Be warned there of lots of piccies in the albums
Day 1 – Kings Canyon
It is 6.00am, it is freezing, it is dark and we are waiting at the hotel reception for our tour bus to arrive. We have sleeping bags and overnight bag, eight litres of water in tow and are ready to begin our 3 day/2 night budget backpackers tour to Ayres Rock with “The Rock” tour group. It is so cold we have about three layers of clothes on. The bus arrives and we are one of the first to be picked up. The bus is toasty warm while we travel around Alice Springs picking up the other backpackers (incidentally we are the oldest!!) another 19. After getting off the bus at the “The Rock” office to confirm our attendance we all rush back on to the warm bus for a two hour drive to our first stop. It is dark and just about everyone is asleep. We stop at a roadhouse for a loo break, coffee and to refuel the bus. Back on the bus for another two hours, our tour guide Ryan tells us we have a total of 17 hours of driving time over the next three days and now is the time to introduce ourselves to each other. A mixed bunch, us oldies, 2 Italians, 3 Americans studying in Melbourne (apparently not many Americans lately), 2 Welsh (both Doctors), 3 Germans, 3 British, 4 Taiwanese and 1 Thai (geologist). Over the days we got to know them and they were a great bunch with some interesting lives. The first day involved a lot of sitting on the bus driving to get close to our destination, I didn’t realise Uluru (Ayres Rock) was so far away from Alice Springs about 400kms! However along the way we did stop at Kings Canyon for a 2.5 hour walk. Kings Canyon is 330km south west of Alice Springs (and quite a big side track off the main route to Ayres Rock, adding a few more travel hours!). It was still cold when we got off the bus just before lunch but we soon warmed up after our climb up a steep hill to begin our 6km walk around the rim. But it was so worth it. An amazing formation of rocks again in the middle of nowhere. The canyon is 270m high. Unfortunately it was very overcast day so not great for taking photos as the colours of the rock would have been stunning against a blue sky. However it didn’t really detract from the beauty of the place. Kings Canyon was only opened to the public in 1993 previously being private property owned by a cattle farmer. Recently a lot of land has been claimed by and returned to the Aboriginals which in this case is great as it means we can now enjoy it. The canyon has many cycads growing amongst the rocks and we did see two black flanked rock wallabies. The walk and the scenery is truly spectacular. We looked into gorges, ranges and rockholes. The Garden of Eden was a real highlight and so unexpected as was the sheerness of the north and south walls and the honeycomb formation of the lost city. Priscilla Queen of the Desert was filmed in the Amphitheatre, how incredible was that and no mean feat to get all the gear there. After our walk we got back on the bus again and headed towards our first campsite at Curtin Springs. We stopped at Kings Creek Station to refuel and afternoon tea. The station is a working station with camels and cattle. The station is the largest exporter of wild camels in Australia and sells camels for live export, live domestic sales and meat. They are known for their ‘camel’ burgers! There was the cutest dog at this station (see pics). On the way to Curtin Springs we saw on the horizon a huge rock and were all thinking it must be Ayres Rock even though we were still probably 100kms away. We stopped and Ryan informed us it is Mt Connor which has rock on top and dirt below. Very deceiving. It forms part of the range that contains Ayers Rock. After a stop to collect firewood, yes all hands on deck we continued on for an alcohol buying trip at Curtin Springs station – amazing to think you can buy alcohol in such a remote area – we finally get to our campsite at about 7.30pm. No-one else there we had the whole place to ourselves – bliss! It is pitch black by this time and all hands on deck to get the fire lit and dinner cooking. It is cold! Dinner is a chilli con carne, rice and vegies. Now when booking the tour John advised them I didn’t’ eat red meat and when we went in to the office on our first day we again confirmed it and we were told I would get my vego meal on the first night and we were having chicken the second. So tad surprised that my meal that night was only the rice and waterlogged vegies! The allowance Ryan made was not cooking the vegies with the meat. Well we are on a budget tour after all – yes we had to all pitch in an cleanup. After dinner and a few attempts to play the didgeridoo we all snuggled down into our swags. This was the first time John and I had tried our –5 degree sleeping bags so were hoping they would work. The swags were not quite what we were expecting – basically a sleeping bag made of canvas with a thin foam mattress that your own sleeping bag slipped into but they were surprisingly comfy. We were expecting the type that has an arch and is pegged each end almost like a mini tent. While it was tempting to sleep around the fire, we opted to move away from the group to get some peace and quiet. Well not to be as we heard at least three snorers – hmm didn’t realise youth snored and footsteps walking by us during the night for wee stops in the bush nearby. There was a long drop loo but it was disgustingly smelly and no-one wanted to use it. With our beanies on we were surprisingly warm though. Ryan had told us dingoes are around and to put our shoes under our pillow as they are like puppies and like to play and chew shoes – I thought he was joking but he was serious.
Day 2 – The Olgas and Uluru
It is still dark and we hear Ryan getting brekkie out and stoking the fire and the ‘time to get up’. It is 6.00am. Very difficult to get dressed in private in a swag with 20 other people around so disappeared behind a bush with clothes in tow and moonlight. Hoping I don’t leave anything behind. Ryan is in a rush to get us on the road so a quick rushed brekkie of cornflakes, tea and after washing our dirty dishes in dirty washing up water (learnt not to look at the hygiene practices) we all get on the bus yet again. After another stop to collect firewood we then went onto to our campsite for the night at The Ayres Rock Campground to drop off the firewood and swags. After this we drove to the “The Olgas” or “Kata Tjuta” as they are now known. On the way we got our first glimpse of Ayres Rock. It was still early in the morning and the rock was a grey colour. Once at The Olgas we got ready to do the Valley of the Winds walk 7.4km loop. Ryan had warned us that it would be cold and it sure was. It was unbelievably cold and windy despite having a beautiful clear blue sky. I had three layers on and it was still biting through. Kata Tjuta is an Aboriginal word for ‘many heads’. The Olgas consist of 36 steep sided domes. The highest dome is 546m above the plain, 1066m above sea level. They are 50kms by road west of Uluru. They are made from sedimentary rock called conglomerate which is a mix of gravel, pebbles and boulders cemented together by sand and mud. It contains many minerals and other rock types, including basalt and granite. Uluru is made from sedimentary rock called arkosse sandstone, a coarse grained sandstone rich in mineral feldspar. The Olgas are truly spectacular and there is something about them that really gets to you. They have significant meaning to the Aboriginal culture and is sacred under the Anangu men’s law. The views are breathtaking and it was well worth facing the elements to do the walk. Ryan told us about the formation of The Olgas, Mt Connor and Ayres Rock and how over the years Ayers Rock and the Olgas have literally turned upside down and it is possible the rocks extend 6km under the surface and what we see is literally the tip of the icebergs! How amazing is that! It also isn’t the largest rock, it is the third with the largest being under the sea so that doesn’t count, followed by Mt Augustus in WA which is twice the size of Ayers Rock however it also doesn’t count as it has a crack in out and therefore doesn’t count as a whole rock. Fascinating. The Aboriginal’s believe The Olgas, Ayers Rock and Mt Connor were formed by two young Aboriginal (Dowie) boys (Dowie being like Super beings who can do anything) going through the initiation process where they stopped to play in the mud after rain and formed mud packs which then became the rocks. We stopped for lunch at a lookout that covered The Olgas and Ayers Rock. From here we headed to Ayers Rock. Wow when we first saw it it is memorising! It is huge and absolutely beautiful! There is nothing else like it. Our first glimpse it was against the blue sky and was a grey colour and totally smooth but as we got closer the colour changed and it wasn’t smooth at all. Lots of holes and curves and interesting shapes form the rock. We were heading off to do the 1.2km Mala walk. A Mala is a hare wallaby and the Aboriginals believe they developed from the mala. An amazing walk and we were very close to the rock and in some places could go into the caves and overhangs where Ryan explained what the area were used for by the Aborigines. Fascinating. It is amazing how many holes and cracks there are in the rock. The colours are stunning against the beautiful blue sky. Our next stop was the Cultural Centre where we spent some time drinking coffee (to get warm) and mooching and learning about the Aboriginal culture of the area. From here we went to our sunset viewing area to view Ayers Rock at sunset. We were having dinner watching the sunset. We were the first group there and snapped up a table and vantage point. Tonight Ryan did dinner while we all stared in awe at Uluru watching the continual change of colours. Over the course of the early evening coaches and other tour groups pulled in to enjoy the view. Some were very organised with silver service tables and waiters ready and waiting to serve chilled champagne and nibbles. Whist we were the budget group we had an equally good view and we had a good meal of chicken, vegies and noodles even if it wasn’t enough for everyone. It was magic watching the rock change colour from brown to orange to a deeper orange and purple. Absolutely stunning. Whilst we were cleaning up an Aboriginal lady came by selling her dot paintings on canvas. They were beautiful and so cheap compared to what we had seen in the stores. We bought a couple of them. It was nice to be able to give the money direct to her instead of a storekeeper. She signed the back for us to authenticate them. Reluctantly we headed back to camp for another night in our swags. We had hot showers and flushing loos at this camp – lovely. We chatted around the fire and all headed to bed fairly early. Not to be kept awake again by the snorers John and I moved well away from the group and didn’t hear a murmur. But we were so cold! Our minus 5 degree bags weren’t doing the job tonight. If it hadn’t been so difficult to get more clothes we would have layered them on. It was freezing and we couldn’t wait to get up.
The Olgas
Ayers Rock at sunset and Mala walk
Day 3 – Uluru
5.30am and we are up – too cold to stay in the swags. Off to the loos to get changed. I saw a dingo, caught it in the torchlight. It was quite a distance and stood looking at me as I stood looking at it. Shame I couldn’t see it better but it was really dark. Ryan said he had a camp dog around his swag which had a black body and blonde legs, I am convinced my dog was all blonde and a dingo! It came out of the bushes near where John and I were camping. Some of the group only had 10 degree sleeping bags and they froze all night and some even slept in the bus not that it was any warmer. Don’t know what the temperature got down to but it was certainly much colder than the previous night. Another rush to get to Ayers Rock to see the sunrise. This time we were the only ones there and another magical experience. But it was so cold. Wish I had gloves. Brekkie was cereal, bread and tea. Think we would have all killed for some hot porridge. It was still dark when we arrived so we had a bit of time waiting for the sun to rise and the colours this morning were black to brown to a slight orange colour as the sun hit it. Unfortunately we weren’t able to stay once the sun had risen as we had a big drive back to Alice Springs and before we hit the road we were doing the 10.6km base walk around the rock. I would have liked to have stayed longer. We started our walk and it was still cold! But what a wonderful walk. It is so wonderful to be so close to the rock and experience every hole, curve and colour. It really is so special. The rock is 348m above the plain and 863m above sea level. There is a big chunk of the walk where you aren’t able to take photos due to the spiritual connection to the Aborigines. These were women’s and men’s sacred sites. If you are caught taking photos in these areas you will be fined up to $15,000! It is amazing how much vegetation surrounds and grows on or near the rock. Just so unexpected when photos and pictures you see of the rock depict it to look so barren in an almost wasteland. As we came to the end of the walk we passed the rock climbers. Today it was open, yesterday it was closed due to strong winds. There were a lot of climbers which was surprising but it was a beautiful day and more often then not it is closed so I guess people were making the most of the opportunity. Have to say it looks dangerous and I was surprised by the age of some of the climbers – not all youngies. Whilst there is a chain to help climb it is at knee level and the rock is so steep that if you fell that would be the end of you. To date 35 climbers have died, 4 in one day. There is a very strong push to discourage people from climbing due to the cultural significance and the Aborigines would prefer people not to climb, however climbing is allowed and some people come to the rock purely for the challenge. The Aborigines say they feel responsible if anyone should die on the rock. (however it would be very easy to set up a safety harness system similar to that used on the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb, if safety really was the reason they didn’t want the rock climbed!) Ryan our guide was very much against anyone climbing the rock so much so that we weren’t given the option of climbing it which is a selling point in their brochure. There were some on the bus who would have liked to have climbed it. I think it is wrong that Ryan forced his views on others, it is his job to be objective. Apparently if the number of visitors to the park who climb the rock drops below 20% then the climb will be closed it is at 32% currently. Although how they know this is beyond us as there appears to be no way of knowing who climbs and who doesn’t. There is no-one at the rock climb monitoring numbers. Judging by the numbers climbing today, can’t see it ever closing. Reluctantly again we left the rock to head back to Alice Springs. We stopped at Ebenezer Roadhouse for lunch and Stuart Well for afternoon tea. Stuart Well is a camel farm and some of the group went for a camel ride. There was a beautiful dingo that allowed you to pet it and some kangaroos that were being rehabilitated. We got to Alice Springs at about 5.00pm and the plan was to catch up later for dinner and drinks. John and I had booked to go back to the Italian restaurant for pizza so popped in afterwards to say goodbye to everyone. We really pigged out out garlic bread and pizza – so yummy. Very busy in Alice due to the beginning of the Finke Desert Race over the weekend. Similar to the Gas Dash in Carnarvon. Motor bikes and converted 4WD’s racing along the riverbed to the town of Finke and back again, 400kms over the weekend. It is one of the biggest events of its kind.
Ayers Rock at sunrise and base walk
We had a fantastic time on this tour. However you are always conscious of being on a time limit and everything is rushed. I would love to go back and do it all again in our own time and really spend time enjoying the area.
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