Uluṟu and the Red Centre in a 2WD: our route guide

Can you do the Red Centre in a 2WD?

Yes. Ron is a 2WD, and as we say on our essentials page, we stick to sealed roads and firm tracks and keep it sensible. In the Red Centre, the trick is knowing which roads are the sealed long way round and which are the dirt shortcuts. Here's how the main ones stack up, from the official park pages (checked 2 November 2026):

NT.GOV.AU also warns that unsealed roads may become impassable after rain, so check the NT Road Report before any gravel at all. And if your van's a hire, check what your agreement says about unsealed roads before you plan one.

Our loop, and when to go

We came up the Stuart Highway from Adelaide and did the Red Centre as a loop on the way to Darwin. Here's the order we drove it in, all on the bitumen:

1. Stuart Highway to Erldunda, then west on the Lasseter Highway to Yulara and Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa. We spent our first night in the NT at the campground behind Erldunda Roadhouse, right at the Lasseter Highway turn-off, and from there it was about three hours' drive to Uluṟu.
2. Back east and up Luritja Road to Kings Canyon. We backtracked on the bitumen rather than taking the Mereenie Loop, the well-known 4WD road.
3. Back to the Stuart Highway and north to Alice Springs, to stock up.
4. West into the West MacDonnell Ranges along Larapinta and Namatjira Drives, then back to Alice and on north.

Backtracking makes it a longer drive than the map suggests, but it's an easy one. All up, the Red Centre took us about 9 days: from the campsite with the camel (Erldunda, if you've seen our road to Uluṟu vlog, you'll know the one) on 24 June, to leaving Alice Springs for the north on 2 July 2026, with the West MacDonnells included.

When to go: we went in June, the middle of winter out here. Parks Australia says Uluṟu is coolest between May and September. NT Parks says April to September are the most pleasant months at Kings Canyon, and it limits access there during the hottest months, from September to March. NT.GOV.AU warns that temperatures across the Territory can top 40°C between October and April. Even in June, the days heated up quickly on our walks, so we'd plan anything long for the morning.

Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa

On the Lasseter Highway, look out for Mount Conner. Locals call it "Fooluru", because so many people think it's Uluṟu. We were not immune! Then you reach Yulara, the little town that's home to Ayers Rock Resort and its campground, and the real thing appears in the distance.

Erldunda Roadhouse. We stopped for the night at Erldunda on the way in. There's a caravan park and campground behind the roadhouse with powered and unpowered sites (we went unpowered), plus a viewing platform and some resident emus. We were worried we'd be the only ones there, but it was fairly busy. And yes, this is where we woke up to a camel standing right outside Ron's door. It's all in our road to Uluṟu vlog.

Where to stay: you can't camp inside the national park. Parks Australia points to the campground at Ayers Rock Resort, about a 10-minute drive from the entry station, and Curtin Springs, about 100 km from the park. Curtin Springs is a working cattle station with a wayside inn and fuel, and its own site says its campground is free.

Where we stayed: the campground at Ayers Rock Resort in Yulara. It's the most convenient base for Uluṟu, right on the edge of the national park. We had a great time there. If we're honest, it didn't quite live up to what we'd pictured before we arrived, but for location it's hard to beat. It's more like a resort than a campground: there are restaurants, swimming pools, a shuttle bus, a little lookout in the middle and a shopping centre with a supermarket, and it was much bigger than we expected. (Funnily enough, our campground at Kings Canyon turned out to be just what we'd imagined. More on that below.)

In the park: we drove Ron all around the park, and every road was sealed.

The Uluṟu base walk. This was beautiful, and we can't wait to share it with you. It's amazing to be so close to such a culturally significant place, and there was so much more there than we expected: freshwater waterholes, wild camels roaming near Uluṟu, and incredible rock formations. We have to be honest, though: the first half was a lot more interesting than the second. There was less to see on the way back, and as the day started to heat up it felt like a bit of a mission to get back. Our Uluṟu video is coming soon, so you'll be able to see it for yourself.

Kata Tjuṯa (once known as the Olgas). Kata Tjuṯa is about 50 km by road from Uluṟu, so give it its own half-day. We walked in among the domes, through the gorges between them, and it was every bit as impressive as Uluṟu. Standing down there made us feel so small. Parks Australia lists two main walks at Kata Tjuṯa, Waḻpa Gorge and the Valley of the Winds, and the same heat advice applies: in hot weather, aim to finish by 11am. On days of 36°C or above, the Valley of the Winds track closes beyond Karu lookout from 11am. We also filmed at the Kata Tjuṯa sunset viewing area, one of five dedicated sunrise and sunset viewing areas in the park.

Everyone has to leave the park by closing time, so if you stay for sunset, you'll be driving back to Yulara around dusk. We try not to drive at sunrise, sunset or after dark when we can, because that's when the wildlife comes out. If you do end up driving after dark, take your time and keep an extra eye out for wildlife.

• 2WD? Yes. All roads in the park are fully paved, and so is the road from Alice Springs.
• Park pass: buy it online before you go and show the QR code at the pre-paid lane. If you can't buy one online, you can get one at the entry station. It's only valid for Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa, not Kakadu or the NT Government parks.
• No swimming in the waterholes, and no drones: flying one is an offence under the EPBC Act unless you have a permit.
• Stay on the marked tracks. Kata Tjuṯa is an Aṉangu men's site and sacred under Tjukurpa, and the park asks everyone to keep to the tracks there and everywhere else.

Filming and photos at Uluṟu

Uluṟu and Kata Tjuṯa have culturally sensitive sites that Aṉangu, the Traditional Owners, ask people not to photograph or film. Parks Australia says they're signposted in the park and shown on its maps.

Kings Canyon the 2WD way

Look at a map and the obvious loop is Uluṟu, Kings Canyon, then the Mereenie Loop to the West MacDonnells. In a 2WD, don't. NT.GOV.AU recommends a 4WD for that stretch of Larapinta Drive, and you need a Mereenie Loop Pass permit to drive it. Ernest Giles Road is 4WD-recommended too. The sealed way in and out is the Lasseter Highway and Luritja Road, and that's how we did it, backtracking on the bitumen.

The Kings Canyon Rim Walk. This was a great adventure. We drove up from Ayers Rock campground the same day, so we didn't start until nearly 2pm. It was the end of June, with a top of 18°C forecast, and it still felt hot. The first climb is steep and all legs, with nothing to hold on to, but once you're up, it's rocky, uneven walking around the top with no more big climbs. It's very exposed. There's very little shade, and in places you're walking right along the edge of sheer cliffs with no railings. In places, you almost feel like you're hanging off it. The detour down to the Garden of Eden was a shady, peaceful break, and we spotted a wild dingo on the road on our way to the campground. To be honest, it was more of a challenge than a review we'd read made out, but this is our kind of hike. There are lots of guidelines about when you can walk it, so check them and be prepared.

Where we stayed: Discovery Resorts – Kings Canyon, on Luritja Road about 7 km from the park entrance. It was amazing, and honestly just how we'd pictured Ayers Rock Resort would be. We got back in time for a sunset drink, and there's a pool, a bar and grill and a sunset bar.

• 2WD? Yes, via the Lasseter Highway and Luritja Road. Not via the Mereenie Loop or Ernest Giles Road.
• Sort your NT Parks pass first. Our Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa pass didn't cover Kings Canyon, which we hadn't realised, and sorting a pass when we got there took longer than we thought. Should have done our research!
• You can't camp in Watarrka National Park itself. NT.GOV.AU lists camping at Kings Canyon Resort and Kings Creek Station.
• Watarrka needs an NT Parks Visitor Pass if you're from outside the NT. Fires and firewood collection aren't allowed, and there are no bins, so take your rubbish with you.

Alice Springs

Alice Springs is the key town in the Red Centre. It's where we stocked up and sorted Ron out before the West MacDonnells and the long run north. Everyone told us not to bother with it as a place to visit. We went anyway and had a genuinely great day: wandering the town centre, catching the Ghan in town and taking in the view from Anzac Hill. Make up your own mind.

What we did. We stayed at Discovery Parks in Alice Springs, which is set a little way out of town and well fenced, and left Ron there while we walked into the centre, about an hour on foot. The day we'd planned to explore was grey and rainy until about 2pm, but it turned into a beautiful afternoon. Our favourites:

• Tea Shrine for tea and Vietnamese rolls that took us straight back to our time in Vietnam.
• Bojangles Saloon, probably one of the coolest bars we've been to in Australia.
• The Ghan, if it's in town. It was in the station when we visited, and we walked along it. It just keeps going.
• Alice Springs Brewing Co, just across the road from our holiday park, for a cold one and some seriously good wings.
• Page 27 Cafe, down a little alley, for a coffee to take up Anzac Hill. It's not a massive hill, but the views over the town and out to the ranges are so good.

There's no Uber in Alice, so we used the local cab company's app to get back to the van. Our honest verdict: we felt safe exploring during the day. We were told it changes at night, but we didn't see that for ourselves. Keep your wits about you, like anywhere, and go and see it for yourself.

The West MacDonnell Ranges

From Alice, Larapinta Drive and Namatjira Drive lead west into the Tjoritja / West MacDonnell National Park, which stretches 161 km. We weren't prepared for how beautiful it is. Here's how our two days went:

• Ellery Creek Big Hole. Our first night. It took us about an hour from Alice, all on the bitumen until the turn into the campground. We took the paddleboard out on the waterhole, and the water was painfully cold, but we still got in for a cold plunge (a few times!).
• Serpentine Gorge. About a 12-minute drive from Ellery Creek. The walk to the gorge was easy and quicker than the sign suggested. The lookout walk is steeper, with steps, but at the top we spotted rock wallabies on the rocks, probably a highlight of the whole trip for us. Keep well back from the edge up there.
• Ochre Pits. A short walk through a dry creek bed to see the colours in the rock. The flies were out in force, even with repellent on.
• Ormiston Gorge. We walked down to the waterhole, which is only a short walk from the campground. It's easy to see why the campground is so popular, with toilets and showers just minutes from the gorge, but it was fully booked (more on that below).
• Standley Chasm. We saved it for last. It's privately run, so our NT Parks pass didn't cover it: you buy your tickets at the cafe. The sign said 15 minutes each way, and we even got the chasm to ourselves for a couple of minutes.

A lesson we learned the hard way: Ormiston Gorge was fully booked when we got there. NT Parks campgrounds are booked and paid for online before you go, and you can't pay at the park, so book ahead for the popular ones.

• 2WD? Mostly yes. Ormiston Gorge is on sealed roads, and its campground takes all vehicle types, caravans included. Redbank Gorge is officially 4WD only.
• The waterholes are extremely cold, even in summer, and NT Parks warns that staying in too long can cause hypothermia. Don't jump or dive in.
• Stay off the side roads through Aboriginal land, like the Glen Helen-Papunya Road. You need a Central Land Council permit for those.
• Pack a flynet and repellent. Our side-door flynet means we can keep the doors open without the flies coming in.

Fuel, signal and driving

Fuel and supplies. The service stations we used were well stocked, and Alice Springs is the place for a proper shop. Driving the Outback roads was a bit of an eye-opener: there are a fair few services along them, and the roadhouses are really well set up, most with somewhere to camp, a bar and food, and there were plenty of other people on the road. We still carried backup fuel, water and food, and knowing we had them put us at ease. Honestly, it's not as scary as you may think. Our Stuart Highway guide has more on fuel gaps and road trains.

Signal. Our Optus signal dropped out on long stretches between towns. The roadhouses and towns had signal, and Starlink filled the gaps. There's more on how we stay connected in our apps guide.

Planning. We used WikiCamps to plan where to stop, check reviews and get an idea of fees before we arrived.

Wildlife. We try not to drive at sunrise, sunset or after dark when we can, because that's when the wildlife comes out. Plan your driving days so you're parked up by dusk.

Passes and bookings

• Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa park pass: buy it online from Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa: park passes. It doesn't cover Kakadu or any NT Government park.
• NT Parks Visitor Pass: NT.GOV.AU says visitors to the NT need one for most NT Government parks, including Watarrka (Kings Canyon) and Tjoritja / West MacDonnell National Park. You can only get it online, through NT Park Bookings, before you go. NT residents don't need one.
• NT Parks campgrounds, like Ormiston Gorge and Redbank Gorge, are booked and paid for online. You can't pay at the park.
• Mereenie Loop Pass: only if you're in a 4WD and taking the Red Centre Way.
• Fire bans: check them before lighting anything. There's a state-by-state table in our free camping guide.

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