Day 1 : Alice Springs to Uluru
Alice Springs is really where you need to go to understand the heart and soul of Australia. Meet your guide and fellow travelers at the Alice Springs pick-up point this morning and set off to explore the Red Centre. Shortly after you arrive, the unmistakable Uluru will emerge from the earth as one giant boulder. Only a short drive away walk off your lunch is Kata Tjuta (The Olga’s). With its 36 various-sized domes, it provides quite a contrast to Uluru, and much larger too with the highest point almost 200 meters higher than its counterpart. You’ll get to know Kata Tjuta’s rock formations and landscape pretty well in the afternoon hiking between the massive domes. As the evening unfolds, enjoy a light snack as the sun slowly sets, casting a variety of earthy tones across Uluru. The perfect end to a remarkable day is awaiting you back at camp, as you enjoy a delicious spread of food with your group. If the weather permits, sit outside under the stars.
Powered camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Total walking time is approximately 2 hours. Total driving time today is around 7 hours
Meals :Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 2 : Uluru Sunrise
An early start this morning is rewarded with an Uluru sunrise as the sun hits the icon like a beacon, before the light floods the surrounding landscape. While the morning is fresh, enjoy a walk around the base of Uluru taking in all of the textures and valleys of Uluru up-close, which isn’t evident from afar. Join a First Nation Cultural Experience at the Mutitjulu waterhole where you’ll have the opportunity to learn about the ‘Tjukurpa’ the law and creation stories of the Anangu. Once you’ve had lunch, perhaps purchase some art at the Cultural Centre, hand-crafted by local First Nation Peoples of the Western and Central Deserts. Travel onto our exclusive campsite near the Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon), where the group will have dinner and enjoy the stars.
Accommodation: Powered camp (with shared facilities) (1 night)
Total driving time today is around 3.5 hours. Total walking time is approximately 2.5 hours (or up to 3.5 if you do the full 10km base walk).
Meals :Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 3 : Kings Canyon
The main attraction of Watarrka National Park is undoubtedly Kings Canyon – a huge gorge enclosed by sheer rock walls many meters high. With its porous sandstone, deep gullies and hidden rock pools, it provides shelter to more than 600 species of native plants and animals. Your guide will point may of these out on a trek that takes in the canyon’s most famous locations such as the Lost City, the Garden of Eden, Amphitheatre, and of course North & South Walls of Kings Canyon. We enjoy lunch before driving during much of the afternoon to our overnight camp in the East MacDonnell Ranges.
Accommodation: Swag camping (basic shared facilities) (1 night)
Total driving time today is around 5.5 hours. Total walking time is approximately 3 hours.
Meals :Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 4 : East MacDonnell Ranges
Often overlooked for its western counterpart, the Eastern MacDonnell Ranges just might be one of the Outback’s best kept secrets. This is the home of the Arrernte people, the Traditional Owners of the land. Learn about their caterpillar dreamtime story on a short walk to Emily Gap, an important spiritual site to the Arrernte people containing galleries of ancient rock paintings. Drive to Jesse Gap followed by Trephina Gorge, where you’ll set off on a one-hour guided walk to see its quartzite cliffs and rich birdlife. Afterwards, it’s time for lunch; grab a bite at the historical Ross River Homestead. After exploring the best of the Eastern MacDonnell Ranges, we drive to our overnight bush camp in the West MacDonnell Ranges.
Accommodation: Swag camping (basic shared facilities) (1 night)
Total driving time: about 3 hours
Meals :Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Day 5 : West MacDonnell Ranges
Spend the afternoon exploring the Outback scenery of the Western MacDonnell Ranges. Visit one of the most photographed places in the Red Centre; Ormiston Gorge. Keep your eyes peeled for wallabies while admiring the colourful, sweeping walls surrounding its waterhole. Continue to Redbank Gorge and Ellery Creek Big Hole, a popular spot for a refreshing dip. After a satisfying day spent exploring the West MacDonnell Ranges, we head back to Alice Springs where our epic five-day adventure ends.
Total walking distance: up to 10 kms. Total driving time: about 3 hours
Meals :Lunch
