Right in the Centre

Northern Ring Neck

24/08/16 Day 89 (We). Sunday we drove into Alice Springs. The drive was very wet. We had not seen a drop of rain for 74 days since leaving Oakabella Homestead nth of Geraldton. Apparently the number of average rainfall days for August for Alice is 2 and we’ve had 3. It was a big days driving too as we covered 400 km’s and arrived in Alice just after lunch time. We went to the information centre and then checked into the Heritage CP. It’s fully dog friendly in evidence by all the poo bag dispensers around the park as well as their big off-leash area. The remainder of the day was spent relaxing in camp. The temperature has dropped significantly too with the max on Sunday being 21. It’s amazing that two days previously we were sweltering and swimming in a pool and then a couple of days later we are donning jumpers and beanies.

Dana and Till at Alice

Chilly Day at Mt Ebenezer

Sunset at Mt Ebenezer

As we were pulling into our site we saw Dana and Till for the third time. They are two mates from Germany having a poke around Oz before returning to country WA for harvest. Dana had been working on a farm for a few months and Till had just arrived in Oz in Darwin 6 days previously. We ran into them the first time when we pulled into Elliot for a driving break and morning tea on our way to Renner Springs. They were pulled up in a parking bay out the front of the servo with their bonnet up. Turns out that they had cracked the transfer case on their Toyota Prado and were trying to source parts to get it repaired. We saw them again the next day as we were refuelling in Tennant Creek. They couldn’t get what they needed in Elliot and had loaded the car onto a truck and had it delivered to Tennant Creek. When we pulled into the CP in Alice they were already there. They also couldn’t source parts in Tennant Creek and had loaded the car on a train to be delivered to Alice and had scored a lift from another backpacker couple to Alice. What a coincidence.

Mt Conner

Towards the afternoon Mum and Lib decided to venture to the bottlo and returned with a couple of bottles of plonk and one of Drambuie. We spent the afternoon having a few quiet drinks and then just before bed invited Dana and Till to join us for a nightcap. A good time was had by all.

Uluru

Uluru

On Monday we had a relaxed start to the day. We had covered approx. 1000 km’s in 3 days and so we had decided to have a rest day (from driving). We caught up on our washing and housekeeping and then Lib and I drove into town to stock up on supplies for the next leg to Uluru and Kings Canyon. We gave Dana and Till a lift into town to get their car and take it to the mechanic. Turns out they found the parts in Alice but the repair was not going to be cheap at around $2000. We caught up with them after the shopping and then returned to camp where we spent the rest of the day talking and relaxing. I also managed to get a couple of repair jobs completed.

Sunset on Uluru

Yesterday we woke early and after refuelling we headed south towards Uluru. We pulled up for the night at Mt Ebenezer in the CP behind the roadhouse. It’s nothing flash but it is super cheap at $5/p a night. We had fish and chips for lunch in the dining room and then spent two hours wandering around the Aboriginal Art Gallery at the rear of the roadhouse where we agonised over the decision of which pieces we wanted to buy. Eventually Lib and I decided on a piece each and Mum bought two. We took the puppies for a wander around the grave yard and then through the junk yard. There are heaps of little flowers all poking their heads out after the recent rain.

This morning we drove to Uluru. And it’s MASSIVE!

Kata Tjuta

Valley of the Winds Kata Tjuta

The photos just really do not do it justice. Unless you’ve been here you cannot possibly understand the sheer enormity of it. We could see it when we were still 50 km’s away on the highway. And we could see the Olgas too. After checking in to the CP (a wrought at $40/N unpowered), we had lunch and then went out to experience this monstrosity. It is truly incredible and all my big words just don’t capture the size or the beauty of this place.

Walpa Gorge Kata Tjuta

Sunset at Yulara

We parked in the carpark for the walk to Kantju Gorge. It is also where the walk to the summit starts. It is really incredible with all the reading material and signage around Uluru that people are disregarding the wishes of the traditional owners of this amazing place and still feel the need to climb to the top. We watched for a bit and then walked around the base of the rock to the gorge.

Sunset on Kata Tjuta

Afterwards we drove the circumference of the base and ended up at the sunrise/sunset viewing platform to take a few shots before driving around to the western side to watch the sunset on Uluru. It was AWESOME!

Sunrise over Uluru and Kata Tjuta

26/08/16 Day 91 (Fr). Yesterday we decided to have a sleep in. We had a late start and were on the road out to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) by 1100. We stopped on the way at the Dune Sunrise viewing area and as we were walking to the summit, low and behold, following up behind us were Dana and Till. They had gotten their car fixed and then driven straight to Kings Canyon the day before. On arrival Dana completed the 3-4 hr Rim Walk in two hours and then in the dark drove the rest of the way to a free camp 20 km’s short of Yulara.

Sunrise over Uluru

They hadn’t had much sleep when we saw them as they were not really prepared for the cold nights and only had one thin blanket each and had suffered accordingly. After a quick catch up they headed off to Uluru and we moved on to the Valley of the Winds with the promise to catch up later in the day.

We walked up the Valley of the Winds to the first lookout point. The view at the top looking forwards and backwards was breath taking.

Bess and the Big Red Rock

After arriving back at the bottom we headed to the Sunset Viewing area to have lunch and then completed the walk into Walpa Gorge. It was magnificent walking between two of these massive rocks. It was a hidden oasis with so much plant life. We saw many different types of flowers and plants that are only found in that area. There were lots of birds flittering through the trees and scrub. Through the middle of it all ran a little brook keeping all the vegetation nice and green.

Valley of the Winds Kata Tjuta

As we were finishing up dinner in the evening Dana and Till came a calling. We chatted to them for about an hour before we kicked them out to go to bed as we all wanted to get up early to watch the sunrise on Uluru. We lent them two of Mum’s hire sleeping bags and Lib and I gave them a crocheted rug each as we were only carrying them in case Mum needed them, which she hasn’t to this point and it got down to 3C last night.

George Gill Range, Kings Canyon

Wildlife at Kings Canyon

This morning we were up well before to the sun to try and beat the masses to get a good vantage point from which to view the sunrise. And believe me when I say masses. As the coaches rolled in one after the other soon there wasn’t room to swing a cat. But we had a good view from the front left corner of the top most platform. I just hope I got some good shots.

We met Dana and Till in the car park to retrieve the sleeping bags and make our final goodbyes. They are headed down to Port Augusta, across to Esperance and then back up to Merredin where they have jobs waiting for them on a grain farm. They are supposed to be there in 3 days so they have a lot of miles to cover.

Sturt's Desert Pea, Kings Canyon

When we returned to camp we had breakfast, packed down and then drove the 300 km’s to Kings Canyon Resort where we are spending the next two nights. Mum also finally saw a Sturt's Desert Pea in nature.

Kings Canyon

28/08/16 Day 93 (Su). Yesterday we were up and starting the Kings Canyon Rim Walk by 0930. It was a great trek. The landscape is unlike anywhere else we’ve seen before. It does require a moderate level of fitness but we managed the whole thing without any great drama. The sheer size of it is impressive and the dome sandstone structures lining the cliff tops are awesome. One favourite part for me was trekking down into the Garden of Eden where there are heaps of plant and bird life and a large waterhole. It is very hard to describe the rugged beauty of this amazing landscape. I highly recommend everyone to put this place on their bucket list.

Kings Canyon

After returning to camp and chilling for a while we then went up to Carmichael’s, the resort restaurant. We partook of a sumptuous three course meal before strolling back to the CP under the starry sky.

Kings Canyon

Today we were on the road by 0800 and pulled up for the day at the Eldundra Roadhouse at the intersection of the Stuart and Lassiter highways. When we arrived we found Lib’s parents had arrived about an hour before and were waiting there for us. We spent the afternoon and evening catching up and tomorrow our expanded caravan troop will convoy up the highway to Alice.

If you want a true outback experience then come and camp here. The flies were bloody horrible and ferocious, and the smell of the septic permeated all corners of the camp ground. Bloody Wonderful!

It’s also as close to the centre of Australia as you can get on the bitumen.

Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon

Garden of Eden, Kings Canyon

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