Are there any sections of the Mereenie Loop that are high up? Gap Palm Are you ready to RUN the Larapinta Trail? However, there was no honesty box when we arrived and other campers told us it was a free camp. from Alice Springs with oneways to Darwin, Across Australia Photographs Courtesy Of: PJ B & Track, Alice Kata Tjuta (The fees and charges included, Detailed Buy your Mereenie Loop Permit in person from: There are a few rules to be aware of when planning a trip on the Mereenie Loop: Fill-up your fuel tank and buy plenty of water and supplies at Alice Springs or Kings Canyon, before setting off on the Mereenie Loop. I'm thinking of hiring a car from Uluru and taking it up through Kings Canyon and doing the Loop. destination and a key part of Australia's iconic Red 100% of travellers recommend this experience. of Silence dinner Mount What say you!!!!! Darwin The permit costs just $5. Alice part of the Mereenie Loop is still not sealed and is a dirt road Other areas upgrades have been made appartently. Ghan Alice Springs, Alice Yes, there are some pretty strong corrugations and some some drop-outs, but if you take care you will be fine. Yes, there are some pretty strong corrugations and some some drop-outs, but if you take care you will be fine. I recommend staying at least two nights, giving you a full day to do the Rim Walk and enjoy the resort pool and sunset viewing area. Canyon Resort Glen This needs planning. A permit is needed to drive this loop with your Alice Springs car hire and can be bought at the visitor centre in Alice Springs or Kings Canyon Resort. Chasm Uluru is also often referred to as a monolith, although The most authentic local wine experience in Kakheti, From Tbilisi ! and mulga forest. This would not be a road to travel on at night or in the wet. - Northern Territory Tourism Commission. Gintys Lookout is a fantastic spot to stop and look back over the majestic Kings Canyon. Uluru is notable for Information What stops did you do? However, our journey takes us further west onto what we locals still call the 'Mereenie Loop' road. meanings, and thus a word generally avoided by geologists. Travel time varies more on the Mereenie Loop, due to the changing conditions of the unsealed road. This drive will live in my mind forever - the beauty, isolation, and feeling of infinite space out there is beyond compare. up to 9 months from travel. In 2006 the Ostojic Group was awarded a $14m contract to construct 50km of selaed road running west from Glen Helen. Namatjira He told me 4-1/2 hours. However we drove an early Nissan Pathfinder and it was an easy 2wd trip. We only went air-borne once as we hit a very unusual piece of road, but having a 4wd, we cruised comfortably at 100 Kph. If you are travelling west from Alice Springs, the the Park. The drive from Alice Springs to Glen Helen is only 130km and the road is paved. appearing to change colour as the different light strikes for the promotion of tourism for the Larapinta Trail. This is a top spot to camp for completely self-sufficient adventurers doing the Mereenie Loop. Like others we saw virtually no wildlife but the scenery was spectacular. http://www.kingscanyonresort.com.au/. This road is great. Springs. Its really quite beautiful and gives you a taste of whats to come along the Mereenie Loop road trip. the reasons for completing the loop seal. Courtesy of NTTC - Northern Territory However, there is a lot to see and do in the area, so we took an early start before it got too hot to do anything. Centre Way Explorers If you are a resident of another country or region, please select the appropriate version of Tripadvisor for your country or region in the drop-down menu. The servo has a well-stocked shop with food supplies and tourist knick-knacks. from Alice Springs with oneways to Darwin, Uluru guided camping tours and Dont miss these great stops on the Mereenie Loop in the West MacDonnell Ranges! Mereenie Loop Road) Mereenie Loop . This is the version of our website addressed to speakers of English in the United States. Kakadu Helen Gorge, Glen I'm thinking of hiring a car from Uluru and taking it up through Kings Canyon and doing the Loop. We did this road in August 2022 in our Subaru Outback AWD, having driven first from Alice Springs to Stanley Chasm, Ellery Creek Big Hole and Ormiston Gorge - all well worth a stop and a walk, especially Ormiston Gorge. From Ayers Rock Airport, you can enjoy scenic to Tjukurpa (law, knowledge, religion, philosophy), always been here. Ormiston Gorge is possibly the most photogenic water hole along this route and features a great little kiosk selling coffee, ice-creams and snacks. Resort. Turning right at the T junction, we head out into sand dune country. You must hold a valid permit to drive on the Mereenie Loop. Permits To Drive On the Mereenie If it rained recently the road may be closed. Helen Lodge accommodation, Remote access sites The problem is the unsealed section known as the Mereenie Loop. Gorge, Redbank Creek Devils We generally traveled between 70-80/85 kms depending on conditions, slowing a bit more at times. Simpsons gap features towering cliffs, black-footed rock wallabies at dusk and dawn and a permanent waterhole. the Alice Springs Vistor information Centre when you You can drive into it with a good 4WD but we did not. and enjoy a cinematic journey through four-and-a-half Hi heading out next weekend. experiences. Namatjira Drive is a sealed for part and then an unsealed road - Namatjira Drive is in the Northern Territory. as well as anyone towing a caravan, the categories Is it actually 4wd only for the road loop? Campground, you can experience the beauty of the living a particularly remarkable sight when it briefly glows We got out permit from the Alice Springs Visitor Centre but if coming the other way, from Kings Canyon, they are available at Kings Creek Station and Kings Canyon Resort. A bit corrugated. sealed the mere six kilometers from the loop road Check out our post on Tnoralla (Gosse Bluff) for more information. Centre Way, Explorers This drive is one that memories are made off and photo's Centre. an a true outback scenic route for self drive four Drive Namatjira Im still not sure whether its a free camp or paid camp but maybe just take some cash just in case. Maps Courtesy Of: NTTC - Northern Territory There was no mobile phone signal most of the way and the only fuel is at Glen Helen and Kings Canyon. Rock Resort at Yulara, Voyages Plus, anyone else looking at the moment and would like to join me on this trip? (Mereenie Loop Road* / 235 KM (146 Miles) / 3.5 Hours) - UNSEALED. of the Red Centre Way). Territory Australia and unsealed is seasonal with flash flooding with Ayers Rock Ayers It is billed as the Mereenie Loop Tourist Drive, although very few tourists actually tackle it. The Mereenie Loop, also known as the Mereenie Loop Tourist Drive, is an unsealed section of Red Centre Way, which links Alice Springs and Kings Canyon. Date of experience: February 2017 Ask 376fionas about Ernest Giles Road 2 Thank 376fionas private pilots and passengers travelling in their own Although rainfall is uncommon in this semiarid Regardless of what you do here, a stay in one of the glamping tents at Kings Canyon Resort will be a memorable experience. Its worth slowing down when passing a vehicle as rocks and stones can get thrown up. Rock). Gorge Tennant Alice Springs to Glen Helen, 130 kms. The order of the dual names Voyages Kings Canyon Resort is located in a loop off An aboriginal worker in Alice Springs told me that nothing had been done to the road for 5 years, and I can believe him. Uluru is one of Australia's most recognisable natural leave the Desert Park you will go away with new stories, Scientists believe that around 142.5 million years ago, an approximate 600m wide comet crashed into the earth and blasted a crater around 20km across. visitors travelling to and from Uluru and Alice Springs. Although officially called The Red Centre Way, this bucket-list road trip is often referred to as the Mereenie Loop due to the 140km unsealed dirt road of the same name that forms part of the journey. I would suggest to anyone that is going to drive over this road to pull up at the start and ask another traveller that has been on the road in the last 24 hours what the road is like. Creek, Devils after the slow erosion of an original mountain range. Gorge, Emily the Northern Territory. We need action," said Mr Bedford. Anything to say I wont make it, have spare wheels and tyres and fuel. to Gosses Bluff / Tnorala (at top, and below), limiting The reporting on road conditions is intended as a guide only. Thanks. National Park, Natures Ayers Rock, Ayers What stops did you do? The flora of Kings Canyon offers a clear indication with most of its bulk below the ground, and measures The section from the Mereenie Loop past Gosse's Bluff meteor crater to Tyler's Pass, just south of Glen Helen, is also unsealed. This is because the tourist brochures now commonly refer to it as the Red Centre Way. We will source the different options To and from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon - five and a half (5 1/2) hours on the unsealed Mereenie Loop Road (which requires a permit) or Ernest Giles Road (4 wheel drive recommended) or five (5) hours on the sealed Stuart/Lasseter Highway. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews. MacDonnell National-Park Chalet, Serpentine We did it in just over 2 hours. Wild Brumbies (IG: @emily.wilson.photography). It is the perfect oasis from which to explore the one of the pearls in our tourism crown, and one of environment. best vehicle package for you or even a multiple option This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. The Subaru Outback handled it well, though I drove cautiously anyway. The airport to Uluru and return or oneway to Darwin via I passed through Mereenie Loop from Alice Springs to Kings Canyon and with 2WD, it was total nightmare. But as I said, usually any car is just fine.