Coach Hire Across Australia

Coach Charter in Alice Springs and Central Australia

Central Australia comes down to distance, heat and permits. Trips around town are short. The big ones, Uluru and Kings Canyon, are usually overnight, and a coach is slower on the highway than a car.

Uluru and Kings Canyon are overnight trips

Uluru is about 468 km by road and Kings Canyon about 474 km on sealed roads. A car does the Uluru run in around five hours. A coach takes longer, because coaches stay at 100 km/h on the stretches of the Stuart Highway where cars may go faster. Plan both as trips with a night away.

The shortcut to Kings Canyon via the Mereenie Loop is about 160 km of unsealed, corrugated road, recommended for 4WD only and needing a Central Land Council permit. Coaches go the sealed way via the Stuart and Lasseter highways and Luritja Road.

Setra high-capacity coach, exterior
Setra high-capacity coach, exterior

Passes and permits

Every visitor to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park needs a park pass. The tour operator needs a permit or licence from the Director of National Parks, and anyone interpreting the park to the group must have completed the park's program for tour guides. Allow at least 14 days for a permit application. Watarrka and Tjoritja / West MacDonnell are Territory parks, and non-residents visiting them need an NT Parks Visitor Pass. Settle who buys the passes when you book.

Airports serving Alice Springs

Stadiums and arenas

  • TIO Traeger Park — AFL Northern Territory; hosts one AFL premiership match most seasons; about 7,000 capacity

Day trips and transfers from Alice Springs

  • Alice Springs Telegraph Station — about 4 km, about 10 min
  • Simpsons Gap — about 20-25 km, about 25 min
  • Standley Chasm — about 50 km, about 45 min
  • Ormiston Gorge — about 135 km, about 1.75 h
  • Uluru (Yulara) — about 468 km, about 5 h by car; longer by coach (usually an overnight trip)
  • Kings Canyon (Watarrka National Park) — about 474 km on sealed roads, about 5.5 h (usually an overnight trip)

Coach rules in Alice Springs

  • Alice Springs Airport (ASP) is about 15 km south of the town centre (about 15-20 min).
  • Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park: every visitor needs a park pass; tour operators need a permit or licence from the Director of National Parks, and anyone interpreting the park to a group must complete the park's Knowledge for tour guides program. Allow at least 14 days for a permit application.
  • NT national parks including Watarrka (Kings Canyon) and Tjoritja / West MacDonnell require an NT Parks Visitor Pass for non-residents; guides working in Watarrka must complete the park safety induction.
  • Heat rules: on days forecast to reach 36 degrees C or more, walkers must start the Kings Canyon Rim Walk before 9am, and the Valley of the Winds track at Kata Tjuta closes beyond Karu Lookout at 11am.
  • The direct route to Kings Canyon via the Mereenie Loop is about 160 km of unsealed, corrugated road, recommended for 4WD only and needing a Central Land Council permit; coaches use the sealed route via the Stuart and Lasseter highways and Luritja Road.
  • The Northern Territory has not adopted the Heavy Vehicle National Law fatigue rules; operators manage driver fatigue under NT work health and safety law and its fatigue management guidance, and recognise HVNL work diaries for cross-border trips.
  • Parts of the Stuart Highway have a 130 km/h limit or open-speed zones for cars, but heavy vehicles, including coaches, stay at 100 km/h, so coach journey times are longer than car figures.

Heat sets the timetable

On a day forecast at 36 degrees or above, access to Kata Tjuta's Valley of the Winds beyond Karu Lookout ends at 11am, and the Kings Canyon Rim Walk has to be started by 9am. Build early starts into warm-season programs and use the middle of the day for travel.

Driver hours work differently here. The Heavy Vehicle National Law fatigue rules do not apply in the Northern Territory; operators handle fatigue under Northern Territory work health and safety law plus fatigue guidance, and recognise national work diaries when a trip crosses a border. For any long run, ask how the driver's hours will be covered.

Close to town

The Telegraph Station is about 10 minutes north. West of town, Simpsons Gap is about 25 minutes and Standley Chasm about 45; Ormiston Gorge, some 135 km out, is closer to 1.75 hours. Standley Chasm belongs to the local Arrernte community, who run it, and Sunday hours are shorter. Coaches park free at the Desert Park, and a party of 10 or more should book ahead with visitor services.

Questions

Where does the coach meet us at Alice Springs Airport?

In front of the terminal. The airport is about 15 km from Todd Mall, 15 to 20 minutes. No coach pick-up point or staging area is published, so the vehicle loads at the kerb while attended and does not wait there.

Can the group climb Uluru?

No. The climb is permanently closed. Plan the visit around the walks and viewing areas instead.

Is Alice Springs set up for conferences?

Yes. The convention centre on Barrett Drive takes meetings of 10 up to about 1,200 delegates, and there are hotels on the same road, so transfers are short.

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