Just been to some places - feedback

[Bookleaf]

As mentioned a few days ago, I have just returned from the area on my own Red Center trip.
Thought I would put together a few observations I made and info collected from where I have been that co-inside with your trip.
Maybe it will be of some use to you lucky ones.
Each place is listed separately in individual posts below

Although we experienced mild morning temps - mostly around 4-8deg, we did have one morning at -1deg at Glen Helen.
In general, the days were mild, the nights very cool to cold.  The low temps seem not be felt as much as down her (in Adelaide), I think because the air is so dry.
But, it is still cold - and expected to be colder as the winter progresses.

[Bookleaf]

Marla (for those traveling up this way)
General – Large petrol station with restaurant and basic shop and bar.
CV Park - Some grass in camping area. No cars on grass but can flip tent on to
Powered sites – yes, about 10
Unpowered sites – yes – at least 10
Toilets – Good,
Showers – Yes, Good, lots hot water
Washing – unknown
Drying  - unknown
Dump Point – Unknown
Water drinkable – Yes
Fires – Advertised yes, but refused on the day
              (own wood)
Temp – Day – Around 17-18
Temp – Night – 7
Petrol - $1.810
Diesel - $1.98
Internet/Mobile available - yes
Phone – public phone available, Coin/Card??

[Bookleaf]

Kulgera
General – Small settlement restaurant and basic shop and bar
                   Place is under new management – Looks like old management let it run down.
CV Park – Dirt/stony/ open spaces (paddock)
Powered sites – yes, about 15
Unpowered sites – yes – lots in the open spaces
Toilets – Basic, adequate,
Showers – Stained, men’s broke down, not available, Hot water unknown
Washing – Broken, unusable, laundry troughs unavaialble
Drying  - long line
Dump Point – Unknown (do not think so)
Water drinkable – Yes, some points only
Fires – Non- powered sites yes, a few powered sites - yes
              (own wood)
Temp – Day – Around 17-18
Temp – Night – 7
Petrol - $1/90
Diesel - $2.10
Internet/Mobile available – No
Phone – public phone available, Coin/Card??

[Bookleaf]

Erldunda
General – Small settlement, Large petrol station  restaurant and reasonable shop (Shell)
Petrol - $2.05
Diesel - $2.56
Internet/Mobile available – No
Phone – public phone available, Coin/Card??

[Bookleaf]

Yulara
General – Large by comparison. Has all the facilities you could want
                   IGA supermarket, separate petrol station, medical centre, shops,
                   hotel, restaurant, post office etc.
CV Park – top class, LARGE, set out like a caravan park. Land scaped, Grassed areas and dirt (very fine gravel) areas for non-powered.
Powered sites – yes,
Unpowered sites – yes – lots in the open spaces
Toilets – Good,
Showers – Good, hot water at all times
Washing – machines at each toilet block, 2 x $2:00 coins per wash, large machines
Drying  - machines at each toilet block, 2 x $2:00 coins per dry, large machines
Dump Point – Yes – On the edge of town
Water drinkable – Yes
Fires – In designated fire pits
              (own wood)
Temp – Day – Around 17-18
Temp – Night – 5 to 7
Petrol - $2.19
Diesel - $2.21
Internet/Mobile available – Yes
Phone – public phone available, Coin/Card??

[Bookleaf]

Kings Creek Station
General – Rustic country layout. Cooked food available (eat-in or take away).
                  Very few basic item available in ‘shop’(regard it as nothing available)
                  Vey nice atmosphere, Lovely bush setting
CV Park – Dirt. Randomly spaces and angled open spaces set amongst trees and natural long grass
Powered sites – yes
Unpowered sites – yes – lots in the open spaces and on grassed ‘lawn’ area
Toilets – Basic, adequate. “airy” Have “stable like’ doors – high off ground and not very tall, very clean
Showers – Basic, adequate. Have “stable like’ doors – high off ground and not very tall, hot water, very clean, no hooks or seat/shelf for clothes etc
Washing – single out-doors washing machine (quaint set-up). $2:00 donation per load
Drying  - Hills Hoist / Long line clothes line
Dump Point – Unknown (do not think so)
Water drinkable – Yes
Fires – All- powered sites have own fire pit, unpowered have community pit
              (own wood)
Temp – Day – Around 17-18
Temp – Night – 8
Petrol - $2.37
Diesel - $2.38
Internet/Mobile available - No
Phone – public phone available, Phone card only
WIFI – available at office, free, but uselessly slow - unusable

Note – Fuel was a couple of cents cheaper at Kings Canyon Resort (Shell) petrol station

[Bookleaf]

Mereenie Loop
Was advised had been graded early June
First part many med size loose rocks over road
Last 10 or so Km just re-build
10 KM before that, under reconstruction
Remainder – just an ordinary dirt road, no wash-outs, no sharp dips into creeks,
Some sandy spots, but not severe.
Corrugations – of course, everywhere, but not severe
I drive a Subaru Forester. with a “heavy duty” on-road trailer Solid construction and tyres
I lowered pressure of all tyres.
Travelling companion has a Territory (2wd) and a standard 10yo 18’ caravan
He lowered pressure in van only to give the inside a softer ride.
Average speed was around 50Km/hr. Some sections 20Km/hr, some 80Km/hr.
Majority 40-50Km/hr
Neither of us experienced any problem of any sort.

We continued on to Glen Helen, but ventured down the road towards Hermisburg a few Km.
This was by far the worst dirt we had travelled on.

“Pass” is available from the Shell petrol station at Kings Canyon Resort area ($5.50)

[Bookleaf]

Alice Springs (Big 4, Macdonnell Range Holiday Park)
General – Large by comparison. Has all the facilities you could want
                   Excellent kids area with dual jumping pillows,
CV Park – top class, LARGE, set out like a caravan park. Land scaped, dirt (very fine gravel) areas for non-powered.
Powered sites – yes,
Unpowered sites – yes – lots in the open spaces
Toilets – Excellent,
Showers – Excellent, hot water at all times
Washing – machines at each toilet block, 4 x $1:00 coins per wash, large machines
Drying  - machines at each toilet block,  2 x $1:00 per 8 min, large dryers
               Many Ling Line lines
               Free clothes iron in laundry 24/7
Dump Point – Yes – 2 in park – at toilet blocks
Water drinkable – Yes
Fires – Unknown
Temp – Day – Around 17-18
Temp – Night – 4 to 7
Petrol - $1.78
Diesel - $1.81
Internet/Mobile available – Yes
Phone – public phone available, Coin/Card??

[shrek4]

Such thorough and fantastic feedback Kevin.

Really looking forward to leaving ourselves in a few days.

Thanks for your time to share with us!

[lindamc]

excellent, thank you very much!

[D4D]

Good content and brings back memories from when we stayed at some of those places.

I like that format for future reports, maybe we can have a swagger template for when we post trip reports like we do in the for sale section?

[JCOJ]

Thanks for the info Bookleaf - much appreciated!!

[brickiematt]

Many thanks for the info bookleaf, much appreciated.
Fuel prices are especially helpful.
 

[speewa158]

When fuelling up l used to take my hat off & cover the $$$ then go in & pay quickly so you wont have to much pain .
 That can follow when MrVisa sends you a letter after you get home .
 Do they still run the gen set all night at Kulgera                 

[KingBilly]

As the others have said, many thanks for taking the time to post this info 

KB

[Hills Mum Bec]

Thank you so much for the info.  We are not going on the Myswag trip but we are doing our own Red Centre trip from Adelaide mid July.  I don't suppose you have any feedback on Coober Pedy, Hawker or the Oodnadatta Track?

[fisher]

Thank you so much for the info.  We are not going on the Myswag trip but we are doing our own Red Centre trip from Adelaide mid July.  I don't suppose you have any feedback on Coober Pedy, Hawker or the Oodnadatta Track?

See ya on the road!  We're aiming to leave on the 13th and take around 4 weeks - mind you, looking at those diesel prices I'm not sure!

[chester ver2.0]

Thank you so much for the info.  We are not going on the Myswag trip but we are doing our own Red Centre trip from Adelaide mid July.  I don't suppose you have any feedback on Coober Pedy, Hawker or the Oodnadatta Track?

Coober Pedy

Stay at the Caravan park on the Hwy as it has much nicer facilities that the one up on the rise closer to town (also the one near town has a lot more people walking through as a short cut and it is near the pub so figure out where i am going with this)
You do have to pay 50c for potable water but they give you 50L for 50c
You will need some heavy duty pegs as the ground is like concrete

Oodnadatta track like any track perfect one day and a rutted out mess the next so talk to a few locals to get an idea. On a good day speeds of 90kph are quite possible and reasonable. Ohh and the use little red flags to mark out the bad sections for the grader so if you see one slow down cause by the time you go "what is that flag for" you are in the hole it is marking

[Hills Mum Bec]

See ya on the road!  We're aiming to leave on the 13th and take around 4 weeks - mind you, looking at those diesel prices I'm not sure!

We will leave Adelaide on the 7th July & return home on the 19th July.  I'm so excited & I can't wait!  It's our youngest daughters 3rd birthday on the 13th, we will be in Alice Springs then.

[Rumpig]

Thank you so much for the info.  We are not going on the Myswag trip but we are doing our own Red Centre trip from Adelaide mid July.  I don't suppose you have any feedback on Coober Pedy, Hawker or the Oodnadatta Track?

Coober Pedy has a large IGA store in town, the fresh groceries come once a week (well they did 2 years ago) but i can't recall what day of the week it was off the top of my head. I do know the locals make sure they get there ASAP on the day they arrive so as to get their supplies before they run out (maybe ring the IGA in town and see what day it is if you plan to get supplies there). There's about 3 or 4 service stations in town for fuel, we found the Outback Traders fuel depot the cheapest place when we were there a few years back, it's not in the main streets but towards the hospital a touch.
We stayed at Ribas Underground camping whilst there, to be honest the place echos like buggery from everyones noise.... so if you're a light sleeper you'll get woken up by others there, next time i'd go a room instead of the cave like camp sites they have there. The upside is the place is on the outskirts of town, so away from most of the towns people and pretty quite out there.
There used to be a couple of good mechanics shops in town a few years ago, myself and 2 other mates used both of them whilst there and recieved great service and pretty cheap prices for the emergency repairs that needed doing on our 3 seperate vehicles.

[Blueroo]

  Also many thanks from us as well. Much appreciated.   
We are on the road from Brisvegas this Saturday (that's if KB has his drawers sorted. LOL  )
Cheers
Stue and Jean

[letsgoplaces]

Good info there... cheers bookleaf
Looks like the red centre is getting a good workout these holidays. We drive out of Alice on the 7th.
Bookleaf, did you go into Palm Valley?
We may see some of you out there

Cheers
John