Ayres Rock in Febuary - Air con or not?

would have to be the HOTTEST time of the year and will be very hot at night, some do it without ac's but i would not, there will also be storms, awsome to see and well worth it....

Hullo Silver
If you Google Uluru or Alice Spring climate information, it will give you mean maximums and minimums for Feb, plus highest and lowest temps.
The means are max 35 and min 20. So during the day you could get temps from about 30 to 40 and at night 15 to 25, say.
Depending on where you are coming from in Europe, this could present quite challenging weather for you.
But OTOH, for someone acclimatised, 20 at night with a fan could be quite OK, but if it's 25+, that might be a bit OTT.
I would suggest that at 35 to 40, walking in the sun would be regarded by many as foohardy. At the very least, take plenty of water and a good wide brimmed hat and walk in the morning.
Locals may well have better advice.
Cheers
Andrew

Have a look at the tips in THIS Thread. If you want to do it on the cheap. Not what I would call fun though, but helps when caught out.

Fred

Do it without Aircon. Character building and you will come out the other end a better, stronger person :)

definately air con time.
35 will be a nice cool day .. :-)
Expect 40+

If you're planning to go walking during the day, the nights will be the least of your worries. We were at Yulara in September and found it hot - after a very cold August in Alice Springs. We started walks as early as possible in the day to avoid the heat. We did not climb Uluru. There is a swimming pool at the campground if you need to cool off when you get back to camp.

As much as i can't tolerate the heat, sleeping under an air conditioner, then going out in the heat during the day would be too much of a contrast. Go without the air conditioner, and be prepared for some very hot days when you get there. Take plenty of water when walking, and be aware that walks will be closed on very hot days. From the Uluru website: "In summer we recommend walking only during the cool part of the day (finishing before 11am) and drinking one litre of water per hour".

The walk at Kata Tjuta is lovely but apart from the first short section, it is closed once the temperature reaches 36º.

Motherhen

Gosh - thanks everyone. I posted that this morning (UK) and there were 6 replies when I got back from the gym.

We knew it was going to be hot but we will be taking onboard all of the good advice.

We are already wide brimmed hat wearers - even if the temperature here in the summer rarely reaches 25C!

Perhaps I could ask another question? We were thinking of taking 3 days to get to Yulara, stopping on the way up at Woomera and Cadney Homestead and on the way back at Marla and Glendambo. Does this sound ok? Are there better stops? and given that February is not peak tourist season, should I book ahead or just turn up?

Cheers

Richard

One word "YES"!

Hi Ho Silver,

Yes for the AC, Yes for the wide breamed hat and water but your main worry will be the flys.

There will be so many they will be considering to eat you there or take you away.

Cheers Wilko

G'day Silver, I would go for it. It will be an experience like no other. Assuming you will
be plugged into power when camped, take a decent fan & dont bother with the full
aircon. The extremes of temperature will only highlight the heat. Take seriously the
warnings re walking & dont be surprised if most are closed. Be prepared to start at daylight. I would incude Kings Canyon too,too close to miss it.
cheers......oldbaz.

On our last trip there one April we encountered 3 days in a row with low 40's C (that was a late heat wave, but anything can happen - in February though, it's far more likely). Walking round the sights had to be quite early and late in the day - rest of the time found us bludging under a huge tarp, splashing water around. As for roof air conditioners in a small campervan - they might be able to keep you cool but I doubt you'll get any sleep while it is running (and it could be sweltering overnight). Staying in accommodation might be the go (resort, motel, caravan park units), but hell - do they charge $$$$$ ! Presuming you go, take any liquor you need with you - groceries and fuel are ok, but liquor prices at Yulara are an outrage.

hi silver
you have picked the hottest time
the heat is unrelenting day and night
personelly i would go for the aircond all round that will give you relief and a chance to restore your energy at night ready for the next days heat otherwise you will very quickly become burnt out

i am not trying to put you off just give you a down to earth warning of what to expect you can expect low to high 40's you wont see many people out there at that time of the year only mad dogs and englishmen lol
sorry but thats just my warped sense of humour i'm a 4th gen aussie who's family originated from uk early 1900's
the road trip will be very hot and dry with plenty of dust everywhere you visit
so dont drive your hire vehicle too hard as the heat and the hot windy conditions can take it's toll on it and the flys will carry you off

make sure before you sign the hire document that you make sure the vehicle has very good tyres on it with a good spare and wheel brace and jack as tyres take a beating in the heat as well
inspect these items dont take the hirers word for it as it is too late when your km's from know where and find these items aren't actually in the storage box
make sure the water tank is full and you need to carry two water container that hold at least 4-5ltrs as well for drinking
no one has mentioned sun burn or wind burn
coming from uk if you have that fair skin and( i speak from a life long problem born in aus but inherited the fair skin factor)
is going to be a real challenge as you will roast under the aussie sun like a chook in the oven
you will get sunburnt just from the glare of the sun and also you can also get bad wind burn it is a very big factor here in aus without being in the sun
keeping your legs and arms covered with lite clothing is a smart thing to do
you will need copious amounts of good qualitity sun repellent cream and after burn cream incase you do sizzle avoid sunburn as it is very painfull and you have nowhere to hide once burnt
use a wide brimmed hat with a flymesh to get some peace and the mesh will also filter the suns rays
start your excursions at first hint of morning light it will be much more enjoyable for you this way
as mentioned your hourly intake of water will need to be high as you will dehydrate very quickly and suffer with heat exhaustion before you know it
so be very aware of this factor too
where the flys are concerned it has always been aussie bush folk lore that sometimes if the flys are really thick around your face you will get relief by cutting the arss out your pants, havent tryed it but am told it works for some

the above imfo i have given you is not in any way intended to put you off just warn you of the challenges your going to have to face in taking on a visit to that part of aus in february the rock and the olgas are a sight well worth seeing coober peddy is also a fasinating place where everyone lives underground to escape the desert heat
so if you arrive there at midday dont expect to see very many people above ground ??
hope you thoroughly enjoy it cheers barry

Thanks again for all the info everyone.

I think we are going to wimp out and rent a motor home with aircon throughout.

We would have preferred to have gone to Ayres in the winter but could not arrange that. Still I guess there is a silver lining in that Ayres Rock should be a lot less crowded when we go - maybe completely empty if the walks are shut!

It looks like the walk around Ayres Rock itself isn't too long - around 12K so if we start just after sunrise, we should finish before 11.00. Same goes for the Kata Tjuta walk

We are going to have to come back and do Brisbane to Adelaide at some point in the future - before we get too old :) and take in Kings Canyon too that rim walk really looks the business

Now I've found this website and forum I'll be logging on regularly - and probably posting for help when I get into a panic.

One last thing - is there any mobile phone coverage in the Park?

Silver,

Think you've got all the info you need, but I sms'd our daughter yesterday, and she has just replied: "HOT, HOT, HOT!!! Not as hot as January, but still very hot and rain occasionally" unquote. She has been there over 2 years, running one of the tourist ventures.

Don't think anyone mentioned that the heat there, unless it's stormy, or general rain, can be quite bearable, because there's little humidity. Still need to drink plenty of fluids, & big hats. If it was to rain while you were there, it would be unreal, water off the Rock, and all the pools full at the Olgas.

Have fun,

Bob.