Mount Conner, Northern Territory: Is this the most disappointing tourist attraction in Australia?
Mount Conner, also known as Attila or Artilla, masquerades as Uluru when driving down the Lasseter Highway from Alice Springs. Alas, it’s an imposter – and there’s still another 129km of Northern Territory outback to go.
When you first see Mount Conner in the Northern Territory, there can be a sense of elation. You’ve made it! Hoorah!
To book a Mount Conner 4WD tour from Ayers Rock Resort, venture this way…
That joy quickly subsides as it dawns that Mount Conner is not what you think it is. Welcome to the most disappointing tourist attraction in Australia – this is not Uluru after all.
It’s an easy mistake to make. At first sight, Mt Conner looks like it might be Uluru. It’s a big red rock, jutting high above the flat desert plains. It reaches 300 metres above ground level and 859 metres above sea level. It’s undeniably impressive. It’s just not the impressive thing that most visitors have come to see.
Mount Conner, also known as Attila or Artilla, was discovered by European settlers in 1873 when William Gosse passed by. It is 75km southeast of Lake Amadeus in the Northern Territory’s Red Centre.
The Mount Conner Lookout
Mount Conner’s problem is being seen from the Lasseter Highway, which connects Uluru to the Stuart Highway. The Mount Conner Lookout on the Lasseter Highway is 339km from Alice Springs. You reach that after driving over three and a half hours through the vast Northern Territory.
If you’re not thinking it’s Uluru, that’s a nice journey breaker. Take a photo, stretch your legs, and get back on with the journey.
Sort out your Red Centre transport now
If you ARE thinking it’s Uluru, then it’s gutting to learn that there’s another 129km to go before you get to the real thing. That’s another hour and 25 minutes behind the wheel on the tedious drive from Alice Springs to Ayers Rock.
Mt Conner has a flat top and, like Uluru, is an inselberg. It is thought to be part of the same huge rock substrate beneath Uluru and Kata-Tjuta. It’s roughly the same size as Uluru – just a little shorter, and a little wider.
Visiting Mount Conner
The other reason why Mount Conner is the most disappointing tourist attraction in Australia is that it’s incredibly difficult to get to. It lies on the enormous Curtin Springs Station, and the only way to get there is on a tour that only departs if sufficient numbers are interested. Given that most people aren’t interested, in practice this means that you need to organise a group of at least four people willing to visit Mount Conner on a day trip.
8 great Uluru experiences to book before you arrive
- 1. Understand Uluru’s caves, bulges, gullies and spiritual stories on a guided base walk.
- 2. Be awe-struck by the changing colours on a SUNRISE tour.
- 3. Eat great food on a dune top, and enjoy an expert-guided stargazing session during a once-in-a-lifetime desert dune-top dinner.
- 4. See an entirely different kind of dramatic outback scenery on Kings Canyon day trip.
- 5. Do a lap of Uluru by Segway.
- 6. See the big picture on an outback helicopter flight.
- 7. See Australia’s most spectacular light show – the Field of Light at sunrise.
- 8. Admire the colour-shifting giant rock domes on a Kata-tjuta sunset trip.
Mount Conner tours from Uluru
SEIT runs a seven to eight hour Mt Conner 4WD Outback Adventure, which includes a glass of sparkling wine at sunset. This tour costs $184 if picking up from Curtin Springs Station, and $294 if picking up from the Ayers Rock Resort. These Mount Conner tours from Uluru can be booked online.
More Red Centre sights
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Which Stuart Highway roadhouses should I stop at in the Northern Territory?
Can I take a scenic flight over Kings Canyon?
What’s the best time to visit Uluru? Perhaps for a camel ride?