Uluru has always been expensive. Its the only place I have ever been where the gound was so hard you couldn,t drive pegs in the ground.Ayers rock is worth the trip, but Yalara is a tourist trap.
Although its not cheap to stay at Yulara, its a really good caravan park and we enjoyed our stay. In 2011 I think they charged $45 a night for 2 adults, powered site.... in Broom we paid the same in a much worse park. You could stay at Curtin Springs but that looked such a dump, and still a long drive into the National Park to see the Rock. Don't buy fuel there, it was cheaper at Yulara, by about 40cents a liter.
-- Edited by Gerty Dancer on Wednesday 3rd of September 2014 05:02:17 PM
Thanks, been there a long time ago and also Kings Canyon, stayed at the Ranger Camp there and also a free camp between Yulara and Kings Canyon.
I'm out of touch with prices in those areas now. (climbed Uluru (Ayers Rock) three times which was allowed then by everyone. I enjoyed the walk around the rock a lot more, different but very enjoyable.
We were at Uluru earlier this year. The CP at Yalara is still $45 a night although if the main camp gets full there's an overflow facility for only $10 a night but I think they're all unpowered. Its $25 per person to enter the Uluru National Park and this gives you access to the Olgas. This so called prohibition on climbing the rock is a crock of you know what. We didn't meet anyone who wasn't able to climb the rock if they wanted. The Aboriginal community prefer people to respect their sacred sites and not climb the rock but there's nothing stopping you if you want to. There are a few free camps on the Lassiter highway and a couple of sites that give fantastic views of the rock. Kings Canyon is serviced by 2 CPs both charge $45 a night, not to sure of the entry price to the canyon. The cheapest fuel by a long stretch was at Mount Ebeneezer at $2 a litre for diesel. Yalara was $2.37, Curtin Springs $2.24 and the Desert Oaks servo charged $2.10.
We were there 3 years ago and the Caravan park and as Gerty Dancer said $45 per night for 2 adults but what was worse was they put us on a site that was mud and very slippery as it had just rained fairly heavily and they were not very happy or cooperative about me moving to a gravel site, the whole resort is a tourist rip off but the Rock and the Olga's are worth seeing so have to pay the cost.
It was great to see the Rock with water running off it and a couple of days later dry and we experienced several stunning sunsets while we were there
We found Alice springs very good and there was water flowing in the Todd River while we were there, I think the West MacDonald ranges are as spectacular as the Rock and well worth spending a couple of days exploring and the East Macs are worth some time as well
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Life was meant to be enjoyed Australia was meant to be explored
Happily doing both to the Max.
Life is like a camera, focus on what's important & you will capture it every Time
Wifey and I pulled up at Ullaru at the hotel on our 2 Harleys we had just done 700 kays and it was hot .Well they were OK till they told us where to park our bikes ! I said we will park them in front of our room !no she sez ! well sez me ,we are 1 hour ahead of 450 HOG members that are staying .so I need to know if we will proceed direct to Alice and give you the arse ! OH she sez. that will be OK . We had the place rocking ,however we will not ! be back .As an aside to that the rock itself is without question a wonderfull sight to behold. One has to see it in the flesh so to speak . John
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Westy. Some people I know are like slinkies. They look really funny when you push them downstairs !
I guess most of us at our age have been fortunate to see the 'Rock' and environs through the years when it was not all about the "revenue".....it's my/our grandkids I feel sorry for, that will never have the same opportunities...how UnAustralian it is now for Australians to want to see Australia.... Local Govs'/Councils/Rip Off Merchants..speedbumps/obstacles placed everywhere to prevent those on Limited resources from enjoying our rights as Australians to enjoy....even access to beaches round Australia is being cut off for the benefits of the "financially rich" <read emotionally poor> and ..very little in Australia today is not about wealth creation?...greed...acquiring more ""stuff""...how sad Aussies now live on a daily diet of the value of the Aussie Dollar, The price of Gold in U.S. Dollars,,the Footsies, Nasdacks, and heaven forbid what is happening in the New York Stock Exchange affects increasing numbers of Australians lives...remember when the 'family' planned tenting camping holidays months ahead?......and enjoyed all pursuits as 'family's'...beach fishing/crabbing with Dad...?..now you need Licences for everything.......now both mums and dads have to work and park their kids in Child Care to be brought up by someone else...all in the name of the Mortgage and acquiring even more 'stuff' that we all find is a pain in the backside when we have to downsize again and get rid of it...cos it just ain't important!....
.....all so they can get more ""stuff"" than other folks' "stuff"......and kid themselves when they do go for a short break at say $450 per night in some antiseptic place that they are really enjoying being pampered and relaxing for the four days before going back to work/acquiring more stuff to replace their old stuff which is now redundant...........at least at this stage the great leveller is they get to die like the rest of us....even Kerry Packer could not take it with him or stave it off...
I wonder if 'thinking folk' will form enclaves in the future and get back to life's basics and what is truly important....like a Nimbin without drugs and their clothes on perhaps?......
My epistle from the Mount for today...at least I feel better for that...how sad for future generations of Australians...and what will multi cultural Australians ever learn about how our real life used to be enjoyed without great financial cost in this great Land Australia.........Hoo Roo
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'Without Going, You Get No Where'.
' Aspire to Inspire before you Expire'
Where Gold be....is where Gold be......old Cornish saying......
The older we get the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.......
I guess most of us at our age have been fortunate to see the 'Rock' and environs through the years when it was not all about the "revenue".....it's my/our grandkids I feel sorry for, that will never have the same opportunities...how UnAustralian it is now for Australians to want to see Australia.... Local Govs'/Councils/Rip Off Merchants..speedbumps/obstacles placed everywhere to prevent those on Limited resources from enjoying our rights as Australians to enjoy....even access to beaches round Australia is being cut off for the benefits of the "financially rich" <read emotionally poor> and ..very little in Australia today is not about wealth creation?...greed...acquiring more ""stuff""...how sad Aussies now live on a daily diet of the value of the Aussie Dollar, The price of Gold in U.S. Dollars,,the Footsies, Nasdacks, and heaven forbid what is happening in the New York Stock Exchange affects increasing numbers of Australians lives...remember when the 'family' planned tenting camping holidays months ahead?......and enjoyed all pursuits as 'family's'...beach fishing/crabbing with Dad...?..now you need Licences for everything.......now both mums and dads have to work and park their kids in Child Care to be brought up by someone else...all in the name of the Mortgage and acquiring even more 'stuff' that we all find is a pain in the backside when we have to downsize again and get rid of it...cos it just ain't important!....
.....all so they can get more ""stuff"" than other folks' "stuff"......and kid themselves when they do go for a short break at say $450 per night in some antiseptic place that they are really enjoying being pampered and relaxing for the four days before going back to work/acquiring more stuff to replace their old stuff which is now redundant...........at least at this stage the great leveller is they get to die like the rest of us....even Kerry Packer could not take it with him or stave it off... I wonder if 'thinking folk' will form enclaves in the future and get back to life's basics and what is truly important....like a Nimbin without drugs and their clothes on perhaps?...... My epistle from the Mount for today...at least I feel better for that...how sad for future generations of Australians...and what will multi cultural Australians ever learn about how our real life used to be enjoyed without great financial cost in this great Land Australia.........Hoo Roo
well said. I feel holidays now are about "opening your wallet" and it is very sad. there are communites in the northern rivers which sound good.
I don't know how others feel but I am starting to lean towards NOT going to Uluru, Darwin or western Australia. A lot of dirt and money in fuel and then stay in overpriced places. Also starting to think: do I really need to see that or can I find something just as nice on the east coast. Tasmania went off my list last year for the same reason.
-- Edited by the rocket on Thursday 4th of September 2014 11:01:55 AM
I don't know how others feel but I am starting to lean towards NOT going to Uluru, Darwin or western Australia. A lot of dirt and money in fuel and then stay in overpriced places. Also starting to think: do I really need to see that or can I find something just as nice on the east coast. Tasmania went off my list last year for the same reason.
-- Edited by the rocket on Thursday 4th of September 2014 11:01:55 AM
I agree with the price of caravan parks - they now try to be like motels with serviced cabins, bouncy castles and other kiddie treats and forget that they are still calling themselves "caravan parks" - they don't cater for those who need just the basic facilities - toilets, showers, wash-house, kitchen and power/water or for those of us who are self-contained, just water, wash-house and toilets.
For those who have bagged WA - try the WA National Parks site - there are great caravan and tent sites there which are right on the beach edge and you can almost walk out to Ningalo Reef (better than the Great Barrier by far as it hasn't died off from coal and fertilizer pollution. There are also plenty inland and down south - costs range from $7.50 to $12 pp per night - you get mainly clean toilets - no water/power etc, although some sites do have these. Many of the county caravan parks are also reasonable cost - around $20 per van per night - its only the areas like Monkey Mia and Broome that you pay heaps and its always crowded anyway - so free camp and drive to see the sites (shops, shops, tame dolphins, shops.......oh and more shops - stay at home folks as the shops are cheaper).
This is not unique to Australia - go overseas and its the same
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Cheers Bruce
The amazing things you see when nomading Australia
Thank you "Golddetector" for putting it out there, we live in a society where the god is money and it is worshipped incredibly. Our lives are finite and it's what we do with it not how much we can accumulate that is important. Never heard anyone on their deathbed say " gee I got as much money as I could and all the trappings, now I'm happy , let me die! "
Yep for the good old days of windows open , doors unlocked, neighbors stopping over for a cuppa, canvas and a billy for camping anywhere , open skies and genuine relationships , not what can I get from you.
I'm not jaded, just lucky to know what it was like. (There are however some great things about modern society, like advances in medical )
Last time I went to the rock 7 years ago I decided not go back , way over priced, couldn't go here couldn't go there , can't take pictures here, have to get a permit for this that and the other... And I guess we were lucky saw it dry and wet, wet was spectacular!
-- Edited by Jetta7 on Saturday 6th of September 2014 09:32:32 AM
As you said Jetta..the good old days of windows open'......I well remember when we lived at Nambour in the mid 1950's Dad would take us all down to Mooloolaba for our Tent holidays on the Foreshore....absolute beachfront....and in front of the Esplanade Pub so Dad didn't have far to walk....we would pitch our 12' x 12' tent stay for a week,..there would be other tents along there as well..... fish and swim and then the incredible part...he would leave all our gear, Esky, Tilley lanterns, stretchers, everything...and tie a bow in the rope on the front tent flap to show we weren't there....and we would go home for a week or so and then return for another week....nothing ever taken or touched...did this for at least three years in all the school holidays....
In those days you would pay in advance <token fee not designed to allow the Council CEO to take a Pay rise and increase his Super take>...they would issue little coloured foil tag which he would hang from the tied bow...to show we had paid....
Now come forward 60 years....how many minutes would our gear and tent remain undisturbed?...how long before some drunks from the pub decided to take up camp in our camp?....and in fact how would we ever secure the beachfront tent site today....how long would the "Richie riches" allow common folk to actually enjoy themselves in a prime spot...?...in front of their Prime Spots......let alone allow some smelly fisherman to catch fish from "their beach".....
Our kids and grandkids will never know these simple life's pleasures....at little cost but huge family satisfaction...and we all looked forward to holidaying with Mum and Dad....look at the miserable antiseptic drug filled lives today that is supposed to pass as living.....
I suspect I know when Australians could no longer leave cars /houses/tents etc unlocked and a knuckle fight outside the pub has now turned to knives, guns and king hits.. but Political Correctness of course forbids any discussion....apart from saying we now live most UnAustralian lives...Hoo Roo
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'Without Going, You Get No Where'.
' Aspire to Inspire before you Expire'
Where Gold be....is where Gold be......old Cornish saying......
The older we get the fewer things seem worth waiting in line for.......
