Return drive from Uluru to Alice Springs

After a terrifc breakfast buffet at the Bough House, we checked out and headed back to Alice Springs. We stopped at the roadhouses we had missed on the way down. To be honest, they are all a bit of a blur at this point. All fully serviceable but none that stands out for a recommendation. There is one place with a sort of bird santuary or zoo, that we checked out for birds we might not see otherwise. We stopped again at the Mt. Connor lookout, beautiful as before, but more to see if any of the great salt lake was visible from that place. It is not. At the Finke River crossing we pulled in and wallked down to the river bed, delighted to find some water still there at the end of the dry season. It was not flowing, but enough to have a few fish traps still set up. We had the place to ourselves until a busload of tourists arrived just as we were leaving. To refresh our understanding of the country we were driving through, we replayed the CD of the trip From Alice Springs to Uluru, running the tracks 9, 8, 7... Especially the bits we had missed on the way down. Hearing that the meteor craters were accessible by regular vehicle, we turned off to see them. However, a "4WD vehicle recommended" sign stopped us in our tracks and we turned back. The Camry rental agreement said sealed roads only. Besides, we did not want to get mired somewhere out in the middle of the back of beyond! We arrived in Alice Springs tired and happy, ready to have dinner and turn in. We parked at Todd Mall (a street mall) and ate at Sporties that night, I believe. We followed three great big guys down the mall, listening to them talking sports all the way. We expected a dark bar filled with TV Sports screens everywhere. Surprise! Sporties is a bright blue, white, and silver diner, with a full bar, large menu, and friendly service. A perfect way to end the day!

Sunset at Kata Tjuta

With our last full day at Uluru waning, we drove to Kata Tjuta to watch the sunset. The viewing station is between the western horizon and the domes of this complex geological site. Its name means 'many heads' and it is still so sacred that there is little talked of it. However, if we ever come again, we will spend several more days to walk into the Valley of the Winds and other parts of it. At the end of our long walk at Uluru, we were content to stand with the other pilgrims, backs to the sun, watching the changing colours and shadows on the domes and in the sky around them. We had a number of pleasant conversations with other watchers. Then we drove back to the resort in time to  make a reservation for dinner at the Bough House, where we enjoyed a leisurely meal and a double helping of GF panna cotta for dessert!

Uluru: 2nd Day Base Walk

We saved the Mala Walk and the Base Walk for our final day at Uluru. From parking at the base of the climb to the return point, the Mala Walk must add a full km to the 11+kms of the base walk. I was determined to complete the walk. This was my bucket list item - of all of our Australian trip outings, the most important one to me. No one should attempt this feat without being fully prepared. Because of the cold mornings at this time of year, we took our time and did not begin until close to 11 a.m. OK, but better to have started much earlier. Required: good walking boots, sun block, hat, fly net if needed, and absolutely 1.5 litres of water. Each of us carry a 1 litre steel cannister, and a 750 ml collapsible plastic drinking bottle that hooks easily to belt loops or bag straps. Be advised! Benches are few and far between around the path. Even less frequent are the water taps. Only 2 to be precise, both toward the halfway point. All set? Here we go!

The Mala walk tells the story of the Mala ancestors at Uluru. But it includes visits to the caves those ancestors actually used - the boys' cave with the peephole that allowed them to watch the men hunting the last emu leaving the waterhole so that the other emu would come back next time; the men's cave where the faces and eyes could still be seen of the men killed in the attack that drove the Mala south; the women's and girl's  cave where the seed grinding spots are still visible; and the old men's cave where the grandfathers sat around a fire that left the roof blackened with soot. We left the Mala story and started the base walk, intermittently looking up to see where we were along the wall of Uluru, spotting landmarks set for us by Justin the day before, and admiring the flora and fauna along the path. There are signs and dark outlines on the maps to indicate where photos are not allowed - even ao, it can be confusing. I hope we were correct in where our photos were taken. The forbidden areas are sacred and meant to be viewed in situ. In some areas the path veered far enough away that places for  Men's or Women's business, as it is called, was lost from sight. We made our way into another waterhole, impressed with the lack of litter. But we were disappointed to find that many footprints left the barricade at the waterhole itself, regardless of signs explaining the sacred nature of the spot and inviting people to sit and reflect on what they were seeing and feeling. It is a shady rest area, the plunge of rock above it utterly breathtaking. However, some folks seemed compelled to ignore this request and disturb the shores around the water, even leaving their initals carved into the sand. At one of the several large benches, curving branches pieced together artfully by a skilled craftsperson, and to be clear, placed too far apart along the path, we put up tired feet and ate our packed lunches. By the time we made the water stop around the 1/2 way point, our bottles were low - thank you to whoever built that shelter! Having started the walk late morning, we chose to walk clockwise. I believe the stories are told in that direction anyway. And it meant that for the hottest part of the day we were on the far side of Uluru, the path more shaded even when it swung quite far away from the rock wall. The shady spots made the sun drenched spaces more tolerable - something to aim for! August is late winter here. It would be impossible for me in the heat of January. Only the last leg was into the late afternoon sun, and once we could see the silhouette of the climb, we knew we had made it.

A wonderful, unforgettable walk. We drove to the Arts Centre and the 'Toilets' as they are called here. One last quick look around as everything was shutting down - no time to pick and choose yet again. Someday perhaps I will find a piece of art from Uluru that I simply must have. Until then, photos and memories will suffice.

Uluru: 1st Full Day

The next morning our 6:30 wakeup call coincided with the earlier pick up time for Dawn's Awakening. So that was a scramble! Our guide, Justin, circled around through the resort to pick up the rest of his party and came back for us. Whew! Made it! There were  only 8 pasengers in the van and no sign of Sondra and Gordon - they must have been with a different tour. Too bad. We had hoped to see them again. Anyway, out to another dune we went, a bit closer to Uluru, and out of sight of Kata Tjuta. Cold! I was glad I wore so many layers: underwear, undershirt, tee shirt, jacket, serape, jeans, wool socks, boots. The wrap kept my hands warm in between gulps of hot coffee and chocolate, and there were a couple of big heaters going. The chef handed me a bacon and egg GF sandwich in place of the bun for the others. They take care of me here! Dawn crept slowly across the land, gradually revealing the colours in the tree, shrubs, flowers, and grasses that surrounded us. The stars were replaced by that clear blue with the pale moon still hanging low in the sky as the sun broke the horizon and painted Uluru its brillint rosy hue. Justin was a charming fellow, friendly and gregarioius. He talked o the group, of course, for tour purposes. But in between, he happily carried on individual conversations. Justin was particularily good with 12 year-old James who was full of questions and contributions. Before starting our drive around Uluru, we made a stop at the base of the climb near the start of the Mala walk. Justin made it clear that he, like every employee of the territory that we met, supported the Aboriginal request to forbid the climb - the lives lost, the injuries to persons and the rock itself, the damage to the fragile ancient ecology at its sumit, and the pollution of the waterholes at its base from lack of toilet facilities. But primarily because it was an ancient site, sacred to the four aboriginal peoples who share ownership and responsibility for it. The board governing the site has majority Aboriginal representation, and the climb is destined to end in 2020. If the percentage of tourists wanting to do the climb drops fast enough, they will close it sooner. Justin told us the stories he was allowed to tell, in relation to Urulu. He started with the Mala people, and as we drove, pointed out the features on the rockface that went with the story, ending with the Mala being chased to the south where their story continues. He told the story of Kuniya, the python woman, and Liru, the poisonous snake. We got out and walked into the water hole just below the marks of Kuniya's attack and Liru's death. There was the story, too, of the Lizard man, who left the imprint of his skin when he rolled down the rockface - I bought a book of these stories and more at the Cultural Centre. I also watched 2 women painting and very nearly bought one. The centre houses a good museum, documentary theatre, and two galleries, one strictly local. But no time to decide on a painting. Our last stop was on a low dune for refreshments and an iconic photo. That afternoon we rested and spent time at the resort. Dinner at Banya Bar, Desert Gardens Hotel, was relaxing and delicious, Jack Daniels Manhatten and all. I won't say much about Field of Light that evening. An impressive art installation of ever changing coloured lights over many football sized fields of rolling countryside. Beautiful, but walking through it was enough. I can't imagine what they do with the folks who come for dinner.

Uluru: Ayers Rock Resort 1st Night

At the Outback Pioneer Lodge in the resort, our room was simple but comfortable. The resort as a whole consisted of the lodge, a campground, the more upscale Desert Gardens, and the very upscale Sails in the Desert, as well as a Town Square of shops, and a residential area for the permanent staff. Over the 3 nights that we stayed, we enjoyed our dinners at the Banya Bar (excellent light fare and a Manhatten for me) and at Bough House (excellent mains and a dessert buffet, 2 helpings of pannacotta!), plus breakfast buffet at the Bough House was included, varied and generous.

However, the best dinner was the Sounds of Silence, our introduction to Uluru. As part of our 3 night package at the Lodge, we had just checked in when we had to meet the bus that took a small crowd to a red dune. Up we went to the summit, to be greeted by sparkling wine and canapes (a yummy GF plate for me, of mostly Greek bites), which we consumed while watching the sunset on Uluru and Kata Tjuta, taking lots of photos between mouthfuls. The view was phenomenal, colours in the landscape changing by the minute. And a full moon was rising by the time we started back down to a lovely dining area laid out below crest of the dune. We were seated at a table for 10 - Jackie's family to one side, Sondra and Gordon to the other, from England, and 3 people from China, whose names escaped me, across from us. Dinner was served buffet style, with choice of wine, and a chef who happily pointed out to me what I could and could not eat. There were several meats to choose from and I did have a small slice of kangaroo - good tucker! Everything was delicious. While we were eating a man played a didgeridoo, more beautifully than I have ever heard. The wine flowed, everyone beamed with happiness, and the conversation was great. Two men with faces and torsos painted danced traditional pieces using recorded accompaniment of women's singing and percussion. Mysterious and wonderful. While we enjoyed the dessert buffet and port, tea, and coffee, Taylor used a laser pointer to show us the constrellations. She gave us both the ancient Western and Aboriginal mythologies. Two telescopes were set up so we had a look at Saturn and the beautiful full moon.

The Drive to Uluru

It was almost 11 a.m. by the time we set out to drive to Uluru on August 19. June at the Information Centre had booked unlimited miles for us at Thrifty's - it's the only way because the dealers limit is 100 km per day and charge 25 cents and up per extra km! Anyway, we kept the Camry which meant we had to stay on the sealed roads. No time for 4x4 detours anyway :)

After a false start past the airport heading down a country road to Santa Teresa (ack!) we backtracked and found the Stuart Highway south towards Adelaide, which took us as far as Erldunda. There we turned onto the Lassiter Highway heading west to Uluru and the Outback Pioneer Lodge at Ayers Rock Resort. We did stop briefly at a few spots for refreshments or to see birds, and to have a look from the Mt. Connor look out. The CD that described the history and geography of the land as we drove through it was a great help, and most interesting: MacDonnell Ranges, the James Range, Finke River, Mt. Connor, and finally Uluru and Kata Tjutu.

Jumping Ahead to Yellow Waters

This is a test really. I am trying different ways to post photos from JD’s library to my trip posts and blogs. A couple of crocs by the Yellow Waters in Kakadu National Park!