3. – 8. July

Uluru and Kata Tjuta (Ayers Rock and the Olgas) NationalPark

Now we were in Alice Springs for the third time and received another tent site. Luckily the weather has cleared a bit – there was no rain and the forecast showed some more days without rain which is really good after two days with constant rain. We have noticed that all festivals in Alice Springs run on a weird schedule. Normally you think that any festival or show should run over the whole weekend – but no they’re running on Friday and Saturday. Last weekend they had the Beanie festival and this weekend the Alice Springs Show was on. This meant that there was a public holiday “Show Day” on Friday and several shops were closed.

This time we decided to have a look at the Royal Flying Doctors Visitor Centre but it was not as nice as we hoped. Especially as the flight simulator was off line. They had a little museum which showed three model planes, how a plane could look form the inside, several chests and one pedal radio. Then you could have a look at a movie and they show a little communications room. I’m not sure if the room is still in use or if it’s just for display… This base covers an area with a radius of 600km and they normally have two to six emergency flights every day.

We had a look at the weather forecast and it looked a bit better for the region around Ayer’s Rock so we decided to take this loop next. The first night was spent around 120km away from Uluru just with Mt. Connor in sight. Unfortunately it started to rain (again) so we decided to stop at Curtin Springs – this campground offered showers! If you opt for an  unpowered site you have free camping and as it’s just 80km east of Uluru it gets really crowded in the afternoon. I guess a lot of camper enjoying a whole day in the National Park and then just return to this area… or they stay the night before going to the Park. You really have to be early to get a good site – especially if you prefer camping on a bit of grass. Mt. Connor was still in sight and looked at some time like a fingerbun with icing… I think Mt. Connor is a jump-up but it’s on a private property so you can’t get close unless you pay a shit-load of money and go on a guided tour.

It didn’t clear during the night (actually there was more rain) we decided to leave the tent and just go for a day to Uluru – ignoring that the entry pass is valid for 3 days. We went straight to the Olgas (Kata Tjuta). We stopped at the sunset viewing area to have breakfast – at least there were some shelter… Then we went through the Valley of the Winds. In the beginning we haven’t decided if we just walk to the lookout or the whole 7km loop. This valley carries the name “Valley of the Winds” with truth – it was so windy we had to hold onto our hats. Luckily the sun came out so we  walked the loop. It was a good walk with all the different views to the Olgas (alias Kata Tjuta means “many heads” which gives you an idea how they look like) although I decided some look more like a nice cake with icing (it seems like I need something sweet). On some Olgas the rain was still visible – water was flowing down. During the walk we came across several back-packer-tours – 18 people on a so-called minibus tour and then you’ve to do what the tour guide decides to…

Then we drove to the Cultural Centre close to Uluru and stopped at the sunset viewing area. This area offers parking for up to 100 cars and I guess it will get crowded so if we decide to watch the sunset we would have to arrive early to pick the best spot… as there are some bushes which might be in the way.

Arriving at the Centre we prepared our meal (not sure if it was still lunch  or already dinner) as it’s much nicer to eat while the sun is up. We even had a visitor – luckily after we finished. A dingo came around and was sniffing, maybe he wanted to get a bit of our mince but that’s for us and not for dingoes. This dingo was a female and I guess she had pups somewhere as she was really slim and the tits were full. She was not really scared of peoples – she kept her distance (just 2m) and looked every minute up but you couldn’t shoo her away.

When we returned to our tent we noticed that the table was stolen. It’s a shame what people take with them luckily all in the tent was still where it belonged… It was a really good idea to pack the sleeping bags into the car and take them with us. Maybe we have to start a list what got stolen so far; a bikini from the washing line, several jars of Nutella and other food out of fridges and now a table – what will be next? We then checked the internet and noticed that the forecast showed less rain so we packed the tent and drove back to the National Park and booked into the caravan park (an expansive one). The tent was erected quickly so we could go to the park and hopefully climb the rock as the clouds went away and the sun came out. But more on that – have a look at the next entry.

Our afternoon tea was enjoyed at the Cultural Centre but without a dingo. We had a look at the centre itself and then drove to the sunset area to secure a good spot. The car park starts to get crowded two hours before sunset until it’s completely full and they start parking on the street (not allowed but nobody cares). Several times you had to decide if you want to watch the sunset where it actually sets or how the rock colour changes during the setting. At some time the shadow actually starts to climb the rock as well. If you need to be back at the resort you’ve to leave before the sunset is over otherwise you will be stuck in traffic.

Next day was quiet as there was a cloud cover so we didn’t return to the park for sunrise or to do the Valley of the Winds walk again. So we just washed our clothes and relaxed the legs (although they were not sore). In the evening we walked to the store using the food-path across the lookout. And what happened? The sun came out just in time for a sunset.

Cheers,
Tom and Anja

26. June - 2. July

Back in Alice we got our car serviced and received again one of the last unpowered camp sites. We didn’t do much else except climbing the Meyer’s Hill in the Botanical Garden and deciding that the West MacDonnell Ranges will be the next loop.

So we left Alice Springs on the Larapinta Drive (we’re not keen enough to do the Larapinta Walk covering around 220km). The first stop was at  Simpsons Gap which is the most prominent gap in the West MacDonnell Ranges. We drove directly in front of the Gap and walked the last few meters. There were really good views at the gap and there was still ice-cold water in the creek. If you are lucky you can spot black-footed rock-wallabies but we didn’t see any. We only saw dead fish but this is a natural phenomenon. When the water gets colder and colder the fishes get stressed and a bacterium covers their gills until they die and provide food for other animals…

We walked the 1.5km Cassia Hill loop which showed some local plants – luckily we took an information sheet - and elevated views of the range  and the Simpson Gap. You can reach the Simpson Gap via a Bike Path (17km) from Alice Springs and you can stop several times – there are bike racks provided. But some people must love their bikes and even carry them around the walk which went up the hill.

Standley Chasm was the next stop although you  have to pay an entry fee, but it was nice. The Chasm is also a gap between the mountain ridge but no water flowed in between . We climbed over several rocks, just between the big rocks climbing up on the right and left. You just had 5-10m in between. But it was a dead-end suddenly there were rocks lying in front of you and you couldn’t climb them (too dangerous and probably dead-end). 

At this place we saw several funny looking trees. One tree was lying on the ground but it still had branches growing up. Actually I’m not sure if the tree was still growing or if a fig tree was growing on top of it. Anyway it looked great.

Then we reached Ellery Creek Big Hole and were lucky to get a camp site! The waterhole within the gorge was big but the water was definitely to cold for a swim and I don’t really want to join dead fishes… So we just took our pictures and went back to the camp to prepare dinner – it’s a nice thing to have free gas BBQ’s. There are only two walks – the wheelchair friendly to the Ellery Creek and the 3km long Dolomite Walk. During the Dolomite Walk we saw some flowers, several rocks which show the geological process of the site and of course lots of stones on the path.

 

After packing the tent we drove further west stopping at Serpentine Gorge. This area is just for day-visitors and gets its name from the way the water is flowing through – it moves around like a snake… The car park is probably 3km away form the gorge – to protect the environment. We walked up the hill to the lookout – it was strenuous to walk up the hill although there were steps all the way. But we had a wonderful view into the gorge. There was still some water but it was not connected anymore it was more like several little lakes.

 

At Ormiston Gorge where camping with showers is available we just stayed for the walks and decided against the ranger talk as it was really crowed and we arrived a bit early. We walked past the Ghost Gum Lookout and further on through the gorge and water back to the camping area. There is also the possibility to do a 3-4h walk of the Ormiston Pound but they said you had to swim across the creek (lot of rain during the last days…).  Our walk led us halfway up the mountain so   we had good views into the gorge and beyond.

Finally we had to crawl over big stones to the riverbed (maybe we took a shortcut) and then over the  stones in the creek-bed. The first section was dry but we could see in the back pounded water and people floating on mattresses around and a little bit of water in front of us. We checked first the rocks if there was a dry way back to the car park but decided against the climbs and took our shoes off. It’s much easier to walk barefoot through water… And the water was cold, luckily just knee deep.

The next day we drove to Redbank Gorge – the last gorge able to be  visited. You have to walk through the creek to reach the gorge. The waterhole is near permanent and you could swim through the gorge – flotation device recommended and only on warm days as the water won’t get warm. The fishes in that area were still alive – so maybe the water is not as cold as in the other gorges or the fishes are from another species.

Have you ever had the feeling to miss some opportunities? We just experienced two by not having the camera at hand. On the way to the gorge a dingo crossed the road in front of us and then had a wee or poo. He was in no way concerned that cars may drive past. The other missed opportunity was during the walk – an eagle was getting his lunch. He dived into the water to catch some fishes – not sure if he actually caught one but he didn't return to try again.

We returned to the campsite “2 Mile 4WD camping” – free camping close or even in the Finke river. We erected the tent and collected the firewood and created our own fire-ring – it looked like a big stove with three single plates. We had a quiet time and did a lot of star-gazing. Venus, Mars and Saturn were visible all evening and it was quite comfortable to lay on the blanket and watch the sky. We even saw the ISS, some other satellites, several shooting stars and of course the Southern Cross.

Unfortunately it started to rain during the night so we decided to stay a little bit longer and not to return for Territory Day. This camp area is close to Glen Helen – the only commercially operated “resort” in the West MacDonnell Ranges. They offered a fireworks display as well. And we watched it from the shelter of our tent. It was interesting how the sound echoed from the surrounding ranges.

Best regards,
Tom and Anja

21. – 25. June

Now we are in Alice Springs and have to decide what we’re going to do. You wouldn’t believe how much there is to do: Botanical Garden, Royal Flying Doctor Service, Anzac Hill, Desert Park, West MacDonnell Ranges, East MacDonnell Ranges, Chambers Pillar and of course Uluru and Kings Canyon – it looks like we’re going to spent some while around here and doing several loop-trips.

We booked into the Caravan Park (luckily we received one of the last available unpowered tent sites – high season has just started) and went into the city to get the latest information from the visitor centre. We decided to go to the Botanical Garden and spent the afternoon there reading the new booklets. It was a nice sunny day and we combined it with a little walk through the garden. We saw several birds and one actually built its nest and it was not disturbed by the people around. We could come really close (less than 1m) and take our pictures. Some other birds were not so good models… a little green parrot was quite nervous and didn’t stay long in one spot – but we caught him on a picture.

Then we decided to drive up the Anzac Hill for sunset. But as we came closer to the hill we could already see a lot of other people, having the same idea. The car-park looked really full and we walked up the hill – little exercise won’t hurt ;-) After the climb we enjoyed the 360 degree view around Alice Springs. Unfortunately there were no clouds to form a fantastic sunset but it was good anyway – including the hundreds of other tourists (even buses come up there every 10 min. or so).

Our first loop trip started in a south-east direction. We stopped at the Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve. It has a really nice camp area with free gas-BBQ’s, picnic tables and a pit toilet. After setting the tent up we  went to collect our firewood – a cold night might be in front of us – and it didn’t take long to collect enough. Then we walked to the rock formation called Mushroom Rock. Yes, from the right angle this rock actually looked like a mushroom but not a poisonous one as a lot of birds were nesting on the upper walls.

We had a look at the main rock formation as well which is a sandstone cliff. This cliff, although free standing, is part of the James Range and they say most stunning in the right light conditions. First we looked at them during normal daylight so we let our imagine loose and decided one rock looks more like an angry bull [don’t wear anything red in front of it] or like a tame lion – depending if you look from the right or left side at it.

 

 

 

 

 

The second look was of course at late afternoon close to sunset. Yes we watched the sunset and looked into easterly direction. And we agree the rock looks much better at sunset at the coloured rock bands nearly sparkle. As with all rocks the weather had a lot to do with its creation…  This rock was created when it was much wetter and iron got dissolved in the stone. Now there are different reds visible (from dark brown over red to orange and finally white). The darker sections contains a lot of iron, the orange sections has less and of course the white sections are ironless. In the end the iron concentration dictated how much the rock eroded or weathered…

Next day we left to our next destination. We had to follow the Hugh River  Road and cross the Central Australian Railway. We stopped and even tried to locate a coming train… No worries, it was safe to have your ear on the track – no train was near so we kept going. Just before reaching the Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve we put our sand-flag up as there were some dunes to cross, but they were really easy and Tom was still used to them ;-)

This time we didn’t had to rely on our GPS as the road was well formed and the pillar was towering in the distance. The main feature is a 50m high sandstone pillar which stands tall and on its own.

Chambers Pillar has high importance for the European settlers as well as for the Aboriginals. For the early settlers (at around 1860) it was a landmark on their long travels from Adelaide – understandable how tall it is. Maybe it was even taller as it might have eroded a little bit in nearly 150 years. You find a lot of evidence as the settlers left a record in the sandstone – it was signed – as did John Ross and Alfred Giles in 1870 and a Mrs but the “S” is written the other way around. Now it’s illegal to sign the rock as this adds to the erosion of the rock.

The Aboriginal Significance is to be found in their dreamtime story about the Gecko ancestor Itirkawara. This gecko ancestor was a powerful and quite violent men who ignored some of his tribes rules by marrying a girl with the wrong skin color. They were banished and turned into the rock formations – he became the pillar and the girl formed the rock called castle rock close by.

It’s possible to find a rare gecko species – probably one of the descendent of the Gecko ancestor. This gecko is called knob-tailed gecko and is quite small. Most visitors won’t see it as it’s mostly active during the night and really good camouflaged – light brown to beige in colour – hardly to be recognised in the sand. But we had luck and found one (something was crawling on the sand ah by the way the sand was beige in colour and not red); before it went to the next hiding spot under a bush, stone or even buried in the sand.

We walked the probably 1.5km loop walk around the pillar which provided some good views and a little rock with not so old signatures. The viewing platform at the base was climbed after 50 steps and then  we had a look at the old signatures – they are in good condition and visible. Unfortunately you find newer ones as well even though it’s quite dangerous to get to the base.

As you might already expected the pillar shows it best colours at sunrise or sunset when it glows like a burning ember. It looked good although a little bit dust or some clouds might have increased the view. While we were watching the pillar we had several discussion what the pillar looks like – but this time I leave it to your imagine please give us some feedback.

You can walk around Castle Rock as well which we did in the morning. We came across another rock which gave us some ideas to play around with the camera and ourselves… During the walk we saw several nice flowers which looked to be really soft but actually they were quite hard to touch. I think they are called “cat tail”. The rock looked a little bit different and we noticed more and more features the longer we looked at it.

 

Finally it was time to head back to Alice Springs but with a stop in  between. The stop was at the Ewaninga Rock Carvings. At this place you walk around several rock carvings.

Goodbye,
Tom and Anja

17. – 20. June

 

Now we left Birdsville for the third time but finally in the northerly direction and it was again amazing how green everything is. We stopped at an area with an abundance of birds in every colour and size. You could just sit and watch them; trying to count how many different kind you discover...

 

We stopped in Bedourie for a little while and stayed overnight in Boulia before going onto the Donohue and Plenty Highway to Alice Springs. At night we noticed the rush-hour of cattle as we camped close by a creek. This big herd of cattle must  have attracted a huge number of dingoes as we heard so many during the night. But we arrived unharmed in Alice Springs.

Cheers,
Tom and Anja