Ularu (Ayers Rock)

 Day 1 – The 3 Amigos on tour

Whilst we both wanted to visit Ayers rock, we were told it was “very expensive”, “too far “just a rock” but we didn’t want to come all of this way without seeing such a famous Icon of Oz. We hadn’t climbed Sydney Bridge and we had sold Muriel for a decent price so we thought we could justify the trip.

Interestingly, the flights themselves were pretty cheap. Plus we found a flight that took you directly to Ayres Rock. The accommodation however is where it makes your eyes water! As we’d already secured the flights there was nothing for it. However, we did a lot of research and found the cheapest we could get, although a little further afield.

We went in convoy around 6:30Am so that we could drop off our hire car and we would have Donna’s car for the return trip. The flight was on-time and took around 2.5 hrs and we were soon touching down in the Northern Territory.

We made it to the front of the queue for the car hire place and the luggage came through quickly so we were soon outside trying to locate our hire car. The first thing you notice when you arrive is the flies! The second thing is more flies and the 3^rd, the deep red earth, green shrubs and then finally your first glimpse of Ularu (the native Aboriginal name for Ayers Rock).

Our accommodation was around 80ks away and was a cattle ranch called Curtin Springs. To give you a sense of the size, the cattle ranch was 10,000 acres with over 4000 head of cattle. And we didn’t see one cow on approach (or after).

We battled through the flies and ineffective fly screen to a little shop which also served as a reception, a petrol pay-point, a general store and a bar and were led to our rooms.

Donna, being a bit last minute had booked online into whatever accommodation was still available. We did offer for her to kip down in our room with a hope there would be an extra bed but understandably and with a lot of common sense, the risk of not having an extra bed and the promise of Glenn’s snoring led her to secure her own.

We were taken to what looked like a load of tin sheds. Donna commented on them looking like a bit of a prison and the hotelier promptly corrected her saying they were originally used for the athletes at the Olympics. Well what’s good enough for the Olympians was good enough for us. Ours were slightly better in that we had an en-suite for Glenn’s midnight dash.

After grabbing a bite, swatting a few hundred flies and wishing we had brought cork hats, we headed to the big rock. We were all impressed with the landscape and the rock. I don’t care what anyone else says, for a rock it’s pretty impressive! We parked up and made our way to find a walking trail.

As we got closer we could see people climbing a side of the rock. It looked really steep but did have handrails to haul yourself up part of the way and I felt I could be up for a challenge. However, when we reached the notice board it clearly told you in several different languages that Uluru was sacred to the Aboriginal Culture and therefore not to climb. Despite this, there was numerous idiots deciding NOT to respect this and climbing (check out the pic!). We each made a wish for someone to fall to a horrible death and went to look for a trail around the base instead.

Our walk went around part of the base where there were signs pointing out what the various alcoves and caves were previously used for when it was a practising place of Aboriginal importance. Plus aboriginal art carved in rock and then finally to a really tranquil stream. We wanted to walk around the entire base but time (and inappropriate footwear) meant we had to cut it short with the hope of coming back later in the trip.

We headed to the sunset view point via a pit stop to pick up a cold drink and swat a few more flies. Arriving at the view point, we noticed that the sun would be behind us and not behind the rock as you looked at it. I wasn’t sure how effective this would be as you are used to sunsets behind things for dramatic colours. I was wrong, when the sun finally began to set Ularu lit up like an amber beacon, would change, dimmer and light up again. A really special place and we each felt honoured to witness it.  

We did however have to cut it a little short as it was 80k back to the cattle ranch and we didn’t want to do too much of it in dark given the big 8ft redback roo’s we might encounter on the road. We did pick up a pic of the final sunset at a distance though.

Back at the ranch, we quickly headed to the bar. Donna was at the front of the queue for a bottle of red wine which is why we have become beautiful friends. We sank a bottle and headed in for dinner before everything closed. Being a cattle ranch the choice was beef, beef, beef or beef sausages. We opted for a T-Bone which was delicious.

We spent the rest of the evening chatting about how lucky we were, planning the next day, and finishing the wine.

Day 2 - The Olga’s – Didactic and Donnas big climb

Waking up at stupid o’clock, I made a coffee and sat outside so I wouldn’t disturb Glenn and was rewarded to a nice sunrise and then a rainbow. As I didn’t fancy flies for b/f I joined Glenn and Donna later after looking at a solitary Emu in a little compound that they had on the ranch, bit sad!

It was around a 90min drive to the Olga’s which were a series of close knit mountains that were in the distance to Ularu. As we approached, we could see they were pretty impressive and stopped off to a climbing point for a better view. We passed a couple of old gals who were stopping every two steps to take pics of the flora on the way to the viewing point. We made it well ahead of them and passed them on our return where we heard one of them in conversation and who used the word Didatic….. we all looked at each other and shuffled onwards and when out of hearing range we unanimously asked “ what the fuck does didactic mean”? Look it up yourselves, I’m not going to tell you but I will say we spent the rest of the trip trying to shoe horn it into a conversation to look impressive!

Reaching the Olgas, we had options for several different treks. One being around a 6/7k return. We decided to get the 2^nd viewpoint and decide from there. The terrain was good to start with, tough in parts and the fucking flies didn’t help! There was a moment where we had to scramble up a steep but rounded cliff ledge where Donna and I decided that if this was the way down, we’d rather do the full 6/7k circuit instead!

The scenery did take you mind off the climb, it was like being on a different planet and we were soon at the 2^{nd viewpoint} with the agreement to continue. We clambered down a steep slow and was soon on flatter ground. As the midday heat was up and the flies in force, we were glad to have easier terrain.

We were finally on the homeward stretch and I think Donna was pleased (as she didn’t know what she had let herself in for. Glenn was pleased (as being the only man, had to hold back and be a general walking stick for us). I was pleased as I could get away from these now biting flies!

Reaching the end, we each high fived and I heard Donna explaining to a few passers buy that “oh yes, she had just completed the full circuit, hadn’t they?” J

Back in the car we had about a 3hr car journey and poor Glenn was driving. It was tiring and despite (Donna not Shel’s) offers to take over, Glenn got us to Kings Canyon around 5pm.

We checked into our accom which was a shack with a shared bathroom jobby and quickly headed to the sunset view point.

Whilst sipping our drinks and watching yet another great sunset and seeing what we would be climbing the next day, Glenn spotted a Dingo!. A Dingo a dingo, our first dingo! So it looks like a dog okay but it’s still a Dingo! We were glad to not let our Oz experience go by without seeing one in the flesh, even if it was so very far away.

There was live entertainment so we headed there next. It turned out to be a lone cowboy singing tunes of when he used to be in a better band. Was good though and we had some nice food and listened and chatted until Glenn (not feeling great from a cold and long drive) went off to bed.

Donna and I took our drinks outside and got chatting to a few people and not long after another Dingo came right into camp! A Dingo, a close up Dingo, ok it looks like a dog! I was gutted Glenn had missed it and I didn’t have a camera for a pic! Not long after we turned in. Long trek planned for tomoz

Day 3 – Kings Canyon/Alice Springs

Once again getting up at stupid o’clock  as it was recommended that you started the King’s Canyon rim walk before 9.00 due to the sun factor.

The start of the walk was just a quick 6k  journey down the road, so we got there parked up and started on the trek.

After  a short walk along the path we were faced with the toughest part of the trip, a two hundred metre  steep climb, which was OK for  Himalaya veterans like Shell and I, but I don’t think that Donna was too happy, but she was managing it as long as she didn’t look up or down whilst she climbed!!

Once at the top we were quite surprised to see that again, despite being a big red rock, the rocks and structures were totally different to Ayers rock and The Olga’s.  It had loads of small cracked rock domes all around it and was quite magical.

We walked through all these natural structures taking far too many photo’s until we reached a point named ‘The Garden of Eden’.  Walking along and down some wooden walkways you were plunged into a little oasis of green plants and a waterhole before climbing to the top of the rim again.

From here we carried along the walk taking in the incredible scenery including, colourful cliff faces and more cracked red rock pillars until we started to descend once again to the car park.

Feeling pretty pleased with ourselves by doing the walk in around 2 ½ hour rather than the 3-4 hours stated in the guide we then headed back to the hotel where we thought we would get some breakfast before heading to Alice Springs.

Back at the hotel we found that we had just missed breakfast and the lunch session wasn’t due to start for another ½ hour.  The only option we had was to go to the onsite petrol station where we scored some manky sandwiches and a chilled coffee before we decided to head off.

Heading back to the car whilst finishing off our drinks we suddenly spotted a skinny looking dingo, which was OK when it was 200 yards away, but then it decided to saunter in our direction and suddenly there was a blur of action and all three of us found ourselves very quickly inside the car!!

Happy that we were not going to end up as a dingo’s (yes, it looks like an emaciated dog!!) I then turned the key and we set off for Alice Springs.

I have to hold my hands up at this point and say it was my idea to go to Alice Springs (You have to don’t you??) but at 200km into a 400km journey and after so many long drives I must say I was regretting it.

On arrival late in the afternoon I was regretting it even more as the dusty cowboy town I was expecting was just a modern town with not much character what-so-ever!!

Anyway we checked into our Motel and after a shower and a freshen up we went out to see what Alice Springs had to offer, which wasn’t a lot.  We soon located a bar around the corner from our motel and parked ourselves outside it for the evening and had a few drinks and some food until we thought it was a reasonable time to go home to bed.

Can I just say sorry to Shell and Donna for this error in judgement, if you ever go to Oz, really don’t bother with Alice Springs.  Alice! Alice! Who the F!%k is Alice!!!