23 July - 5 August 2024

Uluru Homeschool Convoy

At a glance

3291 Kilometers

Adelaide - Port Augusta - 348 kms

Port Augusta - Woomera - 180 kms

Woomera - Coober Pedy - 374 kms

Coober Pedy - Erldunda - 488 kms

Erldunda - Uluru - 250 kms

Uluru - Erldunda - 250 kms

Erldunda - Coober Pedy - 488 kms

Coober Pedy - Woomera - 374 kms

Woomera - Mt Remarkable - 261 kms

Mt Remarkable - Adelaide - 278 kms

13 Nights

2 Nights at Port Augusta

1 Night at Woomera Northbound

2 Nights at Coober Pedy Northbound

1 Night at Erldunda Northbound

3 Nights at Uluru

1 Night at Erldunda Southbound

1 Night Coober Pedy Southbound

1 Night at Woomera Southbound

1 Night Mount Remarkable

7 Campsites

Nuttbush Retreat

Woomera Travellers Village

Big 4 Stuart Range Outback Resort

Erldunda Roadhouse & Caravan Park

Ayers Rock Campground

Riba’s Underground Camping

Mt Remarkable Showgrounds

Internet

We have a Starlink satellite dish. It’s fast, works everywhere and can handle lots of people using it at once. Just let us know if you would like to use it - it only takes a few minutes to set up

Phone reception

Phone reception is patchy most of the way and there are long stretches with no coverage. Most of the campsites have some coverage but Erldunda has none

Powered campsites

All of the campsites have power. We may need to share some power points at Mount Remarkable, depending on how busy the campground is and how far apart everyone wants to camp

Drinking water

The water is labelled as safe to drink at most campsites, but bottled water is available for sale all along the way and we recommend sticking to that just to be extra safe

Toilets and showers

All of the campsites have toilets and showers. Most also have disabled toilets, although the quality and size of those facilities varies quite a bit from campsite to campsite

Weather

We should have clear, pleasant days with temperatures around 15-20 degrees to start with, and around 18-26 as we get higher up. It will be cold at night most of the way though

Fuel stops

There are some long gaps between fuel stops on the trip, so it’s very important to fill up at every opportunity.

The longest gap is the day we drive from Woomera to Coober Pedy. It’s only 120kms from Woomera to Glendambo, but then it’s another 254kms to the next petrol station at Coober Pedy.

Port Augusta to Pimba - 172kms
Pimba to Glendambo - 113kms
Glendambo to Coober Pedy - 252kms
Coober Pedy to Cadney - 155kms
Cadney to Marla - 84kms
Marla to Kulgera - 180kms
Kulgera to Erldunda - 74kms
Erldunda to Curtain Springs - 165kms
Curtain Springs to Uluru - 86kms

Uluru to Curtain Springs - 86kms
Curtain Springs to Erldunda - 165kms
Erldunda to Kulgera - 74kms
Kulgera to Marla - 180kms
Marla to Cadney - 84kms
Cadney to Coober Pedy - 155kms
Coober Pedy to Glendambo - 252kms
Glendambo to Pimba - 113kms
Pimba to Port Augusta - 172kms

Checking in

All of the campsites have your name, car registration details and information about what you’re sleeping in, so it’s ok for you to check in before we arrive

Supermarkets

There are small grocery stores within most of the remote petrol stations, and small supermarkets at Coober Pedy and Yulara. Port Augusta is the only place with Woolies or Coles

Yulara

Yulara is the tourist hub at Uluru where everyone stays. It’s 25 minutes from Uluru. Facilities include a petrol station, restaurants, a supermarket, a medical clinic, and souvenir shops

Checking out

Check out time is 10am but you are welcome to leave earlier. The support vehicle leaves at 11am and we strongly encourage you to leave before it, so you know it’s nearby if you need help

Alcohol

You can only buy alcohol at Yulara if you are staying there. You will receive a pass when you check in that you’ll need to show to buy alcohol, either to take away or consume on the spot

Cash

All of Ayers Rock Resort and most of the shops and restaurants at Yulara are cash-free, so you will need to use your card. The banks are too far away for the shop owners to deposit cash

Day 1 - Adelaide to Port Augusta

Day 2 - Port Augusta

Day 3 - Port Augusta to Woomera

Day 4 - Woomera to Coober Pedy

Day 5 - Coober Pedy

Day 6 - Coober Pedy to Erldunda

Day 7 - Erldunda to Uluru

Days 8 and 9 - Uluru

Day 10 - Uluru to Erldunda

Day 11 - Erldunda to Coober Pedy

Day 12 - Coober Pedy to Woomera

Day 13 - Woomera to Mt Remarkable

What to do if you break down

Unfortunately breakdowns do happen occasionally. But don’t worry - we’re all in this together.

We highly recommend getting roadside assistance. If something goes wrong they will tow your car and help cover the costs of getting home.

If you run into mechanical trouble, pull over in the safest place you can find. There are rest stops at regular intervals along the way.

If you have phone coverage, call roadside assistance, then use your satellite device to message us.

If you don’t have phone coverage, just message us using your satellite device. We will come to you and do everything we can to help. We have a satellite phone so we can always call for help. We will stay with you until you’re safe.

There are mechanics available at most of the little towns along the way, so if you need help with something minor let us know and we’ll direct you towards the nearest one.

Using your satellite device

We provide every family with their own Zoleo global satellite communicator for the duration of the trip.

The device is powered by the Iridium satellite network so it works all over Australia.

Please make sure your Zoleo is charged and turned on at all times. Emergencies can happen without warning and the device is no use to you if it’s not on. We recommend keeping it clipped to you.

It has an SOS button, which is only to be used for life-threatening emergencies. If you push it, your GPS co-ordinates and a call for help will be sent to emergency services.

You can also use the device to message your trip co-ordinators. If you need help at any time, just send a message telling them what’s wrong.

Further instructions on how to use the device will be included in the day one safety briefing.

Transporting fruit and veg

There are lots of very important rules around which fruits, vegetables and plants you can take across state borders and into different agricultural areas throughout Australia.

When you are entering South Australia to begin the convoy, you’ll need to consider what you’ve brought with you. The list of restrictions differ depending on where you’re coming from, but fruit from most states is banned, along with vegetables like capsicum and spinach.

When you’re entering the Northern Territory on day 6, you will need to follow a different set of rules. These are quite restrictive and include potatoes, honey, herbs, citrus and most fruits and vegetables.

This website allows you to enter where you’re coming from and where you’re heading to, and it will tell you exactly what is and isn’t allowed. it also gives you the phone numbers you can call if you’re unsure about anything.