trip to Alice

Are you travelling in 4WD?

Hi Folks,
I would suggest that the most direct route is Bne-Morven-Barcaldine-Winton-Boulia-Alice via Donaghue and Plenty Hwy. Two weeks would be very rushed. You would need to allow 4 days for Bne-Alice and a day to Yalara from Alice adding up to 10 days of travel alone.
As far as I can recall, the only permit required is for Uluru and the Olgas and this is included in the park entrance ticket. If you go to Kings Canyon (highly recommended) via the Mereenie Loop Road, you will need to purchase a permit from any one of a number of outlets.
There is much to see around Alice and I can recommend the Macdonnell Range BIG 4 caravan park but book ahead.
www.clc.org.au/permits/ has info re permits.
The Hema Red Centre map is useful and the NT holiday centre has free booklets.
They can be contacted on 1800606150 or www.travelnt.com.

Watch out for foreign tourists in hire campervans and 4WDs on any dirt roads around Alice - they only know one speed and think that they are bullet proof.

Enjoy your trip.

Jon W

we drove from brisbane to alice springs [we're still here lol] ,went to mt isa then across and down,its a great drive and all good roads.
weve also been brisbane to alice via adelaide ,a LOT more scenic and much the same difference in distance. Only permits required is Ayres rock. $25 per head but that lasts 2 days.

either way you will enjoy every bit,happy trails.PS,its a shame you cant get here for THIS weekend,its the Henley on Todd regatta..the boat races in the dry river bed...

Happy Trails.. Rod

You'd definitely need 3 weeks, preferably 4.It's 4 days to Alice, then 400ks to Uluru. Then you have another 4-5 days to get back to Brizzy.

We did the same trip in 2003. Went via Longreach, Boulia and the Plenty Highway. Stayed in Alice for a few days then on to Uluru. Back to Kulgera, day trip to Lamberts centre, down to Coober Pedy, across to William Creek and Lake Eyre for the night, then Maree, up the Birdsville track and then to Brizzy. Took us 3 .5 weeks and that was pushing it. Great trip though. Any less time and it wouldn't have been worth doing.

Thanks everyone.
I didnt realise how difficult it would be planning this trip. By the sounds of it we should look at taking 3 weeks rather than 2, Just hard as I dont want to have the kids out of school for too long. We were hoping to go in the sept/oct school holidays, but not sure we will be organised enough. Do you know any where that hires out Oz tents???

Two weeks is plenty to see the basics. Of course you could spend months if you had the time.

Here's a tip regarding the fees at Uluru. If you go the back way through Docker River, there is no gate and you can get in free - a saving of $25 per person. Alice to Kintore is about 500km, Kintore to Docker River 350 km, and Docker R to Yulara abouyt 230 km.

So not only will you save heaps, the drive is far more interesting.

Bob

Spend 3 weeks, the kids won't miss anything at school. But they'll apreciate the freedom of being out and about learning about the country and central Australia. We have just finished up our 4 years on the road with kids, we would never have thought we would end up in a place like Alice. Everything is just easy here.

We just came back from 3 week trip from Cairns to the centre return - not really enough time. The Plenty Hwy is pretty ordinary at the moment particularly around Jervois Station and Harts. It is very badly corugated and cut up. Most people are driving on the verges to find a smoother line. Mereenie Loop was the worst road on our 7000 k trip.

Cheers

Kevin

Might be an odd question, but how much does an average 3 week trip away cost? Can it be done on the cheap??