Red Centre to Melbourne: Self-Launched Camping & Canyons
10 days · Australia (Red Centre, Adelaide, Grampians & Great Ocean Road)
G Adventures charges £2,299
No-markup version: ~£1,087 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched 10-day take on the classic Alice Springs → Melbourne camping and canyons route: Uluru sunset and the Mala Walk, Kings Canyon rim hike, Kata Tjuta's Valley of the Winds, then a cheap flight to Adelaide for food-and-wine wandering, before a hop-on bus or rental car along the Grampians and the Great Ocean Road into Melbourne. Booked yourself using hostel dorms, swag camping in the Outback, official park passes, self-guided walks and local transport, this costs roughly a third of the operator's version.
Day-by-day
Arrive Alice Springs — desert town warm-up
Alice Springs
Fly or take the Ghan/coach into Alice Springs and check into a hostel dorm in the town centre. Walk up Anzac Hill for sunset views over the MacDonnell Ranges, then hit a pub on Todd Mall for a cheap counter meal and a schooner. Pop into the visitor centre or a tour desk to confirm your Uluru shuttle and any swag-tour departure, and stock up on water, electrolytes and sunscreen — the desert is unforgiving.
🚌Alice Wanderer airport shuttle ~AUD16 or taxi ~AUD25-30 (10-15 min); everything central is walkable
🛏Alice Springs hostel dorm (e.g. YHA/backpacker hostel, 4-6 bed mixed or single-sex dorm)
- →Anzac Hill sunset walk (free)
- →Todd Mall pubs and street art
- →Alice Springs Visitor Centre orientation
Alice Springs → Kings Canyon (Red Centre road)
Kings Canyon / Watarrka National Park
Head out on the long desert drive south-west on the Stuart and Luritja Highways. Joining a 3-day Uluru/Kings Canyon camping tour is the cheapest self-launched way to cover this leg without a car (many depart Alice Springs 2-3x weekly, ~AUD450-595 including swag camping, park fees and most meals). Alternatively hire a car with 1-2 hostel mates. Tonight sleep in a swag under the stars at the Kings Canyon campsite — see the Milky Way properly.
🚌Uluru camping tour minibus (~AUD450-595 for 3 days/2 nights incl. fees) or shared car hire ~AUD60-90/day plus fuel split
🛏Swag camping at Kings Canyon Resort campground (canvas swag + shared facilities)
- →Desert drive via Stuart Highway (Erldunda turnoff)
- →Sunset in the desert, swag camping under the stars
Kings Canyon Rim Walk → Uluru sunset
Watarrka NP → Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP
Start the 6km Kings Canyon Rim Walk at first light (3-4 hours, steep 'heart attack hill' start) for the Lost City domes, Garden of Eden and canyon-rim views. Note: the rim walk closes when the forecast tops 36°C — in summer do the shorter Kings Creek Walk instead. After lunch, drive the ~3 hours to Yulara. Grab a cheap bottle of bubbly from the IGA and head to the Talinguru Nyakunytjaku or sunset viewing area for the big Uluru light show. Camp at Ayers Rock Campground or Yulara hostel.
🚌Included in camping tour or self-drive; Kings Canyon to Yulara ~300km/3hrs
🛏Yulara/Ayers Rock Campground swag or unpowered site, or Ayers Rock hostel dorm
- →Kings Canyon Rim Walk, 6km self-guided (free with park entry)
- →Uluru sunset viewing from the official sunset car park
Uluru day — Mala Walk, cultural centre, base walk
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
Be up for sunrise over the Rock from the sunrise viewing area. Then visit the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre (free, run by Anangu traditional owners) to understand Tjukurpa law and the park's joint management. Walk the 2km return Mala Walk ranger-guided or self-guided — it's rich in rock art, Kantju Gorge and quiet corners away from the crowds. In the afternoon do the full 10.6km Uluru Base Walk (flat, 3.5 hours) or the shorter Kuniya Walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole. Park entry is AUD38 per person, valid 3 days — buy it online in advance.
🚌Park shuttle/own vehicle between campground and park entrance (~20 min)
🛏Ayers Rock Campground or Yulara hostel dorm
- →Uluru sunrise viewing
- →Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre (free)
- →Mala Walk and Kantju Gorge
- →Uluru Base Walk 10.6km self-guided
Kata Tjuta & Valley of the Winds → Alice Springs
Kata Tjuta → Alice Springs
Drive 45 minutes to Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) and hike the Valley of the Winds — 7.4km, about 3 hours, over dusty orange domes with real desert silence. Start early; the walk closes above 36°C. The shorter Walpa Gorge walk (2.6km) is a good backup. Grab lunch at the Yulara IGA, then make the ~450km drive back to Alice Springs, arriving evening. Shower, laundry and a hostel dorm bed.
🚌Camping tour minibus or self-drive back to Alice Springs (~5-6 hrs)
🛏Alice Springs hostel dorm
- →Valley of the Winds hike, Kata Tjuta (self-guided, park entry covers it)
- →Walpa Gorge walk (alternative)
Fly Alice Springs → Adelaide
Alice Springs → Adelaide
Morning free for the Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum (AUD16) or the Alice Springs Desert Park (AUD25-40). Fly Qantas/Virgin nonstop to Adelaide (~2 hrs, book 4-8 weeks ahead for fares around AUD180-320). Check into a hostel in the CBD or North Adelaide. Spend the late afternoon wandering the laneways off Rundle Street, grab a cheap feed at the Adelaide Central Market (closes 3pm weekdays — go early if you can) and find a live-music bar on Peel or Leigh Street.
🚌Alice Springs → Adelaide flight ~AUD180-320; Adelaide Airport bus J1/J2 ~AUD7 or ~AUD25 rideshare
🛏Adelaide CBD hostel dorm (e.g. backpacker hostel on Waymouth or Hindley St)
- →Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum
- →Adelaide Central Market and East End laneways
- →Peel/Leigh Street live music bars
Adelaide food and wine day
Adelaide
Do Adelaide on foot: free CBD walking loop past the Botanic Gardens, North Terrace museums (South Australian Museum and Art Gallery of SA are free), and the Riverbank. For wine without the Barossa price tag, take the Glenelg tram to the Bay for fish and chips, or book a half-day Barossa or McLaren Vale wine tour (~AUD120-160) if the budget stretches. Otherwise, do a self-guided tasting at a CBD cellar door. Evening: cheap eats in the Gouger Street Chinatown strip.
🚌Adelaide Metro tram/train with a metroCARD (~AUD4-6 per day)
🛏Adelaide CBD hostel dorm
- →Free South Australian Museum and Art Gallery
- →Adelaide Botanic Garden (free entry)
- →Optional Barossa/McLaren Vale wine tour ~AUD120-160
- →Glenelg tram to the beach (~AUD4)
Adelaide → Grampians National Park / Halls Gap
Halls Gap, Grampians NP
Catch the early V/Line coach from Adelaide to Melbourne and hop off at Ararat or Stawell (~5 hrs to Ararat, ~AUD45-65), then a local bus/taxi or the hostel shuttle the 40 minutes into Halls Gap. Alternatively, rent a car in Adelaide and drop in Melbourne (one-way fees ~AUD100-200 + fuel). In the afternoon hike to the Pinnacle (4.2km return, ~2.5 hrs) or the easier Boroka Lookout and the Balconies for the Victoria Valley panorama. Finish at Mackenzie Falls (2km return) for the cascade and rainbow spray.
🚌V/Line coach Adelaide→Ararat ~AUD45-65 (~5 hrs) plus local bus/shuttle ~AUD10-20; or one-way car hire
🛏Halls Gap hostel or caravan-park cabin/dorm (e.g. Grampians YHA)
- →The Pinnacle hike (self-guided)
- →Boroka Lookout and the Balconies
- →Mackenzie Falls walk
Grampians → Great Ocean Road → Port Campbell
Port Campbell
Early walk in the park — Wonderland Loop or Venus Baths from Halls Gap. Then head south to the coast via Warrnambool, joining the Great Ocean Road. Stop at the Bay of Islands and the collapsed London Arch (London Bridge) near Peterborough before rolling into Port Campbell. Book a dorm or cabin in Port Campbell (it's small — book ahead in summer). Sunset from the 12 Apostles viewing platform is the free bonus round.
🚌V/Line coach Halls Gap→Warrnambool then local link to Port Campbell (~AUD40-60 total), or self-drive ~3.5 hrs
🛏Port Campbell hostel dorm or caravan-park cabin
- →Wonderland Loop / Venus Baths walk
- →Bay of Islands and London Arch viewpoints
- →Sunset at the 12 Apostles (free)
Great Ocean Road highlights → Melbourne
Port Campbell → Great Otway NP → Melbourne
Walk to Loch Ard Gorge and the 12 Apostles first thing — before the tour buses arrive around 10am. Then drive/take the coach east for the Otway rainforest walk at Melba Gully or Maits Rest (30-min loop, free), a koala-spotting stop at Kennett River, and a surf-beach leg-stretch at Apollo Bay. Continue along the coast to Torquay (Bells Beach) and into Melbourne by evening. Tour 'ends' at Southern Cross Station — onward flights should be booked for 8pm or later.
🚌V/Line coach Port Campbell/Apollo Bay→Geelong→Melbourne (~AUD30-45, 5-6 hrs total) or one-way car drop in Melbourne
🛏Not included — onward travel or pre-book Melbourne hostel
- →Loch Ard Gorge and 12 Apostles early visit
- →Great Otway NP rainforest walk (Maits Rest/Melba Gully)
- →Kennett River koala spotting
- →Bells Beach / Torquay surf coast stop
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,087 | £2,299 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,212 per person (53%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,087
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Red Centre to Melbourne: Self-Launched Camping & Canyons cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,087 per person for 10 days in Australia (Red Centre, Adelaide, Grampians & Great Ocean Road). This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,299 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,087 — a saving of roughly £1,212 (53%) per person.
How long is the Australia (Red Centre, Adelaide, Grampians & Great Ocean Road) trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Australia (Red Centre, Adelaide, Grampians & Great Ocean Road).
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, road-trip, hiking trip through Australia (Red Centre, Adelaide, Grampians & Great Ocean Road), self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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