Central Australia in December/January

by Hok Pan Yuen
(Melbourne)

My family and I are planning to visit Central Australia some time in December and January. But I worry about the temperature. Is it really very hot during that time of the year? Would it make the visit unenjoyable? Thanks for your advice.

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Central Australia in December/January

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Alice Springs and Uluru in December and January
by: Birgit

I have tables with average temperatures in the Red Centre on several pages of this website. Here are two:

Australian Outback Temperatures (includes a table for Ayers Rock)
Alice Springs Climate and Temperatures (more detail about the climate)

I also have those tables and climate details in my free outback guide.

As you can see, the daily average maximum in December and January is above 35°C. If the heat would make your visit unenjoyable only you can tell. Some people can't stand the temperatures, others don't mind.

Wey season too!
by: Pete

Verrrrrrrrrry hot and the wet season too, so a lot of off road travel - and some bitumen roads too - will be no go areas. It is not a very good idea - I know, I live in the Great Sandy Desert south of Halls Creek WA

Cheers

pete

Worth while experience
by: Az & Ari

We just came back, it was rather quiet but certainly hot (up to 40 deg Celcius). Make sure bring plenty of cold water. I was prepared for all this but completely forgot about the flies. Hundreds of flies swarming. Pretty challenging (we came with three very young kids) but well worth it.

AZ & Ari
Darwin

Flies in summer
by: Birgit

Oops. I forgot to mention them too in my initial answer. I certainly do mention them in the free Outback guide though.

Thanks for your comments on your experience! And glad you still found it worth it. (I guess as Darwinites you'd cope bette than people from cooler climates might.)

It was fantastic!
by: Hok Pan Yuen

My family and I did go to Central Australia in Jan 2010 for ten days. It rained a little bit, but the weather was mostly gorgeous - in the mid 30s (Celsius). In fact, when we visited Kings Canyon, the max was only 29 degrees on the day and there was a breeze. So it was marvellous. I think we were lucky. Our strategy was to start early (7 am) and finish all our outdoor activities by 11 am. In that way, the heat didn't really affect us much. As for the flies, there were some but nothing serious. Overall, it was a fantastic trip!