ULURU & THE OUTBACK


Uluru & the Outback at a Glance…

Nothing can prepare you for the immensity, grandeur, changing colours and stillness of Uluru – a sight that will sear itself into your memory. This World Heritage–listed icon has attained pilgrimage status for many Australians. Equally impressive Kata Tjuta and the surrounding desert are of deep cultural significance to the traditional owners, the Anangu people.

Alice Springs is the biggest town in the Australian outback, and an urban oasis, while Yulara is Uluru’s busy service town, 20km from ‘the Rock’.

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Visitors at Sounds of Silence | TOURISM NT/SHAANA MCNAUGHT ©
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Uluru & the Outback in Two Days

Fly directly to Yulara to maximise your time in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Head straight to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre and book yourself onto a ranger-led tour of Uluru. Head to the sunset viewing area at dusk to see the desert colours shift. On day two, take a tour or a drive to explore Kata Tjuta.

Uluru & the Outback in Four Days

With four days to play with, you might want to do some bike riding around Uluru, sign up for a scenic flight, or at least tackle a couple of independent walks. Alice Springs is also worth a visit – a unique, isolated desert town with a brilliant wildlife park and excellent Aboriginal art galleries.

Arriving in Uluru & the Outback

Yulara is the gateway to the park and has an airport with flights from major Australian cities. There are also buses and tours from Alice Springs. If you’re driving, the sealed route from Alice Springs (447km) is via the Stuart and then Lasseter Hwys.

Sleeping

Alice Springs has plenty of hotels, motels and resorts if you’re spending any time there. Out at Uluru, the only accommodation is at Yulara, 20km away from Uluru. There are 5000 beds here – campgrounds, a hostel, apartments and resort-style hotels – but you still need to book ahead through a central reservations system. Expect premium prices, reflecting the remote locale.

TOP EXPERIENCE

Uluru

The first sighting of Uluru (Ayers Rock) on the horizon will astound even the most jaded traveller. Solitary and prodigious, it’s 3.6km long and towers 348m above the surrounding scrub.

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Great For…

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dont-missy Don’t Miss

Wonderful rock art in shelters along the Mala Walk and Kuniya Walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole.

need-to-know8Need to Know

https://parksaustralia.gov.au/uluru; adult/child/family 3-day passes $25/12.50/65; icon-hoursgifhsunrise-sunset

take-a-break5Take a Break

The Tali Wiru (icon-phonegif%02-8296 8010; www.ayersrockresort.com.au/tali-wiru; per person $360; icon-hoursgifhApr–mid-Oct) outdoor dining experience (atop a dune!) can be magical.

top-tipoTop Tip

The sunset viewing area is the best place for those classic, saffron-red Rock shots.

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Tourism NT/Sean Scott ©

The Big Rock

Uluru is undeniably huge, but it’s believed that two-thirds of the rock lies beneath the sand. Close inspection reveals a wondrously contoured surface concealing numerous sacred sites of particular significance to the Anangu.

If your first look at Uluru is in the afternoon, it appears to be ochre-brown, scored and pitted by dark shadows. As the sun sets, it illuminates the rock in burnished orange, then a series of deeper reds before it fades into charcoal. A performance in reverse, with marginally fewer spectators, is given at dawn.

Exploring Uluru

Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre (icon-phonegif%08-8956 1128; www.parksaustralia.gov.au/uluru; icon-hoursgifh7am-6pm) is 1km before Uluru on the road from Yulara and should be your first stop. Displays and exhibits focus on tjukurpa (Aboriginal law, religion and custom) and the history and management of the national park. The information desk in the Nintiringkupai building is staffed by park rangers who supply the information, leaflets and walking notes.

Walks

There are several established walking tracks around Uluru. Ranger-led walks explain the area’s plants, wildlife, geology and cultural significance. The excellent Visitor Guide & Maps brochure from the Cultural Centre details a few self-guided walks.

Base Walk This track (10.6km, three to four hours) circumnavigates the rock, passing caves, paintings, sandstone folds and geological abrasions along the way.

Liru Walk Links the Cultural Centre with the start of the Mala walk and climb, and winds through strands of mulga before opening up near Uluru (4km return, 1½ hours).

Mala Walk From the base of the climbing point (2km return, one hour), interpretive signs explain the tjukurpa of the Mala (hare-wallaby people), which is significant to the Anangu, as well as fine examples of rock art. A ranger-guided walk (free) along this route departs at 10am (8am from October to April) from the car park.

Kuniya Walk A short walk (1km return, 45 minutes) from the car park on the southern side leads to the most permanent waterhole, Mutitjulu, home of the ancestral watersnake. Great birdwatching and some excellent rock art are highlights of this walk.

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Sunset & Sunrise Views

About halfway between Yulara and Uluru, the sunset viewing area has plenty of car and coach parking for that familiar postcard view. The Talinguru Nyakunytjaku sunrise viewing area is perched on a sand dune and captures both Uluru and Kata Tjuta in all their glory. It also has two great interpretive walks (1.5km) about women’s and men’s business. There’s a shaded viewing area, toilets and a place to picnic.

Closed for Climbing

Many visitors consider climbing Uluru to be a highlight of a trip to the Centre, and even a rite of passage. But for the traditional owners, the Anangu, Uluru is a sacred place. The path up the side of Uluru is part of the route taken by the Mala ancestors on their arrival at Uluru and has great spiritual significance − and is not to be trampled by human feet. Since 2017 there has been a sign at Uluru from the Anangu saying ‘We don’t climb’, and requesting that you don’t climb either. From 26 October 2019 you won’t be allowed to.

The Anangu are the custodians of Uluru and take responsibility for the safety of visitors. Any injuries or deaths that occur are a source of distress and sadness to them. For similar reasons of public safety, Parks Australia preferred that people didn’t climb, even while the walk remained open. It’s a very steep ascent, not to be taken lightly, and each year there are several air rescues, mostly for people suffering heart attacks.

Consider visiting the Cultural Centre and taking an Anangu guided tour instead.

Tours of Uluru

Sounds of SilenceAustralian$$$

(icon-phonegif%08-8957 7448; www.ayersrockresort.com.au/sounds-of-silence; adult/child $210/105)

Waiters serve Champagne and canapés on a desert dune with stunning sunset views of Uluru and Kata Tjuta. Then it’s a buffet dinner (with emu, croc and roo) beneath the southern sky, which, after dinner, is dissected and explained with the help of a telescope. If you’re more of a morning person, try the similarly styled Desert Awakenings 4WD Tour (icon-phonegif%1300 134 044; www.ayersrockresort.com.au; adult/child from $179/139). Neither tour is suitable for children under 10 years.

icon-cyclemOn Your Bike

A wonderful new way of experiencing the rock is by bike, available for hire at the Cultural Centre.

Uluru Aboriginal ToursCultural Tour

(www.facebook.com/Uluru-Aboriginal-Tours-248457278623328/; guided tours from $99)

Owned and operated by Anangu from the Mutitjulu community, this company offers a range of trips to give you an insight into the significance of the Rock through the eyes of the traditional owners. Tours depart from the Cultural Centre, Yulara Ayers Rock Resort and from Alice Springs.

Ayers Rock HelicoptersScenic Flights

(icon-phonegif%08-8956 2077; www.flyuluru.com.au; 15/30/36min scenic flights per person $150/ 285/310)

One of the most memorable ways to see the Rock; you’ll need the 40-minute flight to also take in Kata Tjuta.

Seit Outback AustraliaBus

(icon-phonegif%08-8956 3156; www.seitoutbackaustralia.com.au)

This small-group tour operator has dozens of Uluru and Kata Tjuta tours, including sunset tours around Uluru and sunrise tours at Kata Tjuta.

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Seit Outback Australia sunset tour at Uluru | TOURISM NT/MATT GLASTONBURY ©

WiraWalking

(icon-phonegif%08-8956 1128; Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre; icon-hoursgifh4.30-6pm Mon, Wed & Fri) icon-freegifF

This free tour is a lovely way to spend an afternoon, walking through the bush surrounding the cultural centre with a local Anangu guide who’ll teach you all about bush plants. You’ll never look at the desert in the same way again.

Tours from Alice Springs

Several bus/tour companies can take you from Alice to Uluru and back in a day. Try Emu Run Experience (icon-phonegif%1800 687 220, 08-8953 7057; www.emurun.com.au; 72 Todd St, Alice Springs) or Gray Line (icon-phonegif%1300 858 687; www.grayline.com; Capricornia Centre 9, Gregory Tce, Alice Springs).

TOP EXPERIENCE

Kata Tjuta

No journey to Uluru is complete without a visit to Kata Tjuta (also known as the Olgas), a striking group of domed rocks huddled together about 35km west of the Rock.

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Great For…

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dont-missy Don’t Miss

Kata Tjuta at sunset, when the boulders are at their glorious, blood-red best.

need-to-know8Need to Know

https://parksaustralia.gov.au/uluru; adult/child/family 3-day passes $25/12.50/65; icon-hoursgifhsunrise-sunset

take-a-break5Take a Break

There’s a picnic and sunset-viewing area with toilet facilities just off the access road.

top-tipoTop Tip

The Valley of the Winds walk sidesteps the crowds and rewards hikers with sensational views.

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TOURISM NT/SEAN SCOTT ©

Big Boulders

There are 36 boulders shoulder to shoulder here, forming deep valleys and steep-sided gorges. The tallest rock, namesake Kata Tjuta (aka Mt Olga; 546m, 1066m above sea level) is approximately 200m higher than Uluru, and indeed, many visitors find them even more captivating than their prominent neighbour...but why choose?

Trails weave in among the red rocks, leading to pockets of silent beauty and spiritual gravitas. Kata Tjuta is of great tjukurpa significance (relating to Aboriginal law, religion and custom), particularly for Indigenous men, so stick to the tracks.

As a curious aside (astound friends around the campfire), the English name for Kata Tjuta – the Olgas – was bestowed in 1872 by Ernest Giles, in honour of Russian Queen Olga of Württemberg, the daughter of Tsar Nicholas I.

Indigenous Significance

The name ‘Kata Tjuta’ in the Pitjantjatjara language means ‘many heads’. Sacred to the Anangu people, the 500-million-year-old rocks are said to be the home of the snake king Wanambi, who only comes down from his fastness atop Mt Olga in the dry season. This is, however, by no means the only legend told about the site. The majority of myths about Kata Tjuta, and the ceremonies still practised by its traditional owners, are off limits to women and outsiders.

Walks

The 7.4km Valley of the Winds loop (two to four hours) is one of the most challenging and rewarding bushwalks in the park. It winds through the gorges giving excellent views of the surreal domes and traversing varied terrain. It’s not particularly arduous, but wear sturdy shoes and take plenty of water. Starting this walk at first light often rewards you with solitude, enabling you to appreciate the sounds of the wind and bird calls carried up the valley. When the weather gets too hot, trail access is often closed by late morning.

The short signposted track beneath towering rock walls into pretty Walpa Gorge (2.6km return, 45 minutes) is especially beautiful in the afternoon, when sunlight floods the gorge. Watch for rock wallabies in the early morning or late afternoon.

Tours

Unless you’re on a tour, you’ll need your own wheels to reach Kata Tjuta. Many companies offering tours of Uluru can also take you to Kata Tjuta, including Seit Outback Australia, Sounds of Silence and Ayers Rock Helicopters.

Yulara

Yulara is the service village and necessary base for exploring Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, and has effectively turned one of the world’s least hospitable regions into a comfortable place to stay with a full range of amenities. It lies just outside the national park, 20km from Uluru and 53km from Kata Tjuta.

5Eating

Kulata Academy CafeCafe$

(Town Sq; breakfast $4.80-8, sandwiches, pies & light meals $10.50; icon-hoursgifh7.30am-5pm)

Run by trainees of Uluru’s Indigenous training academy, Kulata is a good place to pick up a coffee in the morning and a light lunch (including pies) later in the day.

Geckos CafeMediterranean$$

(Town Sq; mains $19-29; icon-hoursgifhnoon-2.30pm & 6.30-9pm)

For great value, a warm atmosphere and tasty food, head to this buzzing licensed cafe. The wood-fired pizzas and kangaroo burgers go well with a carafe of sangria, and the courtyard tables are a great place to enjoy the desert night air. There are several veggie and gluten-free options, plus meals can be made to take away.

Outback Pioneer BarbecueBarbecue$$

(Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge; burgers/meat/salad bar $20/35/20; icon-hoursgifh6-9pm)

For a fun, casual night out, this lively tavern is the popular choice for everyone from backpackers to grey nomads. Choose between kangaroo skewers, prawns, veggie burgers, steaks and emu sausages, and grill them yourself at the communal BBQs. The deal includes a salad bar.

8INFORMATION

The useful Manta flyer is available at hotel desks. Most of the village’s facilities are scattered around Yulara Town Sq.

Most tour operators and car-hire firms have desks at the Tour & Information Centre (icon-phonegif%08-8957 7324; Resort Shopping Centre; icon-hoursgifh8am-7pm)

8GETTING THERE & AWAY

AIR

Ayers Rock Airport (Connellan Airport; icon-phonegif%08-8956 2266; Coote Rd) About 4km north of Yulara.

Jetstar (icon-phonegif%13 15 38; www.jetstar.com) Yulara to/from Melbourne and Sydney.

Qantas (icon-phonegif%13 13 13; www.qantas.com.au) Connects Yulara with Cairns, Sydney and Melbourne.

Virgin Australia (icon-phonegif%13 67 89; www.virginaustralia.com) Flies Yulara–Sydney with onward connections.

BUS

There is no public bus transport to/from Yulara. Emu Run Experience operates services between Alice Springs and Yulara (one way adult/child from $145/110), as does Gray Line ($105).

CAR & MOTORCYCLE

The main route from Alice to Yulara is sealed all the way, with regular food and petrol stops. It’s 200km from Alice to Erldunda on the Stuart Hwy, where you turn west for the 245km journey along the Lasseter Hwy. The journey takes four to five hours.

8GETTING AROUND

A free shuttle bus meets all flights (pick-up is 90 minutes before your flight when leaving) and drops off at all accommodation points around the resort. Another free shuttle bus loops through the resort − stopping at all accommodation points and the shopping centre − every 20 minutes from 10.30am to 6pm and from 6.30pm to 12.30am daily.

Uluru Hop-On Hop-Off (icon-phonegif%08-8956 2019; www.uluruexpress.com.au; adult 1-/2-day passes $120/160, child $40/60, Uluru return adult/child $49/15, Kata Tjuta $95/40) falls somewhere between a shuttle-bus service and an organised tour. It provides return transport from the resort to Uluru and Kata Tjuta with one- to three-day passes also available. Check the website for timetables.

Desert Star-Gazing

See the stars of central Australia in the desert outside Alice with terrific nightly astronomy tours with Earth Sanctuary (icon-phonegif%08-8953 6161; www.earth-sanctuary.com.au; astronomy tours adult/child $36/25). Tours last for an hour and the informative guides have high-powered telescopes to get you feeling up close and personal with the stars. You’ll need to ring ahead – they’ll know by 4pm if clear skies are forecast.

Alice Springs

Alice Springs wouldn’t win a beauty contest, but there’s more going on here than first meets the eye, from the inspirational (excellent museums, a fine wildlife park and outstanding galleries of Indigenous art) to the practical (a wide range of accommodation, good dining options and travel connections). It’s the gateway to some of central Australia’s most stirring landscapes: Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is a four- to five-hour drive away.

Alice is a key touchstone for understanding Aboriginal Australia in all its complexity and its present-day challenges. The Aboriginal name for Alice Springs is Mparntwe, and the region’s traditional owners are the Arrernte, although many different Aboriginal communities now call Alice Springs home.

1Sights

Araluen Arts CentreGallery

(icon-phonegif%08-8951 1122; www.araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au; cnr Larapinta Dr & Memorial Ave; icon-hoursgifh10am-4pm)

For a small town, Alice Springs has a thriving arts scene and the Araluen Arts Centre is at its heart. There is a 500-seat theatre and four galleries with a focus on art from the Central Desert region. The Albert Namatjira Gallery features works by the artist, who began painting watercolours in the 1930s at Hermannsburg mission, 127 km from Alice. The exhibition draws comparisons between Namatjira and his initial mentor, Rex Battarbee, and other Hermannsburg School artists.

Anzac HillLandmark

For a tremendous view, particularly at sunrise and sunset, take a hike (use Lions Walk from Wills Tce) or a drive up to the top of Anzac Hill, known as Untyeyetweleye in Arrernte. From the war memorial there is a 360-degree view over the town down to Heavitree Gap and the MacDonnell Ranges.

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Anzac Hill memorial | DCP STOCK/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Royal Flying Doctor Service BaseMuseum

(RFDS; icon-phonegif%08-8958 8411; www.rfdsalicesprings.com.au; Stuart Tce; adult/child/family $17/10/52; icon-hoursgifh9am-5pm Mon-Sat, 1-5pm Sun)

This excellent museum, filled with interactive information portals, is the home of the Royal Flying Doctor Service, whose dedicated health workers provide 24-hour emergency retrievals across an area of around 1.25 million sq km. State-of-the-art facilities includes a hologram of John Flynn (the RFDS founder) and a look at the operational control room, as well as some ancient medical gear and a flight simulator. Guided tours leave every half-hour, with the last at 4pm.

TTours

RT ToursTours

(icon-phonegif%08-8952 0327; www.rttoursaustralia.com; tours per person from $150)

Chef and Arrernte guide Bob Taylor runs a popular lunch and dinner tour at Simpsons Gap or the Telegraph Station Historical Reserve, where he whips up a bush-inspired meal. Other tours available, too.

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RT Tours chef and Arrernte guide Bob Taylor | TOURISM NT/FLOW MOUNTAIN BIKE ©

Dreamtime ToursCultural

(icon-phonegif%08-8955 5095; 72 Hillside Gardens; adult/child $85/42, self-drive $66/33; icon-hoursgifh8.30-11.30am)

Runs the three-hour Dreamtime & Bushtucker Tour, where you meet Warlpiri Aboriginal people and learn a little about their traditions. As it caters for large bus groups it can be impersonal, but you can tag along with your own vehicle.

Alice Springs Walking ToursWalking

(icon-phonegif%0432 511 492; www.facebook.com/aspwalkingtours; cnr Parsons St & Todd Mall; per person $28)

These 90-minute walking tours around Alice are a terrific way to get to know the town. Local guide James Acklin is a mine of information. Tours leave from outside the visitor information centre.

7Shopping

Papunya Tula ArtistsArt

(icon-phonegif%08-8952 4731; www.papunyatula.com.au; Todd Mall; icon-hoursgifh9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-1pm Sat)

This stunning gallery showcases artworks from the Western Desert communities of Papunya, Kintore and Kiwirrkurra – even if you’re not buying, it’s worth stopping by to see the magnificent collection.

Alice Springs Desert Park

Head to this park (icon-phonegif%08-8951 8788; www.alicespringsdesertpark.com.au; Larapinta Dr; adult/child $32/16, nocturnal tours adult/child $45.50/28.50; icon-hoursgifh7.30am-6pm, last entry 4.30pm, nocturnal tour 7.30pm Mon-Fri), where the creatures of central Australia are all on display in one place, including many that are extremely difficult to find out on the trail. The predominantly open-air exhibits faithfully re-create the animals’ natural environments in a series of habitats: inland river, sand country and woodland. It’s an easy 2.5km cycle to the park. Pick up a free audio guide (available in various languages) or join one of the free ranger-led talks throughout the day.

Try to time your visit to coincide with the terrific birds of prey show, featuring free-flying Australian kestrels, kites and awesome wedge-tailed eagles. To catch some of the park’s rare and elusive animals, such as the bilby, visit the excellent nocturnal house. If you like what you see, come back at night and spotlight endangered species on the guided nocturnal tour (bookings essential).

Desert Park Transfers (icon-phonegif%08-8952 1731; www.tailormadetours.com.au; adult/child $40/22) offers transfers from town to the park, five times daily during park hours. The cost includes park entry and pick-up and drop-off at your accommodation. Alice Wanderer offers a similar service.

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Eagle in Alice Springs Desert Park | MMARTIN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Red Kangaroo BooksBooks

(icon-phonegif%08-8953 2137; www.redkangaroobooks.com; 79 Todd Mall; icon-hoursgifh9am-5.30pm Mon-Fri, to 3pm Sat, to 1pm Sun market days)

Excellent bookshop specialising in central Australian titles: history, art, travel, novels, guidebooks and more. It also has small but well-chosen wildlife section.

5Eating

Kungkas CafeCafe$

(icon-phonegif%08-8952 3102; shop 17, Diarama Village, Larapinta Dr; snacks & light meals from $10; icon-hoursgifh7.30am-3pm Mon-Fri)

Now here’s something a little different. The coffee at this Indigenous catering place is good, but we love it for its snacks that put wild-harvested bush foods (eg bush tomatoes, lemon myrtle) front and centre. Take-home treats include saltbush or wattleseed dukkah, bush tomato chutney and quandong relish.

Page 27 CafeCafe$

(icon-phonegif%0429 003 874, 08-8952 0191; www.facebook.com/Page27Cafe; Fan Lane; mains breakfast $8-22, lunch $14-20; icon-hoursgifh7am-2.30pm Tue-Fri, 7.30am-2pm Sat & Sun; icon-veggifv)

Alice’s locals duck down this arcade for great coffee or fresh juice. There are wholesome home-style breakfasts (eggs any style, pancakes), pita wraps and fancy salads such as chicken fattoush with herbed quinoa, rocket and baba ganoush. Excellent vegetarian menu.

MontesAustralian$$

(icon-phonegif%08-8952 4336; www.montes.net.au; cnr Stott Tce & Todd St; mains $13-28; icon-hoursgifh2pm-2am Wed-Sun)

Travelling circus meets outback homestead. Montes is family friendly with a play area for kids, and the food ranges from gourmet burgers, pizzas and tapas to curries and seafood. Sit in the leafy beer garden (with a range of beers) or intimate booth seating. Patio heaters keep patrons warm on cool desert nights.

Epilogue LoungeTapas$$

(icon-phonegif%08-8953 4206; www.facebook.com/epiloguelounge; 58 Todd Mall; mains $18-22; icon-hoursgifh7.30am-11.30pm Wed-Sat, 8am-3pm Sun & Mon)

This urban, retro delight is definitely the coolest place to hang in town. With a decent wine list, food served all day and service with a smile, it is a real Alice Springs stand-out. Expect dishes such as halloumi burgers and steak sandwiches. They also have live music at 8pm Saturdays and open-mike comedy from 7.30pm on Thursdays.

8INFORMATION

Alice Springs Visitor Information Centre (icon-phonegif%08-8952 5800, 1800 645 199; www.discovercentralaustralia.com; cnr Todd Mall & Parsons St; icon-hoursgifh8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 9.30am-4pm Sat & Sun; icon-wifigifW) This helpful centre can load you up with stacks of brochures and the free visitors’ guide. Weather forecasts and road conditions are posted on the wall. National parks information is also available. Ask about the unlimited kilometre deals if you are thinking of renting a car.

Alice Springs Hospital (icon-phonegif%08-8951 7777; https://nt.gov.au/wellbeing; Gap Rd)

Alice Springs Pharmacy (icon-phonegif%08-8952 1554; shop 19, Yeperenye Shopping Centre, 36 Hartley St; icon-hoursgifh8.30am-9pm Mon-Fri, 8.30am-7pm Sat, 9am-4.30pm Sun)

8GETTING THERE & AWAY

AIR

Alice Springs is well connected, with Qantas (icon-phonegif%13 13 13, 08-8950 5211; www.qantas.com.au) and Virgin Australia (icon-phonegif%13 67 89; www.virginaustralia.com) operating regular flights to/from capital cities. Airline representatives are based at Alice Springs airport (icon-phonegif%08-8951 1211; www.alicespringsairport.com.au; Santa Teresa Rd).

BUS

Greyhound (icon-phonegif%1300 473 946; www.greyhound.com.au; Shop 3, 113 Todd St) has regular services to points north and south (check the website for timetables and discounted fares). Buses arrive at, and depart from, the Greyhound office in Todd St.

Emu Run Experience runs daily connections between Alice Springs and Yulara (one way adult/child from $145/110). Gray Line also runs between Alice Springs and Yulara (one way from $100).

CAR & MOTORCYCLE

Alice Springs is a long way from everywhere. It’s 1180km to Mt Isa in Queensland, 1490km to Darwin, 1531km to Adelaide and 441km (4½ hours) to Yulara (for Uluru).

All the major car-hire companies have offices in Alice Springs and many have counters at the airport. A conventional (2WD) vehicle will get you out to Uluru via sealed roads.

TRAIN

The train station is at the end of George Cres, off Larapinta Dr.

A classic way to enter or leave the NT is by the Ghan (icon-phonegif%13 21 47; www.greatsouthernrail.com.au), which can be booked through Great Southern Rail. Discounted fares are sometimes offered, especially in the low season (February to June). Bookings are essential.

8GETTING AROUND

TO/FROM THE AIRPORT

Alice Springs airport is 15km south of the town; it’s about $50 by taxi. A bus from Alice Wanderer (icon-phonegif%08-8952 2111, 1800 722 111; www.alicewanderer.com.au) meets all flights and drops off passengers at city accommodation. Book a day in advance for pick-up from accommodation.

BUS

The public bus service, AS Bus (icon-phonegif%08-8944 2444), departs from outside the Yeperenye Shopping Centre in Hartley St.

TAXI

Taxis congregate near the visitor information centre. To book one, telephone icon-phonegif%13 10 08 or icon-phonegif%08-8952 1877.