larapinta transport

[wobbly]

Maybe not the right section but does anyone have any tips or suggestions on reliable and reasonably priced transport options for the Larapinta trail. There are only 2 of us and the obvious mobs all run great lumbering trucks costed as if 6 of us where travelling. grumble

[jez_au]

Hitchhike? I got off the trail at Ellery Creek that way. Make friends with some backpackers at the campsite, too easy. Getting out there a bit trickier though hey

[LAMEA-Gals]

It seems like the main operator is Alice Wanderer - Glen Helen resort also does shuttles but both are about the same price. I can empathise with the problems of being a small party. I did it with a friend in June and was charged the full price (over $200 each) for the bus trip out to Mt Sonder - even though the mini-bus had 15 other walkers in it from a club in Melbourne. No bulk discounts for us!

If you have time it may be worth checking out the Lone Dingo camping store in Alice's Todd Mall. They had a notice board with people wanting lifts and sharing travel - may be worth it if you have time to hang around.

[vagrom]

You might try the backpacker places too.
There's Annie's Place for one, which is also in Adelaide. These guys from overseas would value a lot, something to help with petrol and any advice you could share with them about the part of the country you're heading to. Backpacker places always have a notice board where other travellers are looking for share lifts.

Tell them you're heading out to Mt Sonder; that it's special. If they're German, they'll get it

Last edited by vagrom on Sat 30 Jul, 2011 8:26 pm, edited 2 times in total.

[pok]

I'd also suggest hitchhiking! There's generally people around at the major stops, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Central Car Hire is also worth looking up, good rates, and if you be *really* nice they might run a vehicle out for you. What's your travel plan?

[wobbly]

decided to bite the wallet and go with Glen Helen t'fers both ways. Thanks for the good suggestions - unfortuantly time constraints don't allow the backpacker /or hitch option, - actually on my first larapinta walk we had to hitch around a bushfire in Hugh gorge section. It wasn't too hard to get a lift once we'd walked the 20ks out to the highway.

[waggy]

Hey kids, doin the larapinta at the end of aug (finish sep) (hopefully)
...anyways i was thinking of hitching back to alice from red bank george car park.....has anyone done this or has anyone finished at redbank and think its possible to catch a lift from there?

[jez_au]

There's a car campsite a few kms back down the dirt road that goes to Redbank Gorge. Surely you can sweet talk some backpackers or campers. I hitched back from Ellery Ck.

[waggy]

There's a car campsite a few kms back down the dirt road that goes to Redbank Gorge. Surely you can sweet talk some backpackers or campers. I hitched back from Ellery Ck.

thanks a lot jez helps me make my decision. hopefully those campers i sweet talk dont mind a bit o pong in there car. cheers

[jez_au]

Also if you might meet other hikers going west, those people are often being picked up by friends and might have space. When I started from Redbank I met two groups of hikers waiting a day or two (because they finished early) for their pick-up friends to come by.