Fitting in Ayers Rock

[luvnit]

Ayers rock is about as close to the middle of know where that u can find!! i live in Darwin and work for a rental car company and often get asked can we get down to Ayers rock for the weekend! its roughly about 2000 kilometers from Darwin and where in the same state!

Its about a 4 and a bit hour drive from Alice springs (the closest town) so flying there is going to be ur best option, there are only a handful of planes that arrive there each day. also depending on the time of the year some of the roads can flood, even thou its the dessert they get roads cut from flooding at different times of the year, a few where flooded last week.

and as others hav mentioned it is VERY HOT at that time of the year! the temps will be in the 40's most days

 

Read in your comment you live in Darwin. My husband would like to go to the Sky City Casino..we arrive on a Thursday afternoon and need to know how to get to the Casino. Is it very far from the cruise terminal? How expensive are cabs? is there a shuttle? Arrive November 2014

[snow bunny]

My husband and I thought that Ayers Rock was not going to be a possibility for our trip to Australia. But the great news is we have managed to fit it in! We are flying into Sydney on January 23rd and spending a few days with cruise friends before flying up to Cairns on the following Wednesday. We have two nights in Cairns and have a snorkel trip planned and then we are flying directly to Ayers Rock from Cairns on Friday where our Australian friends are meeting us. They have never been to Ayers Rock and they live here!! We get to experience this together. We have the sunset dinner planned and then the next afternoon we fly back to Sydney. This will be a trip of a lifetime and we are trying to cram in as much as possible before we get on our Princess cruise!

 

snow bunny

Edited October 26, 2014 by snow bunny

[Tara Jane]

Somewhere on CC I recently read a trip report from a lady who travelled with hubby and mum, They were from the states and did a cruise Sydney to NZ. Mum was in her 80s and on mum's bucket list was to see Uluru. They flew in the morning direct hired a car and then in the arvo flew on to cairns. This was after their cruise.

Not recommended as flight delays could have totally destroyed this dream but fortunately it worked for them. Wish I could fine the trip report.

I notice the OP was a couple of years ago but all info is relevant to travellers.

Edited October 26, 2014 by Tara Jane

[frantic36]

Somewhere on CC I recently read a trip report from a lady who travelled with hubby and mum, They were from the states and did a cruise Sydney to NZ. Mum was in her 80s and on mum's bucket list was to see Uluru. They flew in the morning direct hired a car and then in the arvo flew on to cairns. This was after their cruise.

Not recommended as flight delays could have totally destroyed this dream but fortunately it worked for them. Wish I could fine the trip report.

I notice the OP was a couple of years ago but all info is relevant to travellers.

 

Here it is :)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2112413

 

The information regarding Ayers Rock and Cairns is in the last few pages. I found her whole report very interesting though and helpful with the photos included.

 

I sent it to my friend in Atlanta who is doing a similar trip this December and she found it useful.

[Tara Jane]

thanks frantic36 for finding it.

[Northern Aurora]

Here it is :)

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=2112413

 

 

We were in Ayers Rock (AR) in October, and so I read the AR section in this review with great interest. I was so impressed by this woman and her husband's regard and consideration for her mother's wish to see AR that they were able to fit in a brief visit.

 

We spent four days at AR and I was rather surprised when one of our hiking guides told me that most visitors only spend one night there. Although we had been to Australia before our visit last month was our first time to that area. The next time we are in the land of OZ (which appears will be in 2016) we plan to spend a week at the Ayers Rock Resort. Very interesting area to visit.

[SPacificbound]

We were in Ayers Rock (AR) in October, and so I read the AR section in this review with great interest. I was so impressed by this woman and her husband's regard and consideration for her mother's wish to see AR that they were able to fit in a brief visit.

 

We spent four days at AR and I was rather surprised when one of our hiking guides told me that most visitors only spend one night there. Although we had been to Australia before our visit last month was our first time to that area. The next time we are in the land of OZ (which appears will be in 2016) we plan to spend a week at the Ayers Rock Resort. Very interesting area to visit.

 

We stayed at Sails In The Desert at the ARR last year, it's a nice place. :)

[Grey Nomad]

We have been to Ayres Rock several times as my daughter worked and lived there for 4 years. It is a 3 and half hour flight from Sydney. So leave here approx 10.30 am flight arrive 12.30 flight (different time slot being Central Australia time). Free shuttle to resort. If you didn't want to pay top dollar at Sails in the Desert you can stay at Outback Pioneer or Desert Gardens Hotel. Also Emu Walk Apartments is self catering. For buying food there is an IGA. Food can be eaten at any hotel, Outback Pioneer has a BBQ and Bistro which is cheapest. You don't need to pay the high costs of tours to the "Rock" but the 'Sounds of Silence' Dinner is extremely good. Other than that hire a car and drive yourself the 18 klms to the 'Rock" and walk around it, go to the information centre, you would then have time to drive to the Olgas which is all part of the overall experience. You will have to pay the National Parks entry fee. Dinner back at Yulara where the resorts are. All Voyages Resorts. Have dinner in one of the Resort dining rooms or dinner at one of the eateries in the shopping centre. Plenty of information at http://www.ayresrockresort.com.au. It would be very difficult to do it in less than 2 nights. The National Parks pass is for 2 days so you could drive out in the afternoon you arrive or just taken in the ambience of being in the centre of Australia. Free shuttle around the resort. It is hot in summer but the heat is a very dry heat and not hot and sticky. Hope this helps a bit.

[Grey Nomad]

Don't forget, flying up you gain 1 and half hours but coming back you lose one and half hours.

[NorbertsNiece]

Great thread. Am doing B2B on Solstice in Feb 2016 Auckland - Fremantle - Sydney. Have a friend I'd like to catch up with in Alice Springs.... I get 3 days post cruise in Sydney included in the package I bought.... this has given me food for thought.... maybe I'll stick around after to go to Alice and Uluru. Will need to leave luggage somewhere....