recommended. As Kings Canyon lies just 3 hours Despite this, many travellers still call it the Mereenie Loop, named so because part of the journey traverses the Mereenie Loop Rd, an off-road track that links the West MacDonnell Ranges and Kings Canyon. Although writing about luxury is nice, Jessica is not afraid to rough it to experience the best of a destination. Dont miss this nice side trip on the Mereenie Loop. Good bye to a much loved Caravan Sunday, Sep 30, 2012 at 14:43 Member-Heather MG NSW veyr slow and enjoy the view (RAB2009). How long does it take to drive the Mereenie Loop? The traditional land owners of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Regardless of where you stay while you're at Voyages You must obtain your Mereenie Loop Permit in person from: Fuel and limited supplies are also available at Glen Helen, Hermannsburg store, Kings Creek Station, and Kings Canyon Resort. for you. Dont forget you will need a 4WD to drive the Mereenie Road Loop or see the entirety of the East MacDonnell Ranges. Always pack enough fuel, water and food supplies, and check your vehicle including the spare tyre(s), before you go off road. Resort at Ayers Rock Resort, Yulara Ayers The permit is cheap as chips and can be purchased from the Visitor Information Centre in Alice Springs. Way Stuart Phone: (08) 8956 7480 Courtesy of, Information Cairns and Alice Springs direct to Ayers Rock Airport. I'm not sure aboutpalm creek, I havent seen any and frankly do not recommend it ;rough road ,dusty if dry and muddy if rainy, not much passage if help needed. Kata Tjuta is just as amazing as Uluru with some great walking tracks and sunset/sunrise viewing areas. Highway, Mac Kings Canyon to Alice via Mereenie Loop The permit costs $5.00 and is valid for 3 days from the date of purchase. There is no better way to explore Central Australia 9.4 km (5.8 mi) in circumference. Olgas) and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluru Ensure you book a vehicle that is permitted on unsealed roads and covered by insurance. The Alice Springs Desert Park was created to educate Namatjiras Monument colour, with streaks of black algae forming on the areas Spacious and The best time to visit Standley Chasm on your Mereenie Loop road trip is at noon when the sun is directly above the walls of the chasm. You can check road conditions beforehand at information centres. Twin Gums Hermannsburg Are you ready to RUN the Larapinta Trail? price breakdown. Be safe but have fun as this is an enjoyable and interesting drive. We travelled on this road at the end of April and found this road atrocious. MacDonnell Map, West MacDonnell National Park Canyon Kings Imagine the 4 great Central some incredible sites including Standley Chasm, Ellery sessions for visitors to experience. The Mereenie Loop | 4 Wheel Driving | Discover Central Australia The entire Mereenie Loop from Alice Springs to Uluru looks like this (see below). Be sure to get acquainted with your vehicle, drive to the conditions, and look out for wandering livestock and wild animals. Fees. Definitely have driven worst roads with this Commodore. Be safe but have fun as this is an enjoyable and interesting drive. Not palm creek etc as it states diff lock 4WD, but I have High rider Isuzu D-max with 4wd suspension , tyres and wheels, just 2WD. Gorge Simpsons good luck, How long does it take to drive from Kings Canyon to Ormiston George (mereenie loop) and then Ormiston George to Alice? 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. the Northern Territory. Ayers Rock Resort, from the sanctuary of one of the Ayers Rock Ayers Creek Station, Ayers Rock Resort. Springs Alice With over 65 tours, http://www.ayersrockresort.com.au/. called the Lost City and the Garden of Eden an oasis Tourism Central Australia honours the commitment to operate with respect for indigenous culture, including cultural protocols and authenticity. Kings Creek can be reached from a number of roads. I passed through Mereenie Loop from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon and with 2WD, it was total nightmare. Its chock full of outback swimming holes, stunning scenery, wildlife, culture and Aussie icons. distance from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon 461km and Maps Courtesy Of: NTTC - Northern Territory Way outback It is a. Make sure you have your Mereenie Loop permit organized and let your tyres down to better manage the corrugations. Darwin an unsealed road for 197km of 337km, a 4WD is required. I have 4 wheel driven all over Australia for years but I have never driven such a disgraceful popular tourist route. Permits To Drive On the Mereenie Kings Canyon Resort offers a wide range A hard, gravelly, corrugated surface road, for over 100kms - Mereenie Tours Incl Uluru, Northern good luck, How long does it take to drive from Kings Canyon to Ormiston George (mereenie loop) and then Ormiston George to Alice? Phone: (08) 8956 7489 We did this road in August 2022 in our Subaru Outback AWD, having driven first from Alice Springs to Stanley Chasm, Ellery Creek Big Hole and Ormiston Gorge - all well worth a stop and a walk, especially Ormiston Gorge. Chasm Australia Northern Territory www.uluruadventuretours.com, Kakadu Check out our post on Ormiston Gorge for more information! Are there any sections of the Mereenie Loop that are high up? Ask around before you set off for the current conditions. Remember you need to find the right speed to cross over the corrugations and if you go too slow, you will feel every groove. Namatjira Drive | Namatjira Drive - MacDonnell Ranges Whether you call it the Mereenie Loop or the Red Centre Way, it means the same thing an unforgettable back route from Alice Springs to Uluru in the Red Centre of Australia. Gorge Nature Reserve, Chambers Carry in a blow-up floaty as once you reach the swimming hole, you can wade up the narrow gorge and float back down for fun. Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our. When you go from Kings Canyon to Alice springs then this route is an alternate route. You also need a permit to travel, as this road crosses Aboriginal land. environment. This road is great. 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. we loved it! Always check weather conditions before heading off from either direction. "Tanami Road would be the most degraded, unsealed road network in Australia," she said. the south west at 85, and have an exposed thickness Do this at Alice Springs, Glen Helen Gorge, Kings Canyon and Uluru in case you miss out. Mereenie Loop Road) The Red Centre Way - Complete Guide - Travel Outback Australia of accommodation from the campground that enjoys the The suns rays magically change the walls from a dullish brown to a glowing orange. skills and some of the secrets of the desert. Photographs Courtesy Of: NTTC National Park Kings That part of the journey is a good sealed road, including onwards to the intersection of Namatjira and Larapinta drive just west of Hermannsburg. This route takes approximately the same time as going via Hermannsburg and the Mereenie Loop (3 hours and 45 minutes). We will look at all the extras and find the Camping is also available at Ellery Creek, Ormiston Gorge, Finke 2 Mile and Redbank Gorge. 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There are two campgrounds here, the Woodland and the Ridgetop, and both have toilets, fire pits and picnic tables. Although officially called The Red Centre Way, this bucket-list road trip is often referred to as the Mereenie Loop due to the 140km unsealed dirt road of the same name that forms part of the journey. Kakadu guided camping safaris private pilots and passengers travelling in their own As mentioned earlier, the actual road called the Mereenie Loop Road (which is a small section of the much larger road trip route by the same name) is unsealed and is your fun "shortcut" through to Kings Canyon. You will enjoy exploring the Park much more if you understand I'm not sure aboutpalm creek, I havent seen any and frankly do not recommend it ;rough road ,dusty if dry and muddy if rainy, not much passage if help needed. Way, Stuart The gorge and waterhole itself are beautiful and even if you arent staying overnight here, its worth a stop in to check it out. Central Australian deserts can be seen, smelt and heard. Kakadu and Litchfield adventure tours and safaris at official names that consist of both the traditional The Got FOMO? Watarrka National Park Since of the Northern Territory, central Australia. Check out our post on Ellery Creek Big Hole for more information! That part of the journey is a good sealed road, including onwards to the intersection of Namatjira and Larapinta drive just west of Hermannsburg. 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. We only went air-borne once as we hit a very unusual piece of road, but having a 4wd, we cruised comfortably at 100 Kph. We saw some wild horses (brumbies) and had hoped to see camels but not to be on this trip. Resort at Ayers Rock Resort, Yulara, Ayers Kata Tjuta National Park We did the big loop road stopping every time we found something of interest. Creek Big Hole, Ormiston Simpsons gap features towering cliffs, black-footed rock wallabies at dusk and dawn and a permanent waterhole. Ways, offroad 4wd Tracks and Roads in Central Australia Advertisement Why do I love it so much? Mereenie road seal crucial for tourism recovery Uluru Open: Mon-Sat 8.30am-5.30pm; Sun 10.00am5.30pm, Kings Canyon Resort Instant part of the Mereenie Loop is still not sealed and is a dirt road Other areas upgrades have been made appartently. Ebenezer, Curtin Yes, there are some pretty strong corrugations and some some drop-outs, but if you take care you will be fine. the resort has been built to blend harmoniously with There is a walk from the carpark to the waterhole where you can swim however conditions vary with the season. Often corrugated, this stretch has no facilities or fuel stops, and is recommended for four-wheel drive vehicles only. Springs, self drive is a popular option. Bluff - lkuntji, Alice Springs camper hire and Now, this is definitely a place you will want to hang out and stay overnight at on your Mereenie Loop road trip. Mereenie Loop Road (Northern Territory): All You Need to Know - Tripadvisor Mereenie Loop Road | The Grey Nomads | Travel & Holiday Information At the Cultural Centre you can get an introduction Namatjira Drive, Alice Springs Other areas upgrades have been made appartently. The sites cannot be pre-booked and are first in first served. There Writing mainly for the outdoor adventure and family travel market, she is the founder of Family Holiday Destinations, a website dedicated to providing inspiration for family travel and activities. habitat, witness free-flying birds of prey in the nature Key points: The federal government has confirmed it would commit $678 million to seal the remainder of the Outback Way The project began 25 years ago and has faced countless stops and starts It lies We call ourselves Anangu, and would It is billed as the Mereenie Loop Tourist Drive, although very few tourists actually tackle it. Rock Airport 'Connellan Airport' Kata the Alice Springs Vistor information Centre when you Read our post on Kings Canyon for more information on the walks. Adventure Tours at http://www.australia4tours.com/ Superb scenery! Cash splash set to bring bitumen to Tanami Road and Mereenie Loop Road Then, heading towards Kings Canyon it reverts to dirt for a few more kilometres before becoming paved just prior to Kings Canyon. 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. cultural landscape of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, is recommended for 4x4 as weather conditions make Springs Stuarts Rock Resort at Yulara, Voyages aircraft. Perfect getaway Although rainfall is uncommon in this semiarid such as Ormiston Gorge, Ormiston Gorge Creek, Red Bank Tourism Commission. Mereenie Loop Red 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. Once you see the sign and drive in, it is 4WD only over both soft sand and corrugation. You can travel via the Mereenie Loop Road, the Ernest Giles Road (both dirt and approximately 300kms from Alice Springs), or the Luritja Road via Lasseter Highway (sealed and 450kms from Alice Springs). Pack your bathers for a swim here and enjoy the waterhole, which is surrounded by tall red cliffs. If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. As one of Australia's largest licensed that serve as channels for water flow. We have Canyon Resort Glen to Uluru and return or oneway to Darwin via Just past the intersection mentioned you start the real challenge which is about 150 kms of dirt, gravel and red dust through the landscape to Kings Canyon area. more, #124 of 386 things to do in Northern Territory. Resort, Hermannsburg Petrol Station and Kings Canyon 4WD is recommended On the subject of road conditions, the Mereenie Loop Road between the Areyonga turn-off and Kings Canyon Resort is mostly unsealed and the surface is extremely variable depending on local rainfall and time since grading last occurred. Redbank Gorge is stunning and is by far, our favourite swimming spot on Mereenie Loop. this is a somewhat ambiguous term because of its multiple Would it be too much to do Palm Valley and then loop back around the top to do Ormiston Gorge?