Minibus Hire Across Australia

Alice Springs Minibus Hire for Red Centre Groups

Alice Springs is a small town with a very big backyard. Within an hour you can be standing in the West MacDonnell gorges, while Uluru and Kings Canyon are a long drive away and worth an overnight stay.

Close to town

The Telegraph Station is only 10 minutes north, and the Desert Park, west of town, has free parking for cars and coaches. Groups of ten or more book through the park's visitor services, so send your numbers ahead.

The airport is about 15 km south of Todd Mall, 15 to 20 minutes by road. There's no published coach pick-up point; drivers load at the front of the terminal and stay with the vehicle while they do, which is simple enough with a minibus.

White minibus parked at the curb
White minibus parked at the curb

Flying into Alice Springs

Places your group will want to see

  • Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park — World Heritage park about 460-470 km south-west by road; park pass required; the Uluru climb is permanently closed
  • Ormiston Gorge — Tjoritja / West MacDonnell National Park, about 135 km west
  • Simpsons Gap — Tjoritja / West MacDonnell National Park, about 20-25 km west
  • Standley Chasm (Angkerle Atwatye) — About 50 km west; owned and run by the local Arrernte community; open daily (shorter hours on Sunday)
  • Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve — About 4 km north of town
  • Alice Springs Desert Park — Arid-zone wildlife park west of town; free vehicle and coach parking; groups of 10 or more book with visitor services

Where groups usually stay

  • Stuart Highway south / Heavitree Gap
  • Barrett Drive (near the convention centre)
  • Town centre / Todd Mall

The West MacDonnell Ranges

Simpsons Gap is about 25 minutes out. Standley Chasm, around 45 minutes away, belongs to and is operated by its Arrernte owners; it opens daily, with shorter Sunday hours. Ormiston Gorge is further, about an hour and three-quarters, and makes a full day with a walk in the middle.

If you don't live in the Territory, each person needs an NT Parks pass for Tjoritja / West MacDonnell, so buy them before you set out.

The long road to the Rock

It's about 468 km from Alice to Uluru: around five hours in a car, and more in a bus or coach, since a heavy vehicle's limit stays at 100 km/h even on stretches where cars can go faster. Most groups make it an overnight trip. Every visitor needs a park pass, and tour operators need the Director of National Parks' permission, an application that takes 14 days or more.

Kings Canyon is a similar distance, about 474 km on sealed roads. The shorter Mereenie Loop is unsealed, corrugated and meant for 4WDs only, so group vehicles take the sealed route via the Stuart and Lasseter highways.

Planning for the heat

Hot weather changes the walking rules. When the forecast says 36 degrees or hotter, walkers on the Kings Canyon Rim Walk must be under way before 9am, while at Kata Tjuta you can't go beyond Karu Lookout on the Valley of the Winds after 11am. So start early, and carry plenty of water.

The Northern Territory hasn't adopted the Heavy Vehicle National Law fatigue rules; operators manage driver fatigue under Territory work health and safety law instead. Either way, plan long desert days with proper breaks.

Your questions

Can we see Uluru as a day trip from Alice Springs?

It's a very long day, about five hours each way by car and more by bus. Most groups stay at least one night at Yulara.

Do we need permits to visit the national parks?

Every visitor needs an Uluru-Kata Tjuta park pass, and visitors from outside the Territory must buy the NT Parks Visitor Pass to enter Watarrka, Tjoritja / West MacDonnell and other Territory parks. The operator looks after its own tour permits.

Can we still climb Uluru?

No. The climb is closed permanently.

What's the best time of day for the gorges?

Early morning, especially in the warmer months. It's cooler, the light is soft, and you're back in town before the heat peaks.

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