Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

Report: Australia Red Centre / Northern Territory

Options
  • 29-09-2007 7:28am
    #1
    Stabshauptmann
    Registered Users Posts: 4,885 ✭✭✭


    I just did a 6 day tour from Alice Springs to Darwin with Adventure Tourds Australia and I just want to warn everyone against it.

    AVA do lots of tours around australia and I really enjoyed the first three days from alice springs to Ayres Rock (Uluru) and the magnificent natural and cultural wonders in the area, but I would strongly recommend against the 3 day trip from Alice to Darwin. Its a bus jouney, nohting more. You dont do anything on the second 3 days. The two componenets of the 6 day trip can be bouhgt seperately, so do definetly see Ayres rock, but there is nothing between Alice and Darwin


Comments

  • Options
    #2
    WindSock
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,239 ✭✭✭✭WindSock


    Theres loads to see between Alice and Darwin. The Giant termite mounds and Katherine gorge are a couple of examples. Plenty of places and hot springs to stop at. And as for Uluru, it was really cool, but I thought the Kings Canyon was much better. I would also recommend the desert park and reptile house.


  • Options
    #3
    hutchie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15 ✭hutchie


    Lads any info at all on Brisbane ? Heading over to work ...


  • Options
    #4
    Stabshauptmann
    Registered Users Posts: 4,885 ✭✭✭Stabshauptmann


    boreds wrote:
    Theres loads to see between Alice and Darwin. The Giant termite mounds and Katherine gorge are a couple of examples. Plenty of places and hot springs to stop at. And as for Uluru, it was really cool, but I thought the Kings Canyon was much better. I would also recommend the desert park and reptile house.
    Katherine Gorge was not worth seeing IMO and there were hardly "giant" termite mounds along the way. If you want GIANT termite mounds you should visit Kakadu national park.

    My post is here to advise people not to do the Adventure Tours Australia trip form Alice to Darwin as you will spend almost the entire day on the bus, with only 1 or 2 hour stops each day for site seeing and the stops for lunch


  • Options
    #5
    WindSock
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,239 ✭✭✭✭WindSock


    Kaptain Redeye wrote:
    and there were hardly "giant" termite mounds along the way. If you want GIANT termite mounds you should visit Kakadu national park.


    Yeah, which is along the way....


  • Options
    #6
    nialinho
    Closed Accounts Posts: 34 ✭nialinho


    Kaptain Redeye, I understand where you're coming from but did you not do your research into the alice-darwin trip beforehand. Its ~2500kms, surely you must have known that you would be spending a lot of time in the bus. Obviously it isnt going to be as good as the uluru/kings canyon trip but there were some good stops, katherine gorge(did you go canoeing there?-that was very good), daly waters pub was interesting, got speaking to friendly locals there (there was a rodeo in daly waters when we were there too), devils marbles was good for photos and mataranka thermal pools for a swim.
    My experience with adventure tours was very good. I did the 9 day tour - 3days kakadu/litchfield - 3 days road trip Alice to Darwin - 3 days uluru/kings canyon. As a package it worked out quite good value. I wanted to see both kakadu and uluru and rather than flying darwin to alice springs I thought it would be a more interesting and enjoyable(due to our guide & fellow travellers) way of getting to alice while getting a feel for the shear remoteness of outback australia which it was.


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #7
    BC
    Registered Users Posts: 1,326 ✭✭✭BC


    Kaptain Redeye wrote: »
    My post is here to advise people not to do the Adventure Tours Australia trip form Alice to Darwin as you will spend almost the entire day on the bus, with only 1 or 2 hour stops each day for site seeing and the stops for lunch

    I disagree. I did this trip with Adventure tours as well as the Kakadu & Ayers Rock tours. Yes there is less to see on this trip but thats because there is less to see in that area of Australia and its a long drive from Alice to Darwin so obviously on any bus tour you are going to spend a lot of time on the bus. That is not the fault of the tour operator. It was a while ago but as far as i remember we did a mine tour at Tennants Creek, stopped for drinks in Daly Waters, went to the Mataranka Thermal pools and then Katherines Gorge. I though Mataranka and the canoe trip at Katherines Gorge were both excellent and absolutely worth a visit. We also had a very entertaining guide who made the long drives a bit more fun.


  • Options
    #8
    Stabshauptmann
    Registered Users Posts: 4,885 ✭✭✭Stabshauptmann


    WindSock wrote: »
    Yeah, which is along the way....
    No its not.

    You can do it from Darwin, but its not a stop on the Adventure Tours drink to Darwin from Alice Springs.


  • Options
    #9
    damoz
    Registered Users Posts: 789 ✭✭✭damoz


    My alternative...

    Dont pay your hard earned money to some Aussie "tour" company. Instead go to all the car rental places in Alice and ask to relocate a car/camper back to Darwin. I did this - got a camper for $1 a day ! Had 4 days to get it to Darwin - stopped at Devils Marbels, Katernine Gorge (went canoeing - excellent), Daly Waters for a cool beer, Litchfield (termite mounds), Kakadu (fantastic place - esp at sunset (lots of Mozzie repellant needed!) ) and finally Darwin.

    If you dont mind driving, and have some good company its the only way to go. All for the princely sum of $4 plus fuel.


  • Options
    #10
    CountryWise
    Closed Accounts Posts: 661 ✭✭✭CountryWise


    damoz wrote: »
    My alternative...

    Dont pay your hard earned money to some Aussie "tour" company. Instead go to all the car rental places in Alice and ask to relocate a car/camper back to Darwin. I did this - got a camper for $1 a day ! Had 4 days to get it to Darwin - stopped at Devils Marbels, Katernine Gorge (went canoeing - excellent), Daly Waters for a cool beer, Litchfield (termite mounds), Kakadu (fantastic place - esp at sunset (lots of Mozzie repellant needed!) ) and finally Darwin.

    If you dont mind driving, and have some good company its the only way to go. All for the princely sum of $4 plus fuel.

    Sounds like you got ripped off mate!

    seriously though that sounds deadly, was this just a very lucky bit of business on your behalf?


  • Options
    #11
    Stabshauptmann
    Registered Users Posts: 4,885 ✭✭✭Stabshauptmann


    Thats the "Wicked Camper" I think, google it, there advertised everywhere in Australia, they are a good bargin, the only reason to go on a tour is to meet people


  • Advertisement
  • Options
    #12
    damoz
    Registered Users Posts: 789 ✭✭✭damoz


    I didnt have any master plan - just went around all the car hire places and asked. I relocated a camper from Europcar in Alice.


  • Options
    #13
    TheDriver
    Registered Users Posts: 12,517 ✭✭✭✭TheDriver


    I booked myself on the Red Rocket from Darwin to Uluru and to be honest, i expect a few days bus tour in the middle but seems more interesting than flying and might meet some people and have a laugh. What was the accomodation like en route?


  • Options
    #14
    langerdan79
    Closed Accounts Posts: 57 ✭✭langerdan79


    for anyone in sydney wanting to go to uluru i recently did a tour with flightcentre which i booked last november. it included flights, accommodation and sunrise & sunset tours. i would highly recommend it as a weekend away, the whole thing was amazing! we did have to pay extra to actually go up to the rock itsself but overall thought the trip was brilliant.


Advertisement