Advice on desert trip planning

Recommend caravan park in Coober Pedy and nearby cheap fuel at the bulk supply(almost opposite the drive in theatre). Also favor the Painted Desert as part of the trip to Oodnadatta. If the rains still persist would recommend some of the farm tracks around the Flinders Ranges - Echo Camp at Arkaroola, Mulga View near Chalmbers Gorge and Star Trek at Willow Creek.

Cheers
Mitch

I should add that we are not planning to leave until July/August next year. No set date yet.

Hi Stew,

I am currently putting up blogs covering our first trip to the red centre (in 2001), so you can have a read of where we went here and the blogs that follow on from it. Still have one or two more to get up. Also in our other blogs you can follow where we went in that part of the world in '08 and '09.

Searching other's blogs will give you lots more info as well.

FWIW i reckon that Uluru is one of the least interesting parts of the red centre. There is heaps to see in the east and west Macdonnells where you could spend a lot of time. Finke Gorge, Chambers Pillar, Old Andado are other top spots. Getting there via the Oodnadatta Track is great and would allow you to take in the Breakaways, Painted desert, Lake Eyre, Mound Springs, Dalhousie Springs, Old Ghan etc.

There is no difficult driving in any of this, but you and your vehicle wouldneed to be prepared for gravel road travel.

4 or 5 weeks will be just enough time, but suggest don't try to rush getting there - better to take a few extra days and enjoy the adventure and the many amazing things you will see along the way. Its very different from what you have seen along the east coast - allow yourself time to adjust and to take it all in.

Cheers,

Val

Hi Stew,
We have recently returned from a wonderful 7 week adventure out that way. Unfortunately it wasn't enough time! We spent 3 nights in Coober Pedy, but should have spent a week IMO. Likewise Alice Springs, we plan to be back out Alice way in 2012. Uluru & Kata Tjuta are well worth the effort IMO, we took a helicopter flight over them, that was spectacular! On the Mereenie Loop area, there are a lot of wonderful sights to see..... we stopped at Glen Helen Gorge and Kings Canyon, time being our enemy on this trip and hence the plane to return. Kings Canyon is an awesome experience, the rim walk gave me a deeper appreciation of why the aboriginal people hold these places in such regard! We stopped in at Kings Creek Station, didn't stay there, we free camped down the road a bit. But we did camel rides at Kings Creek Station and learnt a lot about the area. Also the owner does a lot for the local community, it's a great story that needs to be heard. They also cook a wicked Camel Burger! It's a place I wouldn't hesitate to return to!

Your route says "From Uluru we plan to follow the basic plan of

Uluru down to Marie and on to Oodnadatta. From Oodnadatta we will cross the simpson desert to Birdsville. From Birdsville we will head to Innamincka via the the track that heads through Cordillo Downs. From Innamincka we will head to Cameron Corner. Once at Cameron Corner we have two options. We can either head home or head south down through the Flinders Rangers then home. It just depends on how much time we spend on the trip before getting to Cameron Corner. "
Seems to be back tracking a bit there..... Uluru to Marree to Oodnaddatta then the desert... you might want to streamline that a bit. Perhaps do Marree/Coober Pedy/Oodnaddatta/Uluru?
Anyways... IMO you can't miss out there... there's a LOT to see, and it doesn't really matter where you go, you'll find the most awesome scenery everywhere you look.

Cheers

Brian

Perhaps this will help with your planning.

We visited the Centre a few years ago while we were living in Broken Hill.

Like you we wanted to get to the Centre so did a big day to start.Broken Hill to Coober Pedy is about 1000km. It's not a difficult drive but we arrived quite tired. We stayed at the Underground Motel.

Next day we had a look around town, did an underground tour and had look at the Breakaways. Could have spent more time but we got a pretty good taste of the area. We then went on and spent that night at Erldunda.

Day three we set off about 9 and had lunch at Rainbow Valley. We had planned to go east from there and then south to Chambers Pillar. Because it was so hot (over 40C in October) we went back down the highway to get cold drinks at the road house. Then we went across the Hahn River stock Route and south to Chambers. We got there early enough to have a good look around and take some sunset photos. Next morning we were up early to get sunrise photos and have another look at the Pillar in different light.

We took our time travelling along the Old Gahn rail line stopping to look at things that took our eye and arrived in Alice early to mid afternoon.

We based ourselves in Alice and travelled to the East and West McDonald's as well as having a good look around the town. After about a week we set off west, driving past all the things we had already seen. This allowed us to travel further and get away from crowds. Despite a reasonably leisurely pace we made it to Palm Valley for the night. We did arrive a bit late and ended up in the overflow camp area which was OK but not great.

We then went to Kings Canyon and spent 2 nights before setting off for the Rock where we spent 3 nights.

We travelled back to Broken Hill via the Simpson, Birdsville, Innamincka, Cameron's Corner and Tib.

That took us three weeks and was more driving than I would have liked. You are planning to see a lot more and you have a lot more miles to drive (Woy Woy to Broken Hill is about 1200km each way). I think you need every bit of the 4 weeks you are talking about, the 5 would be better and 6 would be better still.

Deadlines are IMO a curse but we all have them. The trick is to set them far enough off so that you can remain relaxed when things go wrong or change. We got rain while we were in the Simpson and that cost us time. Fortunately we had planned to arrive home with a few days to spare before we had to get back to work etc. we simply had a day less at home before the world attacked us again. Plan for such contingencies.

Plan well and then be prepared to throw your plan away if the situation warrants that.

Have a great trip
Duncs