When to go — Outback and Uluru

Austral winter (May to September) is imperatively the best period to visit the Outback. Paradoxical but obvious: you visit the Australian desert when Europe is in summer, because it is austral winter and the only time when climate allows full enjoyment of the region.

Temperatures are perfect: 20-25 °C by day (ideal for Uluru Base Walk and Kings Canyon Rim Walk hikes), 5-12 °C at night (plan fleece and warm jacket, the desert is very cold in the evening). Clear sky, maximum sunshine, perfect conditions to observe Uluru at sunrise AND sunset (the two most marking spectacles — each day). Low humidity (30-50%), no annoying flies (the famous bush flies, omnipresent in summer). All-day hikes possible without hyperthermia risk.

June to August is the tourist peak: maximum hotel rates (Sails in the Desert AUD 500-700/night, Longitude 131° AUD 4,000-5,000/night), 3-9 month advance booking mandatory for best accommodations and Sounds of Silence dinners. Australian school holidays (two weeks in July) add to the crowd. May and September offer the best compromise: still perfect climate, moderate crowds, rates down 15-25%.

April and October are acceptable shoulder seasons: pleasant but starting-to-warm climate (25-35 °C by day), reduced crowds, still reasonable rates. October starts to see the first big heat and arrival of flies.

Absolutely avoid November to March: extreme heat (38-45 °C by day, sometimes up to 48 °C in heatwaves), serious risk of hyperthermia and dehydration, impossible afternoon hikes (Uluru Base Walk is often closed by Anangu in excessive temperature), omnipresent flies (fly net essential, available on site), dry thunderstorms with bushfire risk, possible flash floods in gorges (Kings Canyon notably). Only advantage: lowest rates, few crowds — but the experience is radically degraded.