Mereenie Loop current road conditions
Submitted: Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 07:35
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Member - Heather MG NSW
We will be at Kings Canyon Resort for a couple of nights...leaving Tuesday next week and trying to decide whether or not to go to Alice via the
Mereenie Loop as I would like to see Hermannsberg and Wallace Rockhole.
I am looking for feedback from anyone who has travelled it recently and would like to know what the 'road' is like. The information on the NT road reports are a bit vague for my liking....prefer to have first hand knowledge and I guess i can always ask at the Resort where we have to get a permit anyway.
We are towing a Jayco sterling Outback caravan and friends have a Jayco Eagle.
Have both just done the
Oodnadatta track without any problems, except red dust.
Thanks in anticipation,
Heather
Reply By: MarkSom - Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 08:09
Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 08:09
Hi Heather, Mark from
Ballina, look forward to info, we are doing that in a 10 days time, Alice to
Glen Helen, Kings Canyon, Uluru, Olgas, Mt Connor.....Ford Territory & Jayco Dove Outback....heard its ok? Did u see photos of Uluru climb?...cant wait to get there!!!!!
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Follow Up By: MarkSom - Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 08:14
Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 08:14
Mark again....derrr...the photos are from you...great pics... did u have any problems with climbing, as in being closed,etc...appreciate any info.
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Follow Up By: Member - Heather MG NSW - Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 15:09
Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 15:09
Thanks Mark,
Well...considering I am 60 years of age, I didn't exactly run up it!! It is a very steep climb mostly with a chain to help pull you up for the first part, and puts a lot of strain on knees and toes, I found.
We arrived out there around 9am and there were already people on the way up and coming back down.
It was closed sometime after we started up,due to strong winds at
the summit. You just have to hope when you arrive it is open, or be able to wait around a few hours or more...maybe a day, until it is.
Regards,
Heather
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Reply By: Member - Oldbaz. NSW. - Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 11:43
Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 11:43
Hi Heather, great to hear you are back out on the road again..best regards to John.
While I have no current clue on
the Loop, I dont think you will have any issues. It
was a
well formed road in 07, but a lot of loose stones & windrows of same. A bit
coarse you might say. Some extra protection for van & car may be wise. No doubt
some recent info will be forthcoming.
Hermannsburg is
well worth your attention..&
Palm Valley. cheers......oldbaz (& childbride) :)))).
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Follow Up By: Member - Heather MG NSW - Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 15:13
Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 15:13
Hi Barry,
Great to hear from you. If I don't have any information on here then I will enquire at the resort at Kings Canyon as we are staying a couple of nights there before we set out. Won't have 3G signal for my mobile wireless broadband after we leave Uluru tomorrow.
We managed the
Oodnadatta track ok so I guess its not too different from there, and a lot shorter.
regards to you and Ros,
Heather
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Motherhen - Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 16:14
Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 16:14
Hi Heather
This looks promising, but the poster was not towing at the time:
Recent Mereenie Loop report on Caravaners Forum
When at Kings Canyon, ask around who has just come off
the Loop - you will no doubt get reports that vary from "smooth as a baby's - " to "worst road I've ever been on", but by talking to a few others, you will have the most up to date information to make your assessment.
Motherhen
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Follow Up By: Member - Heather MG NSW - Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 19:58
Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 19:58
thanks Motherhen,
We have been talking to another camper staying here at the caravan
park at
Yulara and he said the road is being graded as we speak and he's just come around that way so it look promising. He is towing a camper trailer.
I will also check when we get to Kings Canyon resort and as you say, have a talk to anyone who looks like they have been off the bitumen.
Regards,
Heather
FollowupID:
731099
Follow Up By: Motherhen - Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 20:32
Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 20:32
Sounds good Heather. When we were heading that way in 2008, there was a report of it being graded. However as they don't 'deep grade', the underlying corrugations remain, and the road can be back to its wicked ways in a week or so, as it was when we went through (hence the camper trailer with the broken spring and the day long marathon getting then to KK). It was certainly not the worst road we have been on.
Mh
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Follow Up By: Member - Heather MG NSW - Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 21:23
Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 21:23
Thanks for that MH I will keep that in mind,
The original plan was to drive south from Kings Canyon then across the Ernest Giles road to the Stuart Highway and then to
Rainbow valley to
camp for a couple of nights however it was mentioned that there may be signposting saying it wasn't suitable for caravans (the
ernest Giles Rd) so this is a backup plan rather than backtrack all the way back to the Lassiter Highway and then up to Alice via the Stuart.
I will have a look on our way to Kings Canyon tomorrow and see whether that
sign is visible and make a decision before we leave onTuesday.
Regards,
Heather
FollowupID:
731113
Follow Up By: Motherhen - Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 22:52
Saturday, Jun 18, 2011 at 22:52
Hi Heather
I think that is standard
signage on the Ernest Giles. Some people get through with caravans OK, some find it hard going - it all depends on your expectations, but don't go if there has been any rain! We didn't have to make that decision in the end, because it didn't fit into our circuit. We went as far as Henbury Meteorite Craters at the Stuart Highway end and the road was fine there, although we were on a day trip from Alice so not towing at the time.
Take it easy and enjoy which ever
routes you choose; it is a wonderful part of the country (isn't everywhere?).
Mh
FollowupID:
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Reply By: Member - Heather MG NSW - Thursday, Jun 23, 2011 at 20:53
Thursday, Jun 23, 2011 at 20:53
Thank you to those who responded to my original thread.
We arrived in
Alice Springs this afternoon so thought I would provide some current information on the Mereenia Loop...having travelled it during the past few days.
The road condition was variable...some parts more rough and corrugated than the
Oodnadatta track was a couple of weeks ago while others were great. There are some road works and muchof it looks as though it hasn't long been graded. We thought the road between the turn off to
Glen Helen Resort/Gosse
Bluff and
Hermannsburg was the roughest.
The Permit cost us $5.50 from the resort at Kings Canyon and apparently they are $5 at
Glen Helen Resort.
We stayed for two nights at Wallace Rockhole, a small aboriginal community about 20 kms off the road, and found it safe quiet and friendly. Had a tour to the local art site ($10 pp) visited the art centre where the quality of the local art was impressive, and bought a small dot painting. Cost us $20 for powered site for night 1 and $10 for night 2...very reasonable after $42 at Kings Canyon!(which was also nice.) Hot showers and flushing
toilets.
There was also a school group
camping there - year 11 students from a Lutheran college in
Melbourne or
Adelaide and they were great.
Also we had a look at the cultural precinct at
Hermannsburg and found it very interesting. Diesel at the servo there was $2.20 per litre.
Regards,
Heather
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