Australia here I come........

mil

At Uluru we took a bus from the hotel to Ayers Rock area. It is fantastic to see at dusk and Tauck puts on a very nice spread.

When we were in Sydney on Tauck, we didn't stop at the Rocks during the formal sightseeing, but you have a free day and it is certainly worthwhile.

This is a great trip, enjoy

PureLuxury

Hi. I took the Grand Australia-New Zealand tour in December 2014. It was too hot in Uluru to walk anywhere. We took a bus. Some folks did walk around; although there wasn't much too see in the area. I agree, the scenery of the Rock at dusk is beautiful and the lite bites and champagne were delicious. The next morning we spent a few hours touring the "Rock" with a guide and then headed by charter flight to the Great Barrier Reef. The scenery during the daylight is completely different. It was a nice contrast. I don't ever remember any mention of a camel ride. During our short downtime at the hotel I relaxed by the pool.
Our tour included the Rocks area in Sydney. It's a fantastic trip. Enjoy!

-Robin

British

Mileg wrote:

Hello everyone....., I'mmm back. )

This time I'm going to Australia Sept. 26 2019 and I do have questions as always
First , when we are in Uluru and on our way to Ayers Rock, do we go riding a camel, walking or do they use regular car transportation? and is it worth booking any xtra activities while at the hotel? Also, when at Sydney sightseeing do we walk around " The Rocks" ?
Please advise.
Thanks

Uluru and Ayers Rock are one and the same place. It has been politically incorrect to call it Ayers Rock for quite some years. Uluru is the sacred Aboriginal name. There were no camel rides when we were there. You do see wild camels, I can’t remember now how they got there but are very successful and becoming a nuisance in the country.
The Sydney part of the tour has changed a lot since we wer2 there, so I can’t comment on the latest tour, but they are easy to get to from the hotel and go on your own. When we were in Sydney, the extra fun was seeing The Beach Boys in our hotel lobby, they were staying there and giving a concert.

PureLuxury

Mileg wrote:

THANKS PureLuxury

Question..., what about the Thala Beach Nature Reserve hotel? I heard the beach is full of jellyfish and crocodiles, did anyone went in for a swim? and how about swimming & snorkeling at the reef, is it a half day activity?
Thanks

Hi Mileg. The hotel accommodations are a bit different on the Spotlight and Grand Australia New Zealand Tour therefore I cannot comment on the Thala Beach hotel. I would recommend wearing water shoes to avoid the jellyfish stings...no solution for the crocodiles!!!

Swimming and snorkeling at the reef was great. I remember it being quite a full day. There are also other activities you can participate in if you do not wish to snorkel and there was food galore on the boat. They also snap your pictures throughout the day when you're participating in activities...they sell those prior to the boat docking.

Virginia Travelers1

Mileg wrote:

THANKS PureLuxury

Question..., what about the Thala Beach Nature Reserve hotel? I heard the beach is full of jellyfish and crocodiles, did anyone went in for a swim? and how about swimming & snorkeling at the reef, is it a half day activity?
Thanks

We took this trip in February 2017 and it is outstanding. Look for our TAUCK review. The Thala Beach Nature Reserve is an amazing place and if I recall we were there for 3 nights. We could have stayed for a week. Unfortunately, you cannot swim on the beach. When we were there they had signs up every 100 yards that you will be stung and killed by the box jellyfish if you went into the water. It is something to see mile after mile of open beach and no one swimming. There was an area for swimming that was in netting but why take a chance? Look up box jellyfish and you will see why. The hotel is used as a base for getting to your balloon ride - which in itself is amazing - and getting to the reef. The trip to the reef was pretty much a full day. It takes over an hour to get to the reef setup by boat. Lunch is served on the floating dock. I snorkeled for 45 minutes, had lunch, then did another 45 minutes. They also have a submarine that doesn't submerge but you can see below the water. Make sure your wet suit fits. They are a bear to put on and take off. Snorkeling was the highlight of my trip to Australia. What an amazing country and we can't wait to go back.