Detour #24: Uluru to Alice Springs, Australia
It’s a solid five-hour drive from Uluru to Alice Springs if you take the paved Lasseter Highway. And, as you compete for space with the humungous roadtrains and periodically pick your jaw from the floor as the scenery leaves you in awe, you are unlikely to be bored.
But if it’s a real adventure you’re seeking, then do as the locals do and ‘go bush’ instead.
You’ll need a 4x4 that’s up to the task, like the rugged Toyota Land Cruiser which seems to be the default choice in the Northern Territories. I didn’t get that option, but the Jeep Cherokee I drove (as part of Chrysler’s pitch to launch the Jeep brand Down Under) was plenty capable enough.
The majesty of Uluru is best appreciated at dawn. As the sun rises above the great rock it’s easy to understand why it has such spiritual significance.
You won’t want to linger too long, though. Instead you’ll put Kings Creek Station into your GPS and head north.
The outback ‘roads’ may not be paved, in fact they may be little more than suspension battering corrugated dirt tracks, but that doesn’t stop progress. In fact with the right vehicle it’s quite possible to achieve motorway speeds. The biggest hazards are dust from other vehicles and abrupt changes in surface caused by the very rare rains. So you need to be on your game to avoid tyre blowouts or worse.
After around six hours of this you’ll reach Kings Creek Station. It’s a monumental property, spanning 1,800 square kilometres, originally founded as a cattle and camel ranch, but these days making a good living from tourism. You can camp or stay in one of the cabins, and you can’t leave without trying one of their camel burgers (it’s an acquired taste).
The next waypoint is Boggy Hole and to get there you’ll follow a seismic line that heads straight over the horizon. With undulating crests, and deep troughs it’s anything but easy, though. Relief comes in the form of a dry lake bed, which conjures up images of land speed record runs, so it’s tempting to make up time. Be careful though as you’ll soon wind up on the boulder strewn bed of the Finke River.
Boggy Hole remains wet, even in the dry season (the clue is in the name) and as such it’s a wonderful spot for watching the wildlife. It’s a beautiful place to camp overnight. Or at least I imagine it would be, as I didn’t get the chance to stop for long.
From here it’s a relatively easy run on wider dirt roads into Alice Springs for a well-deserved beer.
If you’re (fool)hardy enough to make the trip in one go it’ll be around 13 hours from start to finish. Most people would split the journey over at least two days. But no matter how long you take this is an outback adventure of a lifetime.
Words Nik Berg Twitter | Instagram
Photography Holger Link / Unsplash
Roadbook
Class: Outback bash
Name: Alice or bust
Route: Uluru to Alice Springs
Country: Australia
Distance: 330 miles