I have just stayed at Yulara and visited Uluru and Kata Tjuta. I am not aware of any minimum stay period in the Yulara campground. There is a free camp marked on Wikicamps not far from Yulara, certainly much closer than Curtin Springs, and I saw vans parked there as I drove past. IIRC, reviews on WC were positive. Yes, you could tow your van around Uluru and to KataTjuta, the challenge would be finding places to park when you want to stop. There isn't always dedicated van parking, so you would often have to use the coach parking and risk the ire of coach drivers
Just read that the Sandy Way Rest Area, 28 kms east of Yulara is closed. I read this on the Camps Australia app, $10 per year and an alternative to Wiki. We have both.
It states the RA is on Indigenous land, and a fine of $1000 may be charged.
I would check again with van park at Yulara re minimum booking. As it is, you can easily spend 4 nights there with a day at Uluu/ Ayers Rock, a day at Kata Tjuta/The Olgas, and a day relaxing at the resort shopping area. We have been 3 times and will go again soon.
-- Edited by TheHeaths on Friday 21st of July 2023 10:52:03 AM
__________________
Regards Ian
Chaos, mayhem, confusion. Good my job here is done
In 2019 we came through on The Great Central Road ('Australia's longest Shortcut') from Western Australia. Did Kata Tjuta that day (didn't have to pay park entry when coming from WA as you are inside the park). Stayed in the camp ground one night. Didn't bother with Uluru as it was a month before the climb was closed & everything was very busy & didn't need to see everything again while so busy.
__________________
Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
In 2019 we came through on The Great Central Road ('Australia's longest Shortcut') from Western Australia. Did Kata Tjuta that day (didn't have to pay park entry when coming from WA as you are inside the park). Stayed in the camp ground one night. Didn't bother with Uluru as it was a month before the climb was closed & everything was very busy & didn't need to see everything again while so busy.
If you have the NT permit to do the Great Central Road (and of course the WA permit for the GCR if going through to Laverton) you do not need to pay park entry from the NT side. The free permit entitles you to pass through the National Park free of entry fee.
Good to know, almost a loophole, book the WA & NT permits online, then don't actually go if travelling west.
We were in Poison Creek WA & started up Balladonia Road. It's was bucketing down, so decided to go back east via Leonora & turn right & down the Oodnadatta Track.
So glad we did it.
__________________
Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!
50L custom fuel rack 6x20W 100/20mppt 4x26Ah gel 28L super insulated fridge TPMS 3 ARB compressors heatsink fan cooled 4L tank aftercooler Air/water OCD cleaning 4 stage car acoustic insulation.
Ayers Rock campground doesn't have a minimum stay of 4 nights, most people only stay 2 or 3, not sure where you got the idea they have a minimum stay. The National Park entry fee covers 3 days, 1 day isn't enough for both Uluru and Kata Tjuta if you want to actually stop and look around them. If you have the permit and drive through to the Great Central road you cannot stop and park at all within the park.
Ayers Rock campground doesn't have a minimum stay of 4 nights, most people only stay 2 or 3, not sure where you got the idea they have a minimum stay. The National Park entry fee covers 3 days, 1 day isn't enough for both Uluru and Kata Tjuta if you want to actually stop and look around them. If you have the permit and drive through to the Great Central road you cannot stop and park at all within the park.
It's useful to know about the permit, as I have had a permit and been asked to pay going into the NP.
Had to explain to the girl in the booth we had a permit and paying the National Park fee was not necessary. She was not convinced, but a phone call okayed it for her.
You can still do the sights within the park. As we did park the ute and camper trailer then do a walk or two. We had no need to actually camp within the park.
Ayers Rock campground doesn't have a minimum stay of 4 nights, most people only stay 2 or 3, not sure where you got the idea they have a minimum stay. The National Park entry fee covers 3 days, 1 day isn't enough for both Uluru and Kata Tjuta if you want to actually stop and look around them. If you have the permit and drive through to the Great Central road you cannot stop and park at all within the park.
It's useful to know about the permit, as I have had a permit and been asked to pay going into the NP.
Had to explain to the girl in the booth we had a permit and paying the National Park fee was not necessary. She was not convinced, but a phone call okayed it for her.
You can still do the sights within the park. As we did park the ute and camper trailer then do a walk or two. We had no need to actually camp within the park.
Officially no you can't do the sights within the park if you don't pay the fee, the permit allows you to travel through the National Park without stopping, actually stopping within the National Park and doing anything at all requires a park pass.
Just read that the Sandy Way Rest Area, 28 kms east of Yulara is closed. I read this on the Camps Australia app, $10 per year and an alternative to Wiki. We have both.
It states the RA is on Indigenous land, and a fine of $1000 may be charged.
-- Edited by TheHeaths on Friday 21st of July 2023 10:52:03 AM
Wikicamps is today saying that Sandy View Rest Area is only 24hrs, with a photo of a sign to that effect. There is also an indication that areas adjacent to Sandy View where people have camped in the past are now off-limits, with a second sign to that effect. So it appears that Sandy View isn't closed entirely, but is rather limited.
However that wasn't the site that I was referring to in my earlier post. When I went along that road to Yulara two or three weeks ago, there was another camp just off the road on the north side much closer to Yulara. It was on Wikicamps at that time, with indications that it had just been re-added after being deleted. I seems to have been deleted again, probably for the same reasons that Sandy View has been curtailed. Despite that, I bet if you went past today there would be vans there. We stayed at Yulara.
