Epic Uluru camping fail with Lady!
- Kelly Ryan
- Jun 8
- 6 min read
Updated: Jun 9
And why we'd do it all again!
June in the Red Centre is nothing short of spectacular, and we look forward to it rolling around each year because it means camping time in the desert!
We’re talking clear, sunny blue winter skies by day and dark starry cool nights. It’s peak season for a reason, so naturally, we thought it was the perfect time to take our six-month-old Frenchie pup, Lady, on her maiden camping voyage: an easy 3-day, 2-night camping trip to Yulara to visit Uluru & Kata Tjuta sacred sites again.
We thought we were being clever, figuring that choosing a spot with full facilities and fewer wild distractions would be the lowest barrier to entry for a young pup.
Spoiler alert: we made some classic rookie mistakes that completely derailed our trip.
Before we get into the chaos, some things actually went beautifully right so we are sharing this fail because it was all still worth it, even if it meant days of washing once we got home. sigh
The Ayers Rock Campground (still goes by this name!) at Yulara was really easy to navigate, it is a self check in system which recognises your number plate and clearly signed, so you dont need to get out of your car to go to reception.
There is plenty of space to roam about and lots of paths to explore with pup on lead
If you’ve never snuggled a pup in a rooftop tent during a freezing desert night, you’re missing out. Lady was our built-in little hot water bottle, keeping us all perfectly warm until the incident so nobody was cold.
She had a ball investigating the new smells, meeting new people and it gave us a new perspective on a favourite road trip too. It was so fun so play with our pup and introduce her to one of our favourite thing, travelling in the remote outback!
Walking with her meant we spent more time looking down...and discovering tiny treasures we may have overlooked, like lizard trails in the red dirt, wildflowers & wildlife
The walks to the local lookout points in Yulara were dog friendly, relatively short and accessible, around 1 to 2 kilometres at a time, which was the perfect distance for her little legs and offered plenty of safe spots to explore and sniff while we got to enjoy the incredible views.
The journey there and back was also a hit with dog-friendly stops. We checked out Erldunda so Lady could learn about emus, and we hit up Curtin Springs for a massive outback breakfast where she loved getting pats from the staff and tourists!
We got to explore one of our favourite places on earth again. Wind, rain, shine or damp tent & cold nights, it doesn't matter it's always incredible being here.
Then came the moments where it all went pear-shaped. Hilarious in hindsight but not so much at the time...
Who thought bringing a barely six-month-old puppy camping inside a tent was a good idea? Pick me.
Turns out, if a pup hasn’t learned to explicitly ask to go outside yet, it means accidents. When it’s a freezing winter night with a very limited supply of warm blankets, that equals instant disaster and a freezing night ahead.
To make matters worse, she was so distracted by all the people near our site that she just wouldn't potty on command like she does at home, setting the scene for our horror night.
From 1:00 AM to 5:00 AM, the local dingoes were incredibly active, howling all around the vicinity while they must have been hunting. I could actually hear them through my earplugs and recorded them on my phone!
Having seen them prowling right through campsites at Kings Canyon a while back, we weren’t taking any chances ourselves running to the loo, let alone taking Lady outside in the wee hours, pardon the pun. So, we were stuck upstairs in the, well, somewhat wet tent.
What's more is that this meant we had to cut the trip short by a day and leave before i had managed to see the lights again which was something I had been really looking forward to, but the epic sunset put on a natural light show and almost made up for this.
The campsite itself, while iconic, was absolutely packed. As it turned out, everyone who wasn’t a racing enthusiast was right here avoiding the Finke crowds. This meant that in the entire park there was only about half a meter of space between each site. Neuro divergent nightmare. Shudder
For a young pup who is just learning her role and boundaries, this was incredibly distressing. She thought every single movement was a threat until she got a pat, which is completely the opposite of the calm, neutral training we are aiming for.
We also had a bit of a scare one evening when we walked away to a sunset viewing spot for just a short moment. When we got back, something had eaten her food right out of her new bowls from our ute tray so we didn't feel safe letting her feed from those bowls again until we could clean them properly.
Side note - be aware feral dogs and dingos can carry nasty dog diseases like Canine Ehrlichiosis (tick fever), Parvovirus, Leptospirosis, and parasitic infections.
Thankfully, we had made sure her shots were fully up to date, she was secure in her harness, and she never left our sight, but it definitely put us on edge all night as we were only meters from the dunes which were hidden in the darkness.
If I’m being completely honest, staying inside caravan parks is never really our style anyway. As a neurospicy woman, I find the constant, unwritten social expectations of these places incredibly confusing and exhausting. Navigating whether I need to greet every single person on the way into the bathroom, wondering if it's rude if I don't, figuring out the best time to cook or shower to avoid crowds, or dealing with other people's noise and friendly wanderers is just not my jam.
But watching Lady on this trip made me realise that the constant "peopling" is just as hard for her nervous system. She wasn't sure if she should be vigilant or relax and enjoy the attention. People were constantly setting up or packing up and up at all hours, and even though everyone was being perfectly respectful, it’s noisy.
What will we do differently next time?
We are sticking to our roots. We will go fully off-grid, follow our usual remote precautions, or choose somewhere much quieter like one of the local stations or an overnight rest stop.
We will also be waiting at least a couple of months until she is able to communicate better with us and make sure she has a ‘home base’ she can retreat to like a play pen.
That being said, if you are planning to make the trek yourself, Yulara was surprisingly dog-friendly and really easy to navigate.
The campground setup makes a really solid, accommodating base for visiting Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. It is a smooth, direct 450-kilometre drive from Alice Springs, roughly five hours with rest stops on sealed roads making it a highly accessible outback road trip, despite our maiden voyage epic fails!
Notes:
If all this sounds too scary or tricky to navigate there are excellent doggy day care and respite centres in Alice Springs, so you could head out for a full day Uluru tour or even take an epic guided 3 day camping adventure to make the most of your trip while your dog is spoilt rotten.
Get our guide:
Because we want you to be able to hit the dirt tracks with confidence right away, I have curated our comprehensive Dog-Friendly Red Centre Guide! It is designed to get you out there exploring safely & covers the whole stretch from Alice Springs all the way down to Uluru—fully vetted (see what I did there?) by us and Lady Penelope of Fartsville, our cheeky little Frenchie pup. Fun fact, her maiden voyage was a 1500km trek from Adelaide back home to Alice Springs!
Here is a full look at what we cover in the complete digital guide:
Dog-friendly places to stay in town (for when you need a proper hot shower)
Secret places to camp off-grid (outside national park boundaries)
The absolute best spots for big desert views with your pup
Dog-friendly venues and eateries in town for a relaxed night out
Our trusted doggy day care, professional grooming, and overnight sitting recommendations (so you can do the National Park walks guilt-free)
Essential desert pet safety tips and dedicated exercise parks
Local, trusted pet food, equipment stockists, and emergency vet care info
Safety tips from a long time local dog mum that you need to know
