Contiki Outback Adventure Review
Big Croc Feed VIP Experience
Kakadu Overnight Retreat 2 Day – Lodge Single Room from Darwin
Top End Safari Camp Overnight Tour
Golden Eye Sunset Tour
Litchfield Day Adventure
LVP Tours “Darwin City Tours” – Jump on Jump off $39/per day
Krista Bere resides in Brisbane and discovered the Outback of Australia during the Contiki Outback Adventure Tour from Darwin in September 2014. Looking back over her 11 days, she tells us what it was like exploring her own backyard, and offers some advice to anyone else booking the trip.
So what does one expect to find in the Outback? Let me tell you: a lot!
There are so many highlights on this trip, I can’t just pick one!
Uluru was awesome! I did the helicopter flight over Uluru and the Olgas (30-minute flight as we felt that was enough time see it all). This is an optional activity but totally worth it, so I would make sure you spend your money on this. Some of my friends did the Harley Davidson Bike tour and they said that was pretty awesome as well – just a different way to see Uluru.
The optional scenic flight over Kakadu was beautiful. It really does show you how small you actually are when you’re up looking down at it. To me, it felt like it was our Grand Canyon. This flight was about 30 minutes, but that was enough for us. It was very hazy that morning so there wasn’t a lot to see except cloud and some rivers. By the time the flight had finished the fog was starting to clear. I’ve seen photos of Kakadu from other people and it’s just beautiful! The walk around Uluru was long but good. It’s about 10.6km around and your’re given three hours to complete it. We did it in two hours and forty minutes including stopping for photos. Keep in mind that you can’t take photos in certain areas (there are signs to tell you).
The hot air balloon ride, another optional activity, was beautiful. It was cold that morning but be sure to wear something warm and something comfortable so it’s easy to get into the basket. I don’t think jeans will do as they can be restrictive.
The Kings Canyon Rim Walk was beautiful! Make sure you pack at least 1.5ltrs of water (depending on the time of year you go) as it takes about two-three hours to walk, but it’s worth it. I would also bring a hat, but make sure it doesn’t blow. Mine almost did.
The thermal pools are really pretty. Little suggestion: wear your swimming clothes there because the bathrooms are not close to the pools and you only get an hour. Edith Falls was nice, but the water was cold. Again be sure to wear your swimming clothes there.
Litchfield National Park was great! Just a small hike down to the falls. By the time you’ve had your swim and some lunch you have to hike all the way back up! Just be careful if you climb the rocks to jump off into the water!
Explore Darwin, Northern Territory
The Devil Marbles were great! Huge rocks, some sitting on others. You get about 30 minutes here so make sure you take some photos. We then headed to Wycliffe Well (the UFO capital of Australia), but this is only a small stop so make sure you grab some snack food for the bus.
The Wildlife Safari on the Mary River was great. It was hot, so wear some light clothes and put sunscreen on. I saw three crocodiles, tasted a lotus flower (tasted like a pea) and saw some other wildlife. It goes for about one – two hours. The Contiki bus drops you off, so make sure you take the things you want to take and they meet you at the end (which I think they said was a 100km drive). This activity was included in the tour price.
You also get to visit Darwin Museum where you get to read the history of Darwin and see the damage from Cyclone Tracey all those years ago.
Ubirr was beautiful. You know that moment on the Lion King where he lifts Simba up in the air when he’s been born? Ubirr is like Pride Rock.
You must do the Katherine Gorge! It’s absolutely breathtaking. Because of the low water, we had to get two boats to do two different parts of it.
We went to the Alice Springs Reptile Park where we were given the chance to hold some animals when they were brought out.
The Bush Tucker Tour (included activity) is great. The guide talks about the history of the aboriginals. You can do some taste testing on berries and a kangaroo tail. He also makes Damper (fresh bread) which is so tasty! After his talk, he’ll take you over to some ladies who do some artwork. This is an opportunity to buy some which is also a bit cheaper as well. You can also get your photo with the ladies, if you ask them.
Accommodation wasn’t that good in some places. Tennant Creek wasn’t that good. And according to our Tour Manager we stayed in the best hotel out of the two in town. Be sure to lock your doors when you leave and when you return to your rooms. We had people check our doors to see if they were unlocked for our alcohol. Don’t let this put you off coming to the Outback, as other places make up for this. Accommodation at Uluru is very small – two lots of bunk beds and that’s it. It’s hard to fit four suitcases in your room too. Daly Waters Pub was great. You get to see what people have left behind and it’s the oldest working pub in Australia. Their meals are fantastic too. I had a burger and it was delicious.
Food is expensive and so is the alcohol. You’re given plenty of chances to buy alcohol so buy a little bit more for other nights too.
We only had about 23 people on our tour so we all had our own seat which is awesome for when you want to sleep. The bus plays some movies too (mostly Australian ones).
I can honestly say it was such a great trip and I’m glad I have seen more of my own backyard.
What To Pack
You’ll do a lot of walking on this tour so I recommend a good pair of trainers or hiking boots – something that can get ruined. Your shoes pick up a lot of red dirt so I just threw mine out when I left Alice Springs.
It does get extremely hot out there (I went in September) so take a lot of sunscreen. September is spring in Australia so the hottest day we had was about 36 degrees. You can’t drink water in Kakadu so make sure you have bottled water with you. Buy two bottles and just keep filling them up when you can, as it’s cheaper than buying water all the time.
A backpack is always handy to have with you; you can use it for the night under the stars because once the bus is locked for the night, you can’t get anything off. Bring along a travel pillow for when you’re sleeping under the stars and also for those long bus drives from one place to another. I would also bring a small torch because the toilets aren’t next to the camping ground where we stayed. Bring some flip-flops as well to use in the shower. Also insect repellant is handy too – be ready for the flies to hang around you even after you’ve had a shower.
I shared a room with three other girls for most of the trip, so I recommend buying a cheap power board from Kmart (I’m sure you can pick them up for about $3) because there are a lot of cameras and phones to charge. I would bring a waterproof phone or camera for the times you’ll be swimming. I always bring three cameras when I travel: Canon SLR, Nikon (small compact for nights out) and a waterproof one.
I would bring a lot more everyday clothes and old clothes you can wear walking because I felt like I was going through two tops a day. We had champagne at Uluru during the sunset so make sure you pack something nice to wear. This is a good time to get some last minute photos with your new found friends.
If you plan to visit the outback in winter (June-August and even months before and after), make sure you bring something warm with you because it can get quite cold at nights. We did the sunrise at Uluru which means an early wakeup call and cold mornings, so I would bring a jumper with you. I had to use mine and a scarf to keep me warm!
Words and images by Krista Bere
Instagram: kristaswanderingfootprints
How To Book
If you want to see the Outback for yourself, book a Contiki tour at www.contiki.com or call 1300 188 635.
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