Alice Springs to Uluru

Alice Springs to Uluru

I distinctly remember being around 10 years old, sitting in the basement and watching a PBS television program about the Australian Outback.  I was fascinated by the animals and the landscapes – in particular Ayers Rock (or Uluru to be more correct).  I can’t pinpoint exactly what it was about it that fascinated me so much, but it has stayed with me for a number of years.  So of course, it was a must see point on this journey.

As a jumping off point to start our trek out to Uluru, we spent two nights in the town of Alice Springs, the iconic outback town that really is the only base from which to start.  After 3 nights in the campervan, we splurged and checked ourselves into a hostel, complete with hot showers, and laundry.  It was off to the centre of town where we tucked into a nice meal – complete with Kangaroo medallions in a sauce of Outback spices.  Don’t ask me to describe what the taste was like – it tastes like Kangaroo.  But it was very good.  I spent the next full day wandering around Alice Springs, checking out the numerous Aboriginal art galleries, and funky little shops, and generally being lazy in the hostel common area.  Oh Steig Larssen – I resisted you at home, but the book swaps here landed me with the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  And I was essentially useless for the rest of the day.

The Todd River in Alice Springs.

The Todd River again - the only reason it has water in it is the result of an abnormally wet year that they've had in the outback.

We set off for Uluru the next morning.  A very long 450km later, we pulled into the Yulara Resort – which is the only place to camp within 150km of the park.  Early the next morning, we joined the caravan of cars heading out into the darkness, racing the sun to see it rise over the rock.  Sadly, we were thwarted by the clouds that rolled in!  It was still amazing to see, in the calm of the morning. 

Our view of Uluru from the look out point at the campground.

The flowers were blooming in the Red Centre! 

As I’m sure people are saying (because they were saying it before we left home)  “what’s all the fuss about a rock?”  Technically, it’s not a rock – it’s one of 3 surviving peaks of a mountain range.  It’s 3.6 km long, 2.4 km wide, and is 343 metres high.  It’s of incredible significance to the Anangu people, as its name means “Meeting Place”, and is home to many of the Dreamtime legends, which you can see depicted in carvings and paintings.  As such, there are a number of signs posted on the walk around the site asking you to not take pictures of the sacred sites, because only those of the Anangu who have been initiated into the secrets of the sacred can see these places.  (I tried to obey the signs and respect the wishes of the Anangu people, but if I inadvertently took a picture, I’m sorry.  Drop me a line and I’ll remove the picture)

We started our 10km walk around the perimeter of Uluru – we could see the clouds rolling in, and hear the thunder, but really?  Rain in the desert?  The answer is yes.  It poured down on us for probably a good 20 minutes until the clouds broke, and the sun came out.  It was magical to see the rock, red with the moisture, with the water running down in channels.

Uluru at Sunrise.

Finally - some sunshine breaks from behind the clouds.

Glo enjoying the sights!

The walk up to the top of Uluru.  It was closed due to winds and the possibility of rain.  We wouldn't have climbed it anyway.

Taking cover from the rain storm under a natural overhang at Uluru.  The water is running off the rock.

Our next stop was to head out an additional 50km to the Olgas (Kata Tjuta) which is a series of 31 individual domes or rocks that are in a semi circle which surrounds a central valley.  What is unique is that the entire site hides a number of water holes, which allows for some unique plant and animal life.  On one of our walks it was pointed out that there are species of plants that are completely unique to Kata Tjuta.  They aren’t found anywhere else in Australia.

Kings Canyon was the next national park on our list.  Opened in 1989, it’s a fairly new national park, and a welcome change from the crowds at Uluru.  Our plan was to drive out to Kings Canyon, do a couple of hikes to explore the scenery and landscape, and then camp for the night before starting our epic trek to the south.  In theory it sounded like a good plan, until we realized that the “Floodway” signs that we’d been seeing on our journey through the outback weren’t just there for show.  As more rain was forecast for that night, we did our hikes, and then made the wise decision to make for Kulgara back on the main highway and camp for the night.  Fairly good judgement on our part.

Floodway?  What's a floodway you ask?

Ahh, now I know.

A Little Reminder of Home

When I was 5 or 6, Sarah and I were each given a Glo-Worm for Christmas.  Nothing too big – just 2 inches of plastic that glowed in the dark when you had left them in the light for any length of time.  It’s been 25 years, and Sarah & I still have our Glo-Worms.  And mom has one as well.  A sort of talisman that ties us together when we aren’t.

As I was planning this trip, Sarah said to me “I think you should bring your Glo-Worm with you – just a little piece of home.”  When I said that I wasn’t, because I was concerned about weight, she looked so disappointed.   And it stayed with me for a good 4 weeks, as I was packing, and then re-packing.  Why shouldn’t I bring my Glo-Worm as a mascot, and a reminder of home?  So, in Glo went into the carry-on.  And let me tell you – Glo has seen some pretty amazing stuff.

Waiting in the Edmonton Airport for our flight.

In front of the Opera House.

Being used as a size comparison - this is a small Latte that I purchased in Darwin for the price of $4.80.  I was appalled.

Front seat view from our Campervan.

At the Devil's Marbles just outside Tennant Creek.

Ahh - the Outback.

Uluru (Ayer's Rock)

King's Canyon National Park

Glo will pop up in pictures every now and then - basically because I think it's fun.  Coming up soon - posts on our trip out to Uluru, and the Great Ocean Road.

Darwin to Sydney

I have been remiss in my blogging duties. Let me begin by saying that web access in the Australian Outback is both hard to come by, and incredibly expensive. That being said, let me clear up a few points. We left Sydney and flew up to Darwin – on the north coast. Why you ask? It seemed like a good idea at the time. Darwin was to be our jump off point for an adventure across the Outback – making our way back south to Adelaide.

I was very much looking forward to Darwin. I had in my head the Darwin of Baz Lurhman’s Australia. Let me just say that Baz lied. Darwin was nothing like what I imagined. And it was completely my fault for not doing the research the way I should have. Darwin is the jump off point either for cheap airfares to Asia, or it’s the gateway to the northern interior of the country – the National Parks of Kakadu and Litchfield, both of which we did not go to due to monetary considerations and the fact that it is the "Wet" in the Northern Territory – resulting in inaccessible roads, and Saltie infested waters. The Saltwater crocodiles tend to migrate inland during the "Wet" as rivers and streams swell with water, becoming easily accessible for the crocodiles.

After 6 interminably long days in Darwin, we picked up our rental Campervan to start our 1500km journey south to that big rock in the center of the continent – Uluru. Day one of the road trip started off with a breath of relief as I was able to negotiate driving on the left in a Standard vehicle with nary an incident. The adventure really began as we pulled into a small town called Pine Creek to fill up our van. Once we filled it up and got over the sticker shock of $1.46/litre, lo and behold, the van would not start. After sitting in the sweltering heat for 10 minutes, a phone call was finally made to the roadside assistance line, at which point I was advised that we should boost the battery, and then continue on our way down the highway to Katherine, where there is a Mechanic contracted with the company. Prevailing on the kindness of strangers, a very nice man boosted us, and we were on our way.

We bombed into Katherine, and pulled into the mechanic where he tested our battery, and told us that it was "flat". Essentially, it didn’t have a charge, and wouldn’t hold a charge. Sadly, as it was late in the day, just before closing, they couldn’t fix it for us and could we come back the next day? We really didn’t have a choice, so we found a caravan park in Katherine where we set up shop. A meal of Ichiban noodles and a very interesting show by the largest colony of Fruit Bats in Australia as they left their perch under the Katherine Bridge for the evening were the highlights. (As an aside, I have to say Fruit Bats are huge. For comparison’s sake, as they were soaring overhead, I thought they were the size of a fat seagull. Our bats at home have nothing on them)

Success next morning as our van started and we headed out to the mechanics for a new battery. 3 new friends, and 4 hours later, Chrystal and I were back on the road, headed out to Kitmiluk National Park (home of the Katherine River and the Katherine Gorge). We pulled into the park, and exited our van in the 38 degree heat with some difficulty. As the river cruise that afternoon was full, we booked seats on the morning cruise. We set up shop and hung out by the pool until it cooled off (relatively) enough to attempt a hike out to the Gorge Lookout (let me just say that it hadn’t cooled off enough). But on our walk, we finally saw our first Australian animal – the Wallaby.

We met 2 lovely Germans and an Australian as we were cooking over the outdoor grill and they invited us over for Mangos for dessert. Some excellent conversation ensued, and we’ve got some potential inside information for our trip into Melbourne.

The cruise down the Gorge was amazing. I can’t even begin to describe it – so I’ll let the pictures do the talking for me. Just let me say that our guide was amazing and highly informative.

Yep - those are Croc tracks on the sand.

A long day of driving followed, where we stopped at the town of Renner Springs for an evening of camping.  We were visited by vicious sand fleas, resulting in the bites as you can see below. By far the most expensive gas we’ve purchased yet - $1.97/litre. Would we have stopped in Renner Springs? Probably not – but the locals highly recommend that us tourists don’t drive at night. Australian wildlife is nocturnal, and abundant, and animal impacts are highly likely.

Our next day was a long one – but our goal was clear – Alice Springs or Bust. A quick stop at the Devils Marbles, and then it was back on the road. But we’ve made it. It’s time for a quick refresh – 2 nights of sleeping in real beds with airconditioning, before we head out to Uluru.

Sydney

When I first landed in Sydney, my initial reaction was huh?  This was strictly due to the fact that after we came into our gate at the airport, there wasn’t the mad dash to get off the plane.  Everyone was mandated to sit in their seat while the flight attendants opened the overhead bins, and sprayed an aerosole insecticide throughout the cabin of the airplane.  You then had to sit for 5+ minutes while the spray settled and had time to work.  It was disconcerting to say the least.  But then the go signal was given, and the mad dash to get off the plane commenced J.

Sydney is a beautiful and vibrant city.  It’s clean – or at least the areas that we’ve seen are.  I haven’t seen a lot of garbage around the city.  And it’s green – the amount of park space is amazing.  And what’s more – people use the parks.  As we were walking thru the Royal Botanical Gardens, I was amazed at the amount of people who were enjoying the park on a cloudy day.  There was an incredible amount of people jogging, participating in fitness classes (Jackie – they make our boot camp look like playschool), enjoying a leisurely stroll, or just enjoying a picnic in the park for lunch.   Chrystal and I probably spent a good 20 minutes sitting on a bench looking out over the harbour, marvelling at the fact that we were actually finally here.

And then you round a bend in the path along the harbour, and you see it – that iconic site that I’m sure everyone who has been to Sydney has seen – the Opera House, with the Harbour Bridge standing behind it.  It sounds corny, but there is something about it that takes your breath away.  And it just keeps getting better the closer you get to it – the sun makes it shimmer. 

We’ve spent an incredible amount of time just wandering around the city centre and it’s neighbourhoods.
 

Dorm Life?  Well, it’s good and it’s bad.  Our first 5 nights were spent in a 4 person dorm with an Irish & German girl – it was quite nice.  Quiet and some really good Australia tips were shared.  Our last night in Sydney – we have had to move into a 6 person dorm with 3 girls from Sweden (this is purely a guess as they’re not the most friendly of sorts) and one lone German guy.  It’s only for one night, and we fly out for Darwin tomorrow.  In a most inopportune fashion, we booked our air tickets, and then realized that it’s the beginning of the Wet season.  Wish us luck!

It Begins

When I was 18, my parents took my sister and me to Mexico for Christmas.  It was my first time in a country where English wasn’t the predominantly spoken language, and where people didn’t live like we did.  It was fascinating to me.  Then, in my third year of university, I had an opportunity to do an internship in Malaysia for 6 weeks.  It was an eye opening experience, filled with sights, sounds and smells that were completely foreign to me, and one I loved.  As a result, when I graduated from University, the plan was to get a “big girl” job, work for a couple of years, save my money, and then get out and see the world.  Not to tick the places off on a list, or to collect the stamps in my passport, but to revel in the experiences that were outside my sphere.  It was a wonderful plan, and it sustained me through many an hour sitting in a cubicle, staring at a computer screen.  But then being what is typically viewed as a “grown up” got in the way.   The goal switched, from a rootless existence travelling to setting down roots and building a career and a life.  I’d get that restless feeling about every 12 to 18 months, at which point, I’d take a 1 to 2 week vacation in Mexico, China, or South East Asia to sate the urge, and then go back to my nice little life.

                And then, I found my journal – the journal that I’d written in when I first graduated.  And I spent an eye opening evening reading it.  And thoughts started to niggle in the back of my mind – how could I just put these dreams to the side?  And how could I, for all intents and purposes, put my “grown up life” on hold, and take a year to even live a portion of my dream?  Those niggling thoughts wouldn’t go away, and I’d find myself talking about them with friends – almost looking for an answer one way or another.  Am I crazy?  Or is this the sanest thing I’ve ever thought of doing?  And the more I talked about it, the more I realized that this is something I have to do.  And from there, plans and logistics just seem to have fallen into place.

                The long and short of it is, on October 25, 2010, I’m getting on a plane to Sydney Australia.  Is there a plan for the year?  No.  There is a list of things that we’d like to see and do, but no schedule.  And at this point, a rootless existence appeals to me.  I want to see things that aren’t in my realm of normal.  In fact, I want to redefine what I view as normal.  And as of right now, it starts with a backpack.