King’s Canyon
9 Ağustos, Avustralya ⋅ 🌬 28 °C
We woke up in the morning to a complete change in the weather. The rain of the night before had disappeared and the only evidence it had left behind were a lot of deep puddles. There was bright sunshine but it was accompanied by a strong bitingly cold wind.
We packed, checked out of our hotel and set off on the 320km drive from Uluru to King’s Canyon. Fortunately it is a really good road with a 110kph speed limit most of the way. We found the landscape to be really varied and interesting - and constantly changing as the trip progressed. For the entire route we were surprised to see really dense vegetation with many trees and shrubs as well as good ground cover. Quite different from the barren desert conditions we had been expecting.
Our first rest break was at a tiny speck of a place in the middle of nowhere called Curtis Springs. It comprises a shop, toilets, a couple of fuel pumps, a caravan park and little else. Still, it had some character and we were quite taken with the place. A real feeling of the outback. We then pressed on, fortunately still on excellent paved roads, and making just a couple more rest stops, before reaching our destination, the King’s Canyon Resort. We reached there around midday, to be told that our room wouldn’t be available for another 2-3 hours. We were fine with that and decided to alter our plans and go directly to the main attraction which had brought us there, the canyon itself. It’s a 14km drive from the resort.
Visitors to the canyon have two choices. There’s the rim walk, which involves a steep climb up several hundred irregular steps then a 6km walk followed by some type of steep and hairy descent - see the photo of some typical steps. Both of us having long lost our mountain goat skills this option was never on our agenda. Option 2 is a comparatively flat walk along the creek bed at the base of the gorge, a 2.6km return trip. Even that was quite challenging in places where the track comprised large uneven river stones. Nevertheless we made it safely to the viewing platform at the head of the gorge where we sat admiring the unusual vegetation and great scenery of steep gorge walls. The regular water flows make this a very lush area. Evidently there is a huge range of wildlife there, though aside from a few small birds we didn’t see any. Most of the time we were on our own, and it was great to be able to sit there undisturbed in the bright sunshine.
Late afternoon we drove back to the resort, checked in and unpacked, then rested for an hour or so before heading off to our next big event. This is a light tower show held adjacent to the resort, and we were told we should be there for 5.30pm. A little earlier Brian had gone for an exploratory walk and realised how spread out the resort is. On one side of the ‘main’ road is the motel-type accommodation which in itself is spread out. Across the road there’s a decent-sized general store, a large caravan park and a big bar and restaurant. Rather than make the ten minute each way trek between our room and the site of the light tower show, we decided to drive.
It was still broad daylight and the viewing platform, well set up with tables and chairs, looked over a flat desert area towards an impressive looking mesa called Mount Connell. Our holiday package included wine and some canapés. It gave us an opportunity to taste small samples of indigenous foodstuffs including kangaroo and crocodile meat as well as green ants. Very enjoyable. After seeing the sun set on Mount Connell and it got dark the towers of light switched on. It is hard to describe the towers fully. Created by Bruce MBruce Munro MunroOkumaya devam et
Rock around The Rock
8 Ağustos, Avustralya ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C
A decent catch-up sleep for a change with a more civilised 7.30am start to the day. We decided this would be a less exhausting day, so first stop was the Cultural Centre located at the base of Uluru.
The place is set up beautifully, and even if one doesn’t subscribe to the Aboriginal beliefs it’s still a great place to visit. We learnt much about the history of the area and saw great examples of their arts and crafts. We then spent an interesting half-hour or so chatting to the (non-Aboriginal) manager of the adjacent art gallery. Originally from Adelaide she has spent a number of years living and working among the Aboriginal people of the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) lands north of Adelaide and is now immersed in Aboriginal culture at Uluru where she helps them with their painting. The gallery has plenty of original art for sale, though at prices from $400 up to around $12,000. Unsurprisingly we chose not to purchase anything.
From the Cultural Centre we took a five-minute drive to our next stop, from where we walked a few hundred metres to the Mutitjulu waterhole, a permanent source of water in the shadow of the rock. The area for some distance around is very green with plenty of vegetation. A big surprise for us both has been the amount of vegetation throughout the entire area wherever we’ve gone. The unusually-shaped desert oaks are the main tree species but there are plenty of acacias as well as other low shrubs. Spinifex and other species cover the bare earth. It’s quite unlike the bare desert conditions we’d been expecting to see.
Following our waterhole walk Carol decided to wait at the carpark while Brian set off for a walk on the track which goes right round Uluru. The full circuit is 10km, which is way beyond either of our capabilities. While there are plenty of keen and energetic walkers who were doing the full circumnavigation, most of them well below our vintage, There were also many riders of hire bikes and Segways on the circuit. Brian walked for an estimated 1.5km before acknowledging his limitations and turning back. That was always going to be the plan. No point in overdoing it, even though it was tempting to have kept going as the features of Uluru are different at every turn. As a consolation prize we drove round the rock, and that was scenic and interesting in itself.
We then headed back to our accommodation for a brief rest then visited the Gallery of Central Australia, adjacent to our resort. It was quite interesting, though we were more taken by the less overtly commercial gallery we’d visited earlier in the day.Okumaya devam et
Another early start and another big challenge
7 Ağustos, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 28 °C
No sleep-ins so far on this trip as we had to be up early for the 5.45am bus pickup from our hotel. A 20 minute trip took us to a pitch black carpark where the bus unloaded its very full load of tourists plus its two travellers, ie us.
We then went on a hazardous walk of several hundred metres on a gravel path to get to the famous Field of Light. The two of us were so thankful we had thought to bring our torches or we’d undoubtedly have been returning home to Brisbane on stretchers. That said, the Field of Light is quite something. For those not in the know, this art installation comprising over 50,000 constantly changing coloured lights was created by British artist Bruce Munro and covers the area of seven football fields. It is on an area of flat desert land located so that it is in the foreground with Uluru providing a spectacular backdrop. Evidently it had been planned as a temporary feature but such was the level of interest that it is now a permanent installation which has attracted a reported 750 thousand visitors so far. It was so great to be able to walk on meandering pathways among the lights. A unique experience.
Just prior to sunrise we walked a bit further, still in darkness, to a lookout on the top of a rise where we could observe the sunrise hitting Uluru. This time the sky on the eastern horizon was clear of clouds so it was quite a different experience from the previous day’s Uluru sunrise. Tea, coffee and biscuits were served, after which it was all aboard the bus back to the resort and breakfast.
We then decided to head off to the Olgas for the Walpa Gorge walk. While Uluru gets most of the publicity, the Olgas, a 45-minute drive away, are even more impressive. Even though a 27 degree day had been forecast the morning was refreshingly cool and we saw no way that the temperature would get to anywhere near its target.
The walk is reported as 2.6km return and taking one hour. I don’t doubt the distance but the time estimate is laughable. It was most definitely a challenge for we oldies, but we were determined not to fail this time. The ground is very rocky and uneven the whole way up between two of the giant boulders and both of us relied heavily on our hiking poles to keep ourselves upright. It was also quite steep in parts. Our target was the head of a small stream which runs between the two boulders. The area along the watercourse is beautifully green. It must have taken us the best part of an hour to reach the top but it was satisfyingly well worth it. When you have to concentrate with every single step on where you put your poles and your feet it eventually becomes quite exhausting. We spent a good half-hour resting at the viewing platform, chatting to fellow visitors and taking heaps of photos of our amazing surroundings. We then successfully braved the return walk to the carpark. It continued to be cloudy and cool for most of the way but about 15 minutes before the end of our return walk a blazing sun suddenly appeared and it became really hot. Shades of the previous day’s experience but fortunately this was right at the very end when we were almost home and hosed. It would be interesting to know how many broken legs and other injuries are sustained by tourists walking the track.Okumaya devam et
A trip in the dark, but we later fail a challenge
6 Ağustos, Avustralya ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Our first full day, and it had to be a traumatically early start as we wanted to see the famous sunrise at Uluru from the recommended vantage point, the Talinguru Nyakunytjaku lookout. Getting there was fun, as it was a 30 minute drive in pitch darkness in an unfamiliar car on unfamiliar roads. As if that wasn’t enough of a challenge we were warned that herds of feral camels are common in the area. Despite this we arrived safely. At that ungodly hour the place was totally deserted though that was soon to change.
One misconception I had was that the sun would appear from behind the rock, but this isn’t the case at all. The sun rises from the opposite direction, behind us as we face the rock, and gradually lights up its surface. As it gets higher in the sky it creates an ever-changing pattern as it highlights the various features of the Uluru surface. We were a little disappointed at first as the sun was partly covered by cloud, so there was no direct sunlight on the rock. Fortunately after a few minutes the cloud cleared and we enjoyed a really magnificent display of the rock’s constantly changing appearance.
Did I say that the place was almost deserted? Well that changed very quickly as several large tourist buses and a large number of private vehicles had arrived just before the actual sunrise and while we were concentrating on trying to get the perfect photo. We soon realised that the lookout on the top of the sand-dune, the carpark and all the surrounding paths were jam-packed with tourists. (Note: they are tourists and we are travellers).
Back at base, we collected our audio guides from the tourist office and did some basic shopping. After lunch we were ready to set out again, this time on the Mala Walk alongside part of the base of the rock. Nothing too ambitious, or so we thought. By then the day had heated up, the sun was shining brightly and the rock stopped any sort of refreshing breeze. The drive to Mala Walk had taken about 30 minutes and then, full of confidence, we set off. Touted as a 1.5km walk, we thought it would be easy.
It really is quite something to see the Uluru surface up close and to be able to go inside one of its many caves. However, after about 1km we both had to admit that we were pooped, so decided to head back to the car. No regrets whatsoever about going on this walk, as it provided us with a spectacularly unique experience, but we had to admit defeat. The remainder of the afternoon was spent resting up back at the resort.Okumaya devam et
Yulara
6 Ağustos, Avustralya ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
Arrival
6 Ağustos, Avustralya ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C
It’s very long way from Brisbane to Uluru. A 3.5 hour flight in any other part of the world could see you traverse several countries. It all went smoothly, and we collected our rental car at the airport. It was a short drive to our accommodation at the Desert Sands Resort, a comfortable enough room.
Our initial surprise came in discovering that the desert there isn’t so barren after all. There are plenty of trees, spinifex and other ground cover. Amazingly the Uluru township is difficult to navigate on foot and we even managed to get ourselves thoroughly disorientated. There are several reasonably=priced restaurants, and we chose one of them for a casual meal before an early nightOkumaya devam et
