I intended to use around Qld next winter. I am so disappointed they have all been closed.

Boroma577 · Guru

I live in Qld and am currently touring a lot of Qld and have not come across any rest stops that have been closed.

In fact I have actually found a few new ones that do not appear in CAW6.

Can you be a bit more specific Brain and tell us which rest stops have been closed in Qld??

Thanks....cheers B

rvtraveller2 · Senior Member

HELLO. BEEN THERE DONE THAT,WONT GO BACK TO EXPENSIVE disbelief ENJOYED THE OLGAS BETTER AS MOST TRAVELLERS SAY, AND KINGS CANYON GLEN HELEN PALM VALLEY biggrin biggrin . HAPPY TRAVELLS TO ALL FROM RV TRAVELLER2. DOING IT FOR NEARLY 7 YEARS biggrin .

rredbeak · Senior Member

the Glen Helen RESORT has BASIC rooms [VERY basic] for $160 per night. Communal toiler/shower.

I said to the lady for $160 per night [2ppl] i want a spa and AC and Foxtel. Her Response was thats why you come out here to get away from all those things. I THOUGHT of saying "but the bushrangers are still here" but chose not to.

We left our van in Alice and its only a hour drive back so we kept our money.

The Glen Helen Gorge is STUNNING.great swimming.

-- Edited by rredbeak on Saturday 19th of November 2011 05:44:01 PM

Gerty Dancer · Guru

You could have camped at Ormiston Gorge for $13.60 for 2 people per night. Absolutely beautiful. Might be a bit tight for a large caravan though.