Planning a road trip to the Red Centre of Oz can be an exciting part of your life, ticking off a visit to Uluru and Kata Juta (The Olgas) has to be on your bucket list of travelling Australia.
The Ayers Rock resort offers various forms of accommodation from a few hotels to a campground. We stayed 4 nights at Ayers Rock Campground on the Stay 4 Nights Pay for 3 Deal. To camp in the campground the cost we paid was $40 a night. As it was peak season the price was high. For the year round prices, you can click here to visit their website direct for further details.
The campground is close to Uluru and you can get some great views of the rock and Olgas, if you follow the Naninga Lookout sign up that is located near the entrance to the campground.
Whilst we loved our stay visiting Uluru and the Olgas there was some let downs with the campground and big improvements that are needed. It’s just unfortunate that with the amount of tourists that come through daily and the money that is handed the improvements that are needed are not being done.
The big issue we noticed was the campground was under staffed. This was to the point of check in, making complaints, maintenance and cleanliness of the campground facilities. There were times we witnessed 10-20 people in a line at reception. Before we had visited Ayers Rock Campground, we had read reviews on Wikicamps and this was an issue as well as trying to phone through to reception to make bookings.
The campground is quite large in size and yes you are segregated from the powered and non-powered section. If you are lacking space to park in the unpowered area you can ask to go into the overflow, this not only gives you more space but it saves you money as its only $10 a night. Sure you are short distance from the toilet facilities and it lacks lighting but you won’t be on your own out there as there is always plenty of people out this way. You also should know that the noise you hear is the constant running of the Yulara Power Station that backs onto the overflow.
When it comes to the Ayers Rock Campground facilities, we found that the toilet/shower blocks were quite dated and not cleaned to a satisfactory standard with numerous cobwebs, dirty floors and not enough toilet paper or hand towel. A positive to take away is they do have plenty of blocks in the campground so you don’t have to wait to jump in the shower or go to the toilet. We also thought it was convenient to have a washer and dryer available in both the men’s and ladies sections. As the main laundry facilities were in the centre of the campground and can be a bit of walk depending on where you are camped. The downfall was the facilities are only cleaned once a day and with the damp mornings they became very muddy and messy quickly. We found the best time to take showers was in the afternoon around 3 -4pm after they had been cleaned and before the rush of people.
Camp Kitchen facilities were pretty good, nice big undercover area with plenty of seating, a vending machine (although was out of order the whole time we were there), plenty of fridges, microwaves and toaster. The only down fall was for the one camp kitchen there was only one sink to wash up. You could imagine the line ups!
We stayed in June 2016, the nights were quite cold, days perfect but trying to warm up at night was difficult. Around the campground there was some fire pits, however there was nowhere in the resort that you could purchase firewood. It was suggested to go out the road 10 to 15km to get wood from the side of the road. A word of advice from us that if you’re travelling in June/July or August, recommend bring some of your own firewood.
The powered section of Ayers Rock Campground lacks some serious vegetation and level sites. During the summer months this place would be a hot box and our first glimpse was that it was not very appealing to camp in this area. It was much better in the tenting/unpowered section as there was grass and shady trees.
The campground is within the Ayers Rock Resort, it’s an easy walk with well-marked tracks to the town square where you will find cafes, supermarket, clothing stores, bank, health and beauty stores. If your legs are not up for the walk, you can get the free shuttle bus that does the loop of the resort starting early in the morning and finishing late at night. We reviewed the prices of the supermarket and we were pleasantly surprised as they were very much the same as a city store. Yes there was the odd item that was over inflated but it wasn’t every product. At the service station they offered, $2 Cornettos and we paid $13.50 for a dozen eggs, bacon and bread.
Another great initiative for any animal lover is that your pets are welcome at this site. Overall it’s unfortunate that there is no competition in Ayers Rock to reduce prices, it’s a fact that if you want to go there, you have to pay it.
We enjoyed our stay at the Ayers Rock campground and loved exploring Uluru and the Olgas. Whilst there was some negatives, would go back again during off peak season.
HELPFUL LINKS
–Ayers Rock Resort– Accommodation Options, Around the Resort, Experiences
–Uluru/Olgas– Entry Fee Costs
–WikiCamps Reviews– If your looking for free options outside Ayerss Rock Resort and Ayers Rock Campground, download Wikicamps to find the free camp spots.
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3 thoughts on “Ayers Rock Campground”
Thanks for your review guys. I have read a trend of reviews that share your views.
This just sets our expectations so that we’re not expecting too much. At least the sightseeing will be amazing.
We’re going to be here in September, just hope the pool is sorted for the kids…#1stworldproblems right!? The TOP on showers is handy…will let you know how we go.
No Worries. Hope you have had a lovely trip there in September and the weather was great! 🙂
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