Day 10

Packed up and ready to move by an early 9.30am. Stars!!!!!

Driver got in and ready to roll looked for his wallet as we were to refuel.

Wallet, What wallet. I had it sitting on the bed over night. Did you move it? No! Did you see it? No! Looking, looking, looking and it looks like it got left on the bed and everything is packed on top and the tie down straps are in place.

Nothing to do but unpack!!!!@###@#.

After taking the top off the camper we could look inside if the tent was raised.

So, up with the flaps of the tent, grandma crawls in like a rabbit down the burrow and feeling, feeling she finds the wallet. Hooray.

After that it was an uneventful trip to the camp near Uluru.

You read and see that you go to Alice Springs to visit Uluru. Then while you are in the area you pop over to King's Canyon. All in the Red Centre.

What is not mentioned is that they are hundreds of kilometres apart. King's is about a 300km side trip while Uluru is another 300km plus. And what was called the Olga's is just 50km from the big rock.

Shell must love the outback as they seem to have the monopoly on petrol outlets in the camp areas.

Rolling down the road towards Uluru and a large red rock comes above the horizon. Uluru! the travellers guess. They stop at prepared viewing site complete with toilet and space to camp to get the first pictures of the big rock. Very impressive rock rising out of the red dirt. The sign says Uluru 140km, ????

Later on we discover the first big rock is Mt Connor, see pic below

On the way to the big rock is a lunch break, Curtain Springs, a cattle station with a bit of history I gather from the pictures on the walls. If you ask for a burger with the lot, you get a lotttttttttt.

A plate full of burger, chips etc,etc. Bit of a struggle to eat it all up..

                                            Dining room Curtain Springs

Waiting for lunch we are standing in the bar as it is about 10 deg wind chill, outside after an early morning start of about 2.deg C.

Above the bar I notice something interesting.  Among the relics on the wall was a spear belonging of the original inhabitants. This particular spear was fitted with a 4X to 6X telescopic sight. Wonder how the ballistics of the throw go with the extra weight of the sight? ..

Arrived camp park “Yalara” about 3.30pm with beautiful sunshine about 20 odd degrees and set up before a bit of shopping in the IGA supermarket here.

Another cold night and another late start. This time just 50km down the road to the Uluru National Park. First stop to the cultural centre. This was very well laid out explaining the aboriginal history of the rock and surrounding area. Lots of indigenous art including some local women doing some painting. Had a chat with another native gentleman who gave us a run down on what looked like a heap of plant cuttings. They turned out to be a bush chemist shop for those in the know. Everything one could want. Including something that smelt just like Vick Vapour rub.

As we were leaving to have lunch before a walk, we spotted a ranger with a telescope and guessed that he was looking at the transit of Venus, which we tried to see the day before and could not. My dates must have got mixed up. The telescope was focused on a piece of paper so that you could see a circle of light being the sun and a black spot moving across the circle. The spot being Venus which was passing between the sun and earth as it does every couple of hundred years.

After some great salad sandwiches the intrepid travellers commenced a trek from the centre of culture to the wilds of the area around Uluru. Couple of hours trekking through typical desert country to a couple of gorges on the side of the rock. Interesting formations with some plaques explaining the history etc.

                                                  Make a good quarry?   Last for years

                                                           Fine upstanding gentleman

                                         All interesting forms

The cultural centre had a sign saying climbing was not allowed but as we walked around the rock we spotted climbers marching up the rock by a temperance rally.     They said the rangers did not care if they climbed or not.

                One of the many caves where people lived years ago during various rites.

To me that looks like a conche shell coming out of the sandstone of the cave????????????

Back to the car and a quick down the road towards what used to be the OLGA's.

Stopped at a viewing platform for the following pics and then back to camp.

                                                      What used to be called the Olga's

 

                                          Who is that woman???????????/  She is everywhere

The Mulga ant builds these impressive structures at the entrance to their nest.   Built up to keep surface water out.

Bit of shopping for dinner and back to the viewing platform to see if there were any great sunset pics of the rock.

Missed out due to overcast sky.

Booked a site in Alice Springs camp today to make sure that we get a site after the 400km plus drive.

It turns out that the coming week end is the Finke River Rally with over 600 bikes, quads and cars racing down the Finke river bed. 6oo contestants will most likely have 3000, to 4000 tagging along plus fans from all over the country. Did not think much about the number of bikes that had been passing us but when the sign in the post office said they were closed for the Monday holiday plus the rally then it came together.

Will try to get the next postings done in Alice Springs over the next day or so. There are wifi nets available here but they want credit card details for payment over an unsecured internet connection.

Not for me thanks!!!!

So it is hoo- roo to Uluru and hello Alice........

to be continued......................