Yulara is a town near the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park in the south of the Northern Territory, Australia.

Understand

Yulara is essentially a service city for Uluru, acting as an accommodation base for visitors to the park. It was constructed in the 1980s and its location is just outside the park boundaries.

Get in

The following airlines operate flights to Yulara's Connellan Airport (AYQ):

• Qantas flies from Cairns, Sydney and Melbourne.
• National Jet Systems operates QantasLink flights from Alice Springs and Perth. These flights are booked through Qantas but operated under a codeshare system.

The airport is variously referred to as Yulara, Ayers Rock and Uluru.

Get around

Avis [1] and Hertz [2] have car rental offices at the airport. The roads connecting Yulara, Uluru and Kata Tjuta are all paved and maintained, so there's no real challenge to the driving. (Vehicles drive on the left, but there isn't much in the way of traffic in the area - people accustomed to driving on the right can probably manage it.) Car rental is the best (and only) option for independent travelers. However, AATKings [3] and a few other companies run buses from the airport to the resort, and also from the resort to Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

See

Aside from a couple of look-out points for Uluru and Kata Tjuta, Yulara has no sights of its own.

Do

Arrangements can be made for helicopter tours of the area, ranging from quick, ten minute buzzes of Uluru to longer rides taking in Kata Tjuta and King's Canyon as well. For a more level perspective, visitors can try camel rides. There are also astronomy walks in the evening. Reservations must be made for all events, however. Offices are located throughout the resort.

Eat

Each of the hotels / campgrounds listed below have a restaurant or two that is priced within the same range as the accomodation, although visitors are welcome to walk between them. The most popular option is the Outback Pioneer Barbecue, which sells burger patties from several different kinds of meat (and non-meat) and grills to cook them on. A salad and fruit bar is also included in the purchase price. There is a bar with live music (of the "guy with guitar and a karaoke machine" variety) in the eating area.

The Sounds Of Silence Dinner is an extremely popular - albeit expensive ($145 per adult) - night under the stars. Advance bookings (e.g. 3-4 days) are essential even in low seasons. Coaches take diners from Yulara to one of a few dining areas out in the desert. Champagne (or beer, upon request) are served while the sun goes down over Uluru or Kata Tjuta and the inevitable didgeridoo plays. The clean, elegant dining area is lit by torches and table lamps. The food is served buffet-style, but it's cooked with the attention of a gourmet chef (considering the circumstances). Between the main course and dessert, an astronomer talks about the stars that are out that night, and telescopes are available afterward. There is also a bonfire. Reservations can be made at the various tour offices around Yulara. Ostensibly, reservations can me made over the internet as well, but it's a good idea to follow-up by phone, as coordination between the resort offices and the tour company are spotty at best.

Desert Awakenings, occasionaly available, is a breakfast version of the aforementioned Sounds of Silence. It includes a guided tour around the base of Uluru and ends at the Cultural Center.

Sleep

Yulara offers a variety of accommodation from camping through to 5 star. The village is split up into sections depending on the accommodation type. All the hotels, the campground, the lodge, and the hostel are managed by Voyages, 08 8957 7888, fax 08 8957 7615, [4], [5].

• Sails in the Desert. [6]. The 5-star hotel. Room rates are about $500 per night.
• Desert Gardens Hotel, [7]. Room rates are about $400 per night for a double standard room and $480 for a double deluxe room.
• Emu walk apartments, [8]. These fully serviced apartments can cater hold about six people. Nightly rates are about $500 per apartment.
• Lost Camel Hotel, [9]. Room rates are about $400 per night.
• The Outback Pioneer Hotel and YHA Lodge, [10]. An excellent place to stay - cabin accommodation all newly decorated, clean, nice linen, and they think of every last detail. Staff are friendly and helpful. Cost is $33 for a bed in a large dorm room or $37 for a bed in a 4 person room.
• The Ayers Rock Campground, [11]. Tent sites, powered sites and cabins. A cabin is $150 per night and sleeps up to six people. A campsite for two people is $15.50 for a powered site and $13 for a tent site. Each additional person on a campsite is $11.50 per night, or $6 per for children.

Cope

There is a shopping centre which has a supermarket (with some produce and baked goods), take-away restaurants, gift shops, newsagents, an ANZ bank and ATM, and a post office. A photo developing service is available, as are cameras and camera equipment. There is also a petrol station nearby.