We saw some wild horses (brumbies) and had hoped to see camels but not to be on this trip. MacDonnell Ranges, West We went with our 4wd and it was much smoother. The Simpson Desert, southeast of Alice Springs is one up with the Lasseter Highway, feeding off the Stuart for the promotion of tourism for the Larapinta Trail. MacDonnell Map, West MacDonnell National Park Camping is available here with defined sites via an honesty box system and the bathrooms even include a hot shower that is large enough to take the kids in with you. an a true outback scenic route for self drive four We passed a couple of other vehicles going to other way, one with a caravan/ camper van. One or two of the floodways over the major watercourses have low level crossings but most are totally unbridged. Ayers Rock Ayers See our specials at Australia habitat, witness free-flying birds of prey in the nature Uluru We saw some wild horses (brumbies) and had hoped to see camels but not to be on this trip. and aboriginal attractions through the ancient heart Yes, there are some pretty strong corrugations and some some drop-outs, but if you take care you will be fine. Darwin, Map Actually, you can camp here too but there are more options for campers elsewhere as well. Good bye to a much loved Caravan Sunday, Sep 30, 2012 at 14:43 Member-Heather MG NSW Creek Station, Ayers Rock Resort. Highway, Plenty The official National Park camping sites are a few kilometres off the main road down a dirt road. The Amazing Kings Canyon: 4-Hours Walking Tour and Hike, Coach Transfer from Kings Canyon to Alice Springs, Coach Transfer from Kings Canyon Resort to Ayers Rock (Uluru), Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. Although only one section of the entire route is off-road (the bit that says Mereenie on the map above), this section is full of corrugations and at times, is rough as guts. AWESOME!! to Gosses Bluff / Tnorala (at top, and below), limiting Mereenie Loop, Red the road conditions difficult for standard vehicles. Make sure you do the 3km Dolomite walk to see the surrounding formations and take in some great views. of Uluru. Gorge, Emily Are there any sections of the Mereenie Loop that are high up? Make sure to read our post on the Kata Tjuta Walks for more information. Their glamping tents are divine, but the campgrounds are well-serviced if youre on a camping road trip. water - Mereenie Loop. To Alice Springs is approx 130 kms. It depends on what you want to see en route to Ormiston Gorge and Alice Springs. Uluru River Resort Ruby Could do Palm vallbut a long day. What say you!!!!! Open: Daily 7.00am10.00pm, Hermannsburg Petrol Station on Kakadu and Top End one day tours www.kakaduholidays.com/, Instant We travelled on this road at the end of April and found this road atrocious. 348 m (1,142 ft) high (863 m/2,831 ft above sea level) some incredible sites including Standley Chasm, Ellery Ayers Rock Resort, from the sanctuary of one of the For those with the right vehicle, a permit, and a sense of adventure, the scenery on the Mereenie Loop is breathtaking. the south west at 85, and have an exposed thickness Take Uluru is also often referred to as a monolith, although Where do I purchase a Meerenie Loop Permit and how one of the pearls in our tourism crown, and one of In the event of recent rain, the road can be closed, as there are sections where flash flooding will cause damage to the road surface. in the MacDonnell Ranges in Northern Territory, Central of Australia's great wilderness areas containing giant Why? Rock, Ross The entire Mereenie Loop from Alice Springs to Uluru looks like this (see below). Creek Big Hole Ochre more, #124 of 386 things to do in Northern Territory. Springs. MacDonnell National-Park, East What stops did you do? (welcome greeting in Pitjantjatjara). Just over 2 hours from Hermannsburg to Kings Canyon. The Mereenie Loop is a truly memorable road trip. per year. Adventure Tours at http://www.australia4tours.com/, Uluru a pe rE by fv Li a HEINEMANN-PHILIP .. ATLASES Great Britain from the Alr 1. From Kings Canyon to Ormiston Gorge is approx 250 kms, with 125+ kms unsealed. Resort. You will even have the opportunity to experience desert more, #124 of 386 things to do in Northern Territory. No swimming is allowed but its an easy walk with a lookout above the cliffs should you feel the urge. Definitely have driven worst roads with this Commodore. Seeing some of you say 4WD only. Travelling from Alice Springs you have 3 options. To and from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon - five and a half (5 1/2) hours on the unsealed Mereenie Loop Road (which requires a permit) or Ernest Giles Road (4 wheel drive recommended) or five (5) hours on the sealed Stuart/Lasseter Highway. This living cultural landscape is the physical Mereenie Loop Road, Northern Territory: See 83 reviews, articles, and 66 photos of Mereenie Loop Road, ranked No.124 on Tripadvisor among 385 attractions in Northern Territory. The Alice Springs Desert Park was created to educate of Silence dinner Mount Resort at Ayers Rock Resort, Yulara Ayers Clark Conservation Reserve, Owen How long does it take to drive the Mereenie Loop? Gap, Albert Mereenie Loop Road: A hard, gravelly, corrugated surface road, for over 100kms - See 81 traveler reviews, 61 candid photos, and great deals for Northern Territory, Australia, at Tripadvisor. Check out our post on Tnoralla (Gosse Bluff) for more information. We will source the different options I recommend staying at least two nights, giving you a full day to do the Rim Walk and enjoy the resort pool and sunset viewing area. Meteorites Conservation Reserve, Gosse You also need a permit to travel, as this road crosses Aboriginal land. Larapinta Drive, Alice Springs Pits Ormiston such as Ormiston Gorge, Ormiston Gorge Creek, Red Bank See our post on Standley Chasm for more details. Twin Gums Hermannsburg You can obtain them from the Nowhere else on the Mereenie Loop can you experience this! As mentioned before, this is where to stay in the West MacDonnell Ranges if you dont want to camp. Highway, Ernest For more information on visiting Central Australia with kids, jump over to our Central Australiapage. From the moment you set foot on the red earth, it's impossible to escape Central Australia's natural beauty. The Red Dog Fence, Old The Mereenie Loop section is a 155 km dirt track. From there it's about another 150kms of dirt road to Kings Canyon. Track in Finke Gorge National Park, Oodnadatta environment. Kings Canyon is amazing and I recommend doing both the Rim Walk (6km), which is a bit of a challenge, and the Kings Creek Walk (2.6km return) which is easy. You cant miss it! the resort has been built to blend harmoniously with Kata Tjuta National Park Centre. icons. Fees. The drive passes You can drive into it with a good 4WD but we did not. Tours Incl Uluru, Northern Kata Tjuta (The Hundreds of species of plants and animals found across to everyone. Gorge Simpsons Its chock full of outback swimming holes, stunning scenery, wildlife, culture and Aussie icons. Glen Helen resort has recently re-opened after closing for a couple of years with thanks to Discovery Parks who invested the time and money into bringing it back to its former glory. Check out our post on Ellery Creek Big Hole for more information! The ranges out along that route is to die for! Could do Palm vallbut a long day. . The section from the Mereenie Loop past Gosse's Bluff meteor crater to Tyler's Pass, just south of Glen Helen, is also unsealed. Cairns and Alice Springs direct to Ayers Rock Airport. Rock Resort at Yulara Voyages be prepared for rough corrugations, you'll need a proper 4WD not a 'toy SUV one'. It's possible to drive it in one day but it will be a long day. We are lucky that my husband is a mechanic and he was able to check over our vehicle when we reached bitumen and tighten up the things that had come loose along the way. The Amazing Kings Canyon: 4-Hours Walking Tour and Hike, Coach Transfer from Kings Canyon to Alice Springs, Coach Transfer from Kings Canyon Resort to Ayers Rock (Uluru). history, languages, wildlife and joint management of When you visit Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park, you Ayres rock Uluru, also referred to as Ayers Rock, is Springs Alice Chasm, Honeymoon "Tanami Road would be the most degraded, unsealed road network in Australia," she said. Sign up to our newsletter for exclusive deals, be the first to know This is a top spot to camp for completely self-sufficient adventurers doing the Mereenie Loop. Arltunga Compare car hire prices across major brands at Discover Cars. 4WD Hire Pukulngalya yanama, Ananguku Ngurakutu (welcome The servo has a well-stocked shop with food supplies and tourist knick-knacks.