‘Right now is the perfect time to capitalise on what you have been delaying for way too long’: Uluru, Kakadu in hot demand as cheap flights roll out, survey reveals

NEW survey results reveal Uluru and Kakadu are among the most dreamt of destinations for Australia travellers

• Half price airfares a GO for Darwin after rollercoaster of confusion
• Tour operators scrambling to hire more staff before cheap flights take off

ULURU and Kakadu are in the top three most dreamt of destinations for Australian travellers, new survey results reveal.

Online travel agency kayak.com.au has released a list of the top 10 destinations on Australian bucket lists for 2021, with Uluru and Kakadu in second and third place.

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They both placed above other popular tourist hot spots such as the Daintree Rainforest (Qld), Great Ocean Road (Vic), Cradle Mountain (Tas), Cable Beach (WA) and Mt Kosciuszko (NSW).

Queensland’s Great Barrier Reef topped the list.

The survey revealed at least eight in 10 Aussies had never visited Uluru and Kakadu.

Tourism NT general manager Tony Quarmby said he was thrilled Aussies were looking for something different for their holiday this year.

“Right now is the perfect time to capitalise on what you have been delaying for way too long, and we encourage everyone seeking something different to get out and explore the beautiful Red Centre and Top End this year,” he said.

Uluru is sacred to indigenous Australians and is thought to have started forming around 550 million years ago. Picture: Tourism NT/Lola Hubner

It comes after the federal government unveiled its $1.2bn package to include half-priced airfares to hubs, including Alice Springs and Uluru.

Darwin has now also been included despite not being on the initial destination list.

A spokesman for Tourism Minister Dan Tehan told the Sunday Territorian flights to Darwin from outside the NT would be eligible for discounted fares, however, specific routes were yet to be finalised.

“Flights, routes and the total number of tickets will be driven by demand and are subject to final discussions with the airlines,” he said.

A Qantas spokeswoman said they would continue to work with the government to determine the routes.

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For Aussies looking to travel to Uluru, price data on kayak.com.au reveals that flying to Alice Springs on a Tuesday is often the best way to get the lowest price.

Travellers can save up to 49 per cent on flights compared to flying on a Sunday – typically the most expensive day to fly.

For those travelling to Kakadu via Darwin, travellers can often save up to 16 per cent extra by flying on a Friday, compared to flying on a Tuesday, typically the most expensive day to fly.

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