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| Uluru at Sunset |
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| Ularu Base Walk |
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| Walpena Gorge, Olgas |
First chore before setting off from Coober Pedy was to refill our tanks with water. None of the caravan parks here provide water to fill our tanks, but a tap was available for this purpose downtown. As we will be free camping for the next day or two it was important to have as much as possible. Another early start & another convey of large white ants on the highway, which soon dissipated. The mornings & evenings are still cold but it's usually OK by midday. It's nice to be away from the shambles of Coober Pedy & we soon leave messy landscape behind. The desert landscape is full of healthy looking plants - it surprises us as it is not what we expected, but I suspect it is unusual & only since all the rain they have had. Nevertheless it is great the way the plants survive in this environment, with colours of red, blue/greens, greys, browns & still the wheat coloured grasses. Initially we see little birdlife though at one stage a small flock of lorikeets fly right into the front of the car & Stuart is worried he has hit some of them, but we are hoping not. We also come upon a large eagle on the road eating roadkill until we get too close. Also saw a much smaller hawk-like bird a little further on. The inevitable crows are still around most of the time. Somewhere there are homesteads hidden amongst the flat landscape, the only clue their nameplates along the highway. By mid-morning we sight some lagoons & more birdlife, especially white corellas which are smaller than cockatoos & without the the crest. I haven't managed to get a close look at them as yet. Just before the small roadhouse stop of Marla the golden grass becomes quite widespread over the plains among the other plants. The cattle farmers must be really pleased to have the luxury of such feed for a change. We find our rest area for the night quite early today so we can sit in the sun & relax for a change. It eventually fills up with other vans, some with generators which spoils the peace & quiet somewhat. Still, they are quiet by bedtime.
It turns out to be the coldest night we have experienced & by morning is -2deg out & zero in the van. I must say I was cold all night so didn't sleep the best. One of the other aussie campers who has been up this way many times before said it was the coldest he has known. Lucky us! However it is a beautiful sunny morning, so we leave at 8.00am - much warmer to get going in the nice warm car. We crossed the border into the Northern Territory at 8.35am & the landscape changes a little, becoming much more rocky with large outcrops of red rock. We saw a wild dog cross the road at one point. It is darker than a dingo but apparently there are wild dogs which have crossed with dingo at some time. The speed limit changes to 130 - makes no difference to us as we wouldn't do that anyway van or no van, & thankfully most other vehicles don't seem to want to drive at that speed either. We turn off the Stuart Highway onto the Lassiter Highway en route to Uluru at last. We are just one of many, many heading in that direction.Our first sight of Uluru is quite exciting even though it is still 130kms away. It looms large in the distance clothed in lovely pink/purple hues. Then it disappears until we come upon a photographic opportunity at a lookout point. It looks so near, but then we don't see it again for about an hour when we reach Yalara which is the Resort & camping ground. It is very busy but with 100 powered sites plus unpowered & cabins, it is nowhere full thank goodness. It again is not what we expected being in the arid N.T. but the lawns around the resort are so, so green they are almost unnatural. Still, I guess you have to impress the wealthier tourists who spend all the money on plane flights, helicopter flights etc.
Next morning we pack our picnic lunch & head off for 'The Rock' & what a rock it is. It isn't until you stand at the base of this giant that you realise the immensity & powerful. We are lucky to have a wonderful clear blue, cloudless sky & although it is still possible to climb the rock, we choose not to do so as there are many signs from the aborigines asking people to refrain. This is a very spiritual place for them so it was our wish to respect that. Not so most others who were capable. It is a really steep climb with only a rope handrail to hang on to & those ascending do so on the left & those descending keep to the right. There is no room for shuffling past someone & there have been about 35 deaths & many injuries. We later watched & although most climbers seem to manage the up, many were on their rear ends at times as it was obviously very scary on the down. It must have been amazing to do it, but we were glad we did not. We did walk around the base of the whole thing however, all 11km of it. One thing which struck me particularly when we were able to get close enough, was the texture of the rock which resembled the bark of our lovely kauri trees back in the Kaipara. I discovered later that we could have driven around & made short excursions at different intervals, but Stu didn't tell me that. There are many, many signs asking not to take photos of particular sections, again because of cultural significance, but we did get some good shots at 'legal' places. After returning to the campground for a refreshing shower & a cuppa, we returned for the sunset with at least 1500 others. When the sun sets, it is not the sun itself that attracts but the light it throws on to Uluru. It becomes an orange glow slowly changing as the sun goes down. Well worth the short drive back there. Stu managed some nice shots. It's not cheap do stay here even in the campground, & everyone who enters the National Park must pay $25 per person to do so. However, that permit does last for 3 days & you can enter as many times as you wish. To visit 'The Olgas" which is about 50kms away, also necessitates travelling through the park, so it's just as well. Uluru was taken away from the aboriginal people way back, & after many attempts to get the Australian Government to hand it back, they eventually won back the title with the provision that it be jointly managed for 99 years. Personally I think it makes sense as no-one knows how to manage this land better than the original inhabitants.
A new day & a new walk. Today we explore The Olgars (or Kata Tjuga). The latter is an aboriginal name means 'many heads' There are 36 steep-sided domes 32kms west of Uluru, so a 50km road trip from Yulara (our camping ground), & again are important & sacred under aboriginal law. It's another lovely day with cloudless blue sky, but still that slightly chilly breeze but we won't complain about that. We arrive at our destination, grab a cup of coffee from our flask, & set off on our walk.. The Olgas though not as mystical as Uluru, are fascinating & actually a lot more interesting in that it is possible to have more interaction with them, which means walking right up close to them & even climbing over the lower rocky shelf. We have lots of company on the initial stages to the first two lookouts over a rather rocky track, lots of steps & hard under foot, which passes between the massive irredescent domes. Kata Tjuta is actually 200m higher than Uluru & unfortunately it is hard to portray that in a photograph. In order to carry on to the latter part of the walk, we continue through a canyon which leads to the 'Valley of the Winds', which leads to a large open valley of vibrant colours & textures quite unexpected. There are many trees & a lovely distant view of a range of hills, & 100's of little birds who chatter & cheep musically but never stay still enough to snap. We find ourselves blessed that the valley is not living up to it's name today, as it is quite sheltered & warm, so as usual I have to start taking off the layers. One of the great aspects of these walks is that there are taps of drinking water to refill bottles along the way. Apparently in the hotter months of the year this is really necessary as temperatures can reach 40deg or so. If it reaches 36deg the walk is closed as it is too dehydrating. You wouldn't find me walking in those temperatures! Incidentally this National Park including Uluru & Kata Tjuga, covers 1,325 hectares & has been Heritage listed not only for it's importance as a natural phenomena, but also because of it's cultural significance.
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