Tuesday, 22 October 2013
Litchfield National Park
Some people had said to us, "Litchfield-do, Kaka-don't". Well I wouldn't go as far to say that, but it is deffinitly on our list of places to go again. The thing we missed in Kakadu were safe places to swim, and this Litchfield has a great deal of. This park had many things to bring people in like the huge termite mounds, the magnetic termite mounds and some great landscape, but what really draws the crowds are the swimming holes. Most of the water holes were not very wide but due to so many years of cascading would be more than 12' deep. There were also beautiful waterfalls and walks to do. We ended up spending 5 nights in this park and almost didn't want to leave. We were of course sleeping in our car, washing our clothes in the sink at public toilets and cooking on open fires. All of this we got to do for free because no one came to collect camping fees. We met some great backpackers along the way who would come share our fire at night and even ran into some friends we made in Kakadu. All in all a great addition to our trip!
Saturday, 19 October 2013
Kakadu
Canada Day in the Australian Outback. A little bizarre, yes, but we found a way to celebrate anyway! The nights in the desert were starting to warm up, and so were the days. We were only an eight hour drive from our destination in Kakadu National Park, but there were some interesting sights on the way. We stopped at a highly recommended spot near Daly Waters, called Bitter Springs, which was much nicer than the name suggests. It is a thermal spring, or hot spring, at a pretty constant temperature of around 96 degrees farenheit, and a beautiful turquoise hue. Crystal clear, we took our snorkel gear in just in case we were to spot a turtle or freshwater croc, but no such action. We hung around for a while, then went on our way to find a camp site. We stopped at a truck stop that was well off the highway, and had ourselves a great fire while the stars came out. We had to imagine our own fireworks, but it was still beautiful.
The next morning we headed through the town of Katherine to stock up on some supplies. Kakadu is a very remote and still quite wild area of the Northern Territory, and even though we were going to be staying in Jabiru, the only town inside Kakadu National Park, the supplies there had to be flown in or trucked from a great distance and were therefore very expensive. We entered the park, purchased our two week pass, and headed to a camping area called Gungurul. As we took a walk, we were very excited to see our first "Warning: Crocodiles. No Swimming." sign, but the creek bed was pretty dry at this time of year and there was no imminent threat. The camping area filled up quickly, and we were thankful to have gotten there early. Little known to us, it was school holidays in the Northern Territory, and we quickly discovered that this meant Kakadu would be very crowded. Luckily for us, we had a place to stay with our friends we met in Margaret River, so we were just camping for the night.
The way up to Jabiru was still quite a distance, so we took our time to see what we wanted to on the way, hoping we didn't have to back-track too much later on. We stopped at Yellow Water, a vast marshland, in hopes of seeing some crocs, but at midday all we got were heaps of mozzies. Then a visit to the Warradjan Cultural Centre proved very educational and entertaining. We learned a bit about the Bininj people who are the traditional owners of the land Kakadu inhabits; about the Rainbow Serpent that formed the landscape according to Bininj tradition; about the six seasons of Kakadu, and the seven regions we had to explore. After having a bit of education, we finally made our way into Jabiru to find Brett and Zsuzsa, our hosts while we were staying in the park. We were very fortunate in being invited to stay with these two; Zsuzsa is a Dutch/Hungarian gal who has travelled Australia for the last six years, and is also a skilled vegetarian chef; And Brett is a local to the area and a former Kakadu Ranger, so knows the local mob and the park pretty well! For our first night they took us for a drive to a very famous art site called Ubirr. Brett did some fishing off the Crossing into Arnhem Land while the rest of us explored the rock art "galleries" and listened to a Ranger Talk. We learned about a bit of the local diet, which was illustrated on the rock walls and in the cave overhangs in great detail! Barramundi was one of the local faves, as well as long-necked turtle, magpie goose, file snake and goanna. After the talk, we climbed up to the cliffs to watch the sunset and take in the views of the floodplains below - a landscape unique to Kakadu, and we had never seen anything like it.
The next day no one had to work, so we all had a bit of a sleep-in and relaxed for the morning. In the arvo, Brett offered to be our personal guide and took us a bit further off the beaten path to Nourlangie in Stone Country. We were intrigued by the amazing rock faces that lined the landscape, sprouting up out of the floodplains so suddenly. He pointed out some of the places that Crocodile Dundee had been filmed, but I knew we were with the real Mick Dundee right now! Brett led us in a tour to some of the art sites in the area, some of the significant rock formations, and told us the stories that accompanied the sites according to the Bininj people. He took us to Anbangbang billabong, so we could see for ourselves what a magpie goose looked like, and we also spotted some wallabies, whistling ducks and a pelican. We made quite a climb for our sunset view of the Stone Country, and savoured the silence and peace of the place. It was one of the few times when there was no one around but our little group. It was those times when we could really tune in to the spirit of Kakadu, and appreciate the land and its history just by feeling and being in its presence.
July the fifth was in fact my birthday, and I could not imagine a more perfect place to spend it. We took a picnic lunch on the road, and all piled into Brett's 4WD. We stopped at Mary River Roadhouse to pick up a treat, some (very expensive) Strongbow Cider, and then made our way up to the first swimming spot that Brett and Zsuzsa wanted to show us. There was certainly no way that our little car could have made it up there, the boulders that made up parts of the road were half the size of our tires. There were just a few other people there, and it was obvious that there were not a great many vehicles that could have gotten that far. After a short walk down toward the sound of the water, we found the waterfall. It was beautiful, clear water, plunging into a deep and fair-sized pool. The sun was filtering through the trees in the middle of the pool, but most was in the shade thankfully, as it was already heating up. Jason and I eagerly donned our snorkelling gear and jumped in. There were tons of fish, most of which we had never seen the like of before, but that we recognized from our education at the Cultural Centre. We practised our freediving and chilled out under the waterfall. We thought this was great, but Zsuzsa was convinced that we would like the next place even better, so we didn't linger too long.
Brett took us to another area known as Ferni Gully, and the road was even sketchier than the last. It could hardly have been called a road at all, most of it was overgrown with the grasses that sprung up nearby. When we reached the so-called parking area, when took our lunches and our ciders with us and walked the short track to the pools. It was amazing. There was no one else around for miles, no crocodiles in the water. Just crystal clear, turquoise pools with cascading water falls and the rest of nature. There was even a little pool inbetween a couple falls that served as a jacuzzi for Zsuzsa and myself! We enjoyed our crisp ciders in the warm sun and the cool waters. Paradise.
The only thing I really wanted for my birthday, was to see a croc in the wild. We had been looking in the rivers and on the banks as we drove over every bridge, but no luck, until we were on our way home. Brett slowed down over a large bridge, and sure enough there was a long dark shape moving along the water's surface. We parked and exited the car, camera in hand. A real live crocodile! Just cruising, looking for some fish. Then as we continued back toward Jabiru, we payed a visit to Yellow Water, where we had nothing but mosquitoes a couple days earlier. The sun was nearly setting, and the crocs were coming out! There were two really good sized blokes just off of the boat ramp, and we were able to get a really good look at them. We were fortunate to see many, many crocodiles in Kakadu. We watched them hunting at the Crossing for the next few days at high tide, and then we got really close to them on the Guluyambi Cruise. Big and small, they were everywhere.
The thing that sets Kakadu apart from so many other national parks in Australia is the richness of culture, and the willingness of the local Aboriginals to share that culture with visitors. The Ranger Talks were amazing, there were many at different locations throughout the park, some being 'walk and talks', and others more of a discussion focussing on a specific artwork or subject, like Family and Kinship. The complexity of the family systems that the Aboriginal peoples use is way over my head. I only began to grasp the basic concepts that keep blood lines clean, and the idea of family being everyone in your clan, and having multiple "mothers" and "fathers". It was so interesting and unique to this culture. Another we really appreciated learning were the artistic traditions from the area. Of course, Jason was keen on playing some didgeridoo and maybe learning more about the building process. He didn't quite get the Walkabout experience, but there were some great blokes form Arnhem Land who were keen to play. These guys taught a workshop about the local painting style, and I jumped on board! They talked about the significance of what they paint, how they paint it, and the colours they use. I even got to do some painting with them and ask all the questions I could think of! They were super open, and very talented. I can say it takes a very steady hand and a lot of time and patience and practice to get those super fine cross-hatched lines, using only a river reed as a paint brush. These guys were pro. I did get to practice more throughout our trip, and I can definitely say I've improved since then. There were also some women from Arnhem Land that came and taught a workshop on how to make the amazing pandanus baskets and bowls. It was a three hour workshop, and let's just say most of didn't get passed the initial splitting of the grass fibers... Truly amazing work.
We spent nearly two weeks in Kakadu, but there was just so much to take in. Before we left we were super lucky to be invited onto the Guluyambi Cruise by Brett and Zsuzsa's neighbour, Robert. He was also a really well known artist in the local tradition, but during the day he worked on the cruise giving guided boat tours. He took us, and twenty other people, on this gorgeous cruise to get up close to the crocodiles and really see them in their environment. He talked about the local plants and all their many uses, his people's hunting traditions, favourite places to find bush tucker, and he took us across the river into Arnhem Land for a spear-throwing demonstration. He had carved the spear and the woomera (spear thrower) himself. On the way back, we talked a bit more about Country, and the history of the landscape, and how the locals use cool fires to burn Country in the cool dry season to avoid really hot fires in the hot and dry. The Aboriginal techniques for land management are so simple and effective, and only now are "experts" acknowledging how intelligent their solutions really are. We got quite the education in Kakadu, and it certainly opened our eyes up to another world. It is one of the places we would definitely come back to if there were a second trip to Australia in the future...
Our next leg of the trip takes us to Darwin, to the famous Mindil Beach Markets, and then to Litchfield National Park for a very different experience. All our croc and Kakadu photos are in our gallery on Flickr. Til next time!
The next morning we headed through the town of Katherine to stock up on some supplies. Kakadu is a very remote and still quite wild area of the Northern Territory, and even though we were going to be staying in Jabiru, the only town inside Kakadu National Park, the supplies there had to be flown in or trucked from a great distance and were therefore very expensive. We entered the park, purchased our two week pass, and headed to a camping area called Gungurul. As we took a walk, we were very excited to see our first "Warning: Crocodiles. No Swimming." sign, but the creek bed was pretty dry at this time of year and there was no imminent threat. The camping area filled up quickly, and we were thankful to have gotten there early. Little known to us, it was school holidays in the Northern Territory, and we quickly discovered that this meant Kakadu would be very crowded. Luckily for us, we had a place to stay with our friends we met in Margaret River, so we were just camping for the night.
The way up to Jabiru was still quite a distance, so we took our time to see what we wanted to on the way, hoping we didn't have to back-track too much later on. We stopped at Yellow Water, a vast marshland, in hopes of seeing some crocs, but at midday all we got were heaps of mozzies. Then a visit to the Warradjan Cultural Centre proved very educational and entertaining. We learned a bit about the Bininj people who are the traditional owners of the land Kakadu inhabits; about the Rainbow Serpent that formed the landscape according to Bininj tradition; about the six seasons of Kakadu, and the seven regions we had to explore. After having a bit of education, we finally made our way into Jabiru to find Brett and Zsuzsa, our hosts while we were staying in the park. We were very fortunate in being invited to stay with these two; Zsuzsa is a Dutch/Hungarian gal who has travelled Australia for the last six years, and is also a skilled vegetarian chef; And Brett is a local to the area and a former Kakadu Ranger, so knows the local mob and the park pretty well! For our first night they took us for a drive to a very famous art site called Ubirr. Brett did some fishing off the Crossing into Arnhem Land while the rest of us explored the rock art "galleries" and listened to a Ranger Talk. We learned about a bit of the local diet, which was illustrated on the rock walls and in the cave overhangs in great detail! Barramundi was one of the local faves, as well as long-necked turtle, magpie goose, file snake and goanna. After the talk, we climbed up to the cliffs to watch the sunset and take in the views of the floodplains below - a landscape unique to Kakadu, and we had never seen anything like it.
The next day no one had to work, so we all had a bit of a sleep-in and relaxed for the morning. In the arvo, Brett offered to be our personal guide and took us a bit further off the beaten path to Nourlangie in Stone Country. We were intrigued by the amazing rock faces that lined the landscape, sprouting up out of the floodplains so suddenly. He pointed out some of the places that Crocodile Dundee had been filmed, but I knew we were with the real Mick Dundee right now! Brett led us in a tour to some of the art sites in the area, some of the significant rock formations, and told us the stories that accompanied the sites according to the Bininj people. He took us to Anbangbang billabong, so we could see for ourselves what a magpie goose looked like, and we also spotted some wallabies, whistling ducks and a pelican. We made quite a climb for our sunset view of the Stone Country, and savoured the silence and peace of the place. It was one of the few times when there was no one around but our little group. It was those times when we could really tune in to the spirit of Kakadu, and appreciate the land and its history just by feeling and being in its presence.
July the fifth was in fact my birthday, and I could not imagine a more perfect place to spend it. We took a picnic lunch on the road, and all piled into Brett's 4WD. We stopped at Mary River Roadhouse to pick up a treat, some (very expensive) Strongbow Cider, and then made our way up to the first swimming spot that Brett and Zsuzsa wanted to show us. There was certainly no way that our little car could have made it up there, the boulders that made up parts of the road were half the size of our tires. There were just a few other people there, and it was obvious that there were not a great many vehicles that could have gotten that far. After a short walk down toward the sound of the water, we found the waterfall. It was beautiful, clear water, plunging into a deep and fair-sized pool. The sun was filtering through the trees in the middle of the pool, but most was in the shade thankfully, as it was already heating up. Jason and I eagerly donned our snorkelling gear and jumped in. There were tons of fish, most of which we had never seen the like of before, but that we recognized from our education at the Cultural Centre. We practised our freediving and chilled out under the waterfall. We thought this was great, but Zsuzsa was convinced that we would like the next place even better, so we didn't linger too long.
Brett took us to another area known as Ferni Gully, and the road was even sketchier than the last. It could hardly have been called a road at all, most of it was overgrown with the grasses that sprung up nearby. When we reached the so-called parking area, when took our lunches and our ciders with us and walked the short track to the pools. It was amazing. There was no one else around for miles, no crocodiles in the water. Just crystal clear, turquoise pools with cascading water falls and the rest of nature. There was even a little pool inbetween a couple falls that served as a jacuzzi for Zsuzsa and myself! We enjoyed our crisp ciders in the warm sun and the cool waters. Paradise.
The only thing I really wanted for my birthday, was to see a croc in the wild. We had been looking in the rivers and on the banks as we drove over every bridge, but no luck, until we were on our way home. Brett slowed down over a large bridge, and sure enough there was a long dark shape moving along the water's surface. We parked and exited the car, camera in hand. A real live crocodile! Just cruising, looking for some fish. Then as we continued back toward Jabiru, we payed a visit to Yellow Water, where we had nothing but mosquitoes a couple days earlier. The sun was nearly setting, and the crocs were coming out! There were two really good sized blokes just off of the boat ramp, and we were able to get a really good look at them. We were fortunate to see many, many crocodiles in Kakadu. We watched them hunting at the Crossing for the next few days at high tide, and then we got really close to them on the Guluyambi Cruise. Big and small, they were everywhere.
The thing that sets Kakadu apart from so many other national parks in Australia is the richness of culture, and the willingness of the local Aboriginals to share that culture with visitors. The Ranger Talks were amazing, there were many at different locations throughout the park, some being 'walk and talks', and others more of a discussion focussing on a specific artwork or subject, like Family and Kinship. The complexity of the family systems that the Aboriginal peoples use is way over my head. I only began to grasp the basic concepts that keep blood lines clean, and the idea of family being everyone in your clan, and having multiple "mothers" and "fathers". It was so interesting and unique to this culture. Another we really appreciated learning were the artistic traditions from the area. Of course, Jason was keen on playing some didgeridoo and maybe learning more about the building process. He didn't quite get the Walkabout experience, but there were some great blokes form Arnhem Land who were keen to play. These guys taught a workshop about the local painting style, and I jumped on board! They talked about the significance of what they paint, how they paint it, and the colours they use. I even got to do some painting with them and ask all the questions I could think of! They were super open, and very talented. I can say it takes a very steady hand and a lot of time and patience and practice to get those super fine cross-hatched lines, using only a river reed as a paint brush. These guys were pro. I did get to practice more throughout our trip, and I can definitely say I've improved since then. There were also some women from Arnhem Land that came and taught a workshop on how to make the amazing pandanus baskets and bowls. It was a three hour workshop, and let's just say most of didn't get passed the initial splitting of the grass fibers... Truly amazing work.
We spent nearly two weeks in Kakadu, but there was just so much to take in. Before we left we were super lucky to be invited onto the Guluyambi Cruise by Brett and Zsuzsa's neighbour, Robert. He was also a really well known artist in the local tradition, but during the day he worked on the cruise giving guided boat tours. He took us, and twenty other people, on this gorgeous cruise to get up close to the crocodiles and really see them in their environment. He talked about the local plants and all their many uses, his people's hunting traditions, favourite places to find bush tucker, and he took us across the river into Arnhem Land for a spear-throwing demonstration. He had carved the spear and the woomera (spear thrower) himself. On the way back, we talked a bit more about Country, and the history of the landscape, and how the locals use cool fires to burn Country in the cool dry season to avoid really hot fires in the hot and dry. The Aboriginal techniques for land management are so simple and effective, and only now are "experts" acknowledging how intelligent their solutions really are. We got quite the education in Kakadu, and it certainly opened our eyes up to another world. It is one of the places we would definitely come back to if there were a second trip to Australia in the future...
Our next leg of the trip takes us to Darwin, to the famous Mindil Beach Markets, and then to Litchfield National Park for a very different experience. All our croc and Kakadu photos are in our gallery on Flickr. Til next time!
Tuesday, 15 October 2013
The Red Centre
Our first goal on the way up north was to spot some Southern Wright Whales as we drove up the Great Ocean Road. These whales were nearly hunted to extinction in Australia in the 1800s, but have since recovered somewhat. There are still only estimated to be about 2000 in the wild, but we were determined to try to spot some on this trip! Our first whale-watching location was in Warnambool, and while there were plenty of surfers braving the chilly waters, we didn't see any whales. Our second day along the coastal road did not yield any whale sightings either, but as we camped for the night in Coorong National Park we did come in view of some emus! The park sat on the coast, sheltered in a bit of an inlet, and seemed a good sanctuary for many critters, as was evident by the diversity of tracks left on the beaches. Our third day on the search took us to Port Elliot, where there was even a dedicated Whale Watching Centre. We quickly learned that there had already been whales sighted that morning at Basham's Beach, a short drive back the way we had come, so we hurried off to see if we could catch a glimpse! As we drove the ten minutes back to Basham's we came in view of the ocean. Jason made sure to keep his eye out as we approached the beach, and as soon as we turned onto the road facing the water, a big beautiful tail flipped out of the water as if to wave at us! We got down to the beach and could see at least seven whales in the pod, including a calf, all spread out along the bay. We were lucky enough to see some breaching, lots of tail slaps and fin waves. This was the first time that either of us had witnessed whales in the wild, and we sat very satisfied as we ate our lunch and watched the show.
After the coast, the scenery into the top of Southern Australia changed very quickly. The iconic red dirt appeared in various shades as soon as we were north of Adelaide. The eucalypts quickly changed into scrub again, and we were once again in the Outback. Our fifth day on the road took us to a little town called Coober Pedy, which apparently is the Opal Capital of the World! The road in and out of town is lined with mining equipment and mounds of dirt, and the town itself is almost entirely underground. This is mostly to help the residents deal with the heat, but also lends itself as a tourist attraction. There is an underground hostel, restaurant, bar, many opal shops and underground galleries. You can even take a tour of a working opal mine. This day would also prove to be our first encounter with wild dingos! We camped about an our north of the town, and while we were preparing to cook our dinner, we heard the ominous howl of a pack that was obviously quite near... There was only one other vehicle in view, and they seemed to be getting dinner ready as well. The next thing we knew, a dingo had crept up on Jason as he was making the fire! Posing no threat, just curious as anything, and a bit bold. He was only about 3 feet away from Jason when I spotted him and alerted him to its presence. The dingo spooked easily, but kept coming back to sniff things out until after the sun went down. We would later see many more dingos, but in comparison this one was a really gorgeous dog and one hundred percent dingo, though perhaps a little skinny and scruffy. Truly unforgettable.
The following day we found ourselves at the crossroads of the main highway and Lasseter Highway that would take us to Uluru itself. There was of course a fuel station at this intersection, and as we had steadily watched the price of fuel increase, at this point it was up to $2.19 per litre! The most we ever did see was $2.30, but managed to avoid paying it. Everyone was wise to fuel up at this station, as there were only two more on the road to Uluru, and stations have been known to occasionally run out of fuel in the middle of Australia. Another couple hours of driving along the Lasseter Highway and we found ourselves at our campsite for the night, a place called Curtin Springs, that was a privately owned station turned into a caravan park. For unpowered sites, which of course is all we need, it was free to stay with a suggested donation for using the showers. There were also powered sites, small cabins, and community fire pits. It was here that we met a group of lovely Irish backpackers, and shared a fire and some tea and stories with throughout the night. These travellers had already been through quite a bit of Asia, where we were planning to go after Oz, so we very eagerly picked their brains! They were also heading to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park the next day, so we decided that we would at least meet up again the next night to watch the sunset over Uluru.
That night while sleeping in our car, we were awakened by a loud noise, what Jason thought was someone yelling. He got out of the car to have a look around, and make sure that no unwatched fires were the cause of distress, but upon not finding anything unusual came back to bed. In the morning, we learned that two of our new Irish friends, while sleeping in their tent, were rudely awakened by someone or something slashing at the outside of their tent in the middle of the night! One of the other Irish gals sleeping further away in her own tent heard this, and rushed to their help, to find that it was a resident emu who was so rudely attempting to enter their tent in the night. I'm sure from inside it seemed as though they were being attacked by some crazy person, but we were all relieved to learn that it was just a curious and inconsiderate animal. Turns out Jason's instincts were right after all, but things had settled down by the time he had gotten outside.
The next day, it was time to greet Uluru at last. As we drove along the highway toward the national park, we began to see the massive red rock rising out of the ground in the distance, and with the sun illuminating its face was such a breathtaking sight. It was hard to believe its enormity from the distance, but we soon found ourselves much closer, and in disbelief of its sheer size and natural beauty. After an educational visit to the Cultural Centre, nestled in Uluru's shadow, we headed to a side of the rock not often seen to take a bit of a walk to a waterhole. There we found a gentle waterfall, and some of our first Aboriginal rock art galleries. The marks and scars in the rock each seemed to have their own stories and legends, accorded to them by the Aboriginal ancestors who used Uluru as a gathering place, an oasis, and a place of spiritual discovery. This place was alive with dreamtime stories, illustrated on the walls by the tribes that frequented this place. The base of the rock was dotted with Sacred Sites, places of much cultural significance to the Anangu people and their Mala ancestors, and that were not permitted to be photographed or disturbed. At the cultural centre we had learned that the Mala, the people who frequently used this landmark, named themselves after the rock wallaby that had since disappeared from the area, but who was depicted in much of the rock art in the Sacred Sites.This place was an oasis for many species, and supported many birds, small marsupials and a multitude of reptiles.
After our waterfall walk, we drove around the base of the rock to the more frequented side, and found it was certainly much busier. We were appalled to find a large metal rail and chains had been pounded into the side of Uluru to assist people in climbing up the rock to the top. Along our journey to this place, we had often been asked if we were going to climb it. We hadn't even a notion that you could, and didn't decide if this was something we wanted to do. At the Cultural Centre, there were many stories and legends surrounding this place, telling of the spiritual journeys that the Mala people took to get here, and that climbing the rock was something that only men at a certain stage in their life were permitted to do, because it was of huge spiritual significance and not to be taken lightly. It was upon learning this and more about their culture that we had decided it was not something we wanted to do, or that we should, out of respect for the place and the people to whom it meant so much. So when we saw this huge scar in the rock, and children and adults running and jumping all over it, we were simply in shock. Not only this, but all along the area were signs asking you to PLEASE not climb Uluru. The chains had been put there in the eighties to encourage more tourism by white folks, but the Traditional Anangu Owners were now in joint partnership trying to petition to have the chains removed. I hope they are soon successful.
We left the crowded area with the signs and went for another walk, passing by some amazing caves that had obviously been inhabited and well used. And more amazingly, we were suddenly alone! It seems that the vast majority of the people who came to visit this place wanted to climb it, conquer it, and be on their way. Very few took the opportunity to enjoy the peace and beauty it had to offer, the surprise waterfalls and pools, and the many varieties of birds that make their homes here. The tall eucalypts were dwarfed by the towering red walls of rock, and we were lost in the unusual landscape. There was something very spiritual about this place; it seemed to us that Uluru had a personality and presence all its own. This was such a landmark moment in our trip, and somewhere we had anticipated being for so long, we savoured every moment.
That afternoon, we headed out a little ways to find our view of the rock for the sunset. We wanted a good spot, so we got there a bit early and had some fun! Jason pulled out his didgeridoo and added to the sounds of the Outback, while I dragged my mat onto a platform and absorbed the sounds and surroundings through my yoga. It was magic. A little later the Irish friends we had made joined us, and we watched the sun transform the rock into a glowing red ember as it sank closer to the horizon, illuminating the few clouds with pinks and purples. Shortly after the sun went down, the moon started to rise, and came up directly behind the centre of Uluru. It was the night before the Super Moon, and its brightness lit up the landscape as we flocked away from the event, back to find a place to camp for the night.
The next day we set out early to explore a lesser known rock formation, in the same park as Uluru, called Kata Tjuta (also known as The Olgas). While covering nearly twice the land and being also quite a lot taller than Uluru, we weren't very familiar with it, and had only seen it in the distance as we approached Uluru the day before. We were immediately stunned by the size, and its resemblance in shape to a giant submarine on the one side. We took the Valley of the Winds walk, which did involve some climbs, but each one rewarded with astonishing views. The highlight was the highest point of the walk, where we ascended many, many rock steps into a channel surrounded by two massive rock faces. As we reached the top of the steps, we could see the amazing valley views and orange rock formations, lit up by the midday sun and perfectly framed between the cliffs. But then, as we turned around to face the direction we came, we could see our ascent and the oasis down below, of trickling waterfalls, birds flying, and green eucalyptus leaves. We lingered here for a while and took some pictures, which sadly could not do it justice, and then climbed back down toward the oasis. When we reached the streams at the bottom, we spotted some beautiful green and yellow budgerigars, who were making their homes in the gum trees. Definitely a special place. We capped off our day with another Uluru sunset and a view of the Super Moon, and said goodbye to these magnificent natural monuments.
Our visit to the Red Centre had one more major stop to be complete, a series of sandstone cliffs and plateaus called King's Canyon. This was much different from the sandstone that makes up Uluru and Kata Tjuta; instead of being smoothed and polished by the elements, the monuments that make up King's Canyon are quite jagged and reminiscent of the Pyramids. We took a long walk around the canyon's rim, about 4 hours, and were again surprised by the hidden oases and groves in the canyon, one aptly named The Garden of Eden. Toward the end of our walk, as we were descending back down the cliffs, we were lucky enough to spot a rock wallaby foraging in the bushes. That night we found a spot to camp at a rest stop, though it was a bit crowded by caravaners who had assembled a sort of village... And we met up with a couple German cyclists who we were expecting to see from our previous night's camp. This lovely couple started their journey in Adelaide, where they had purchased all of their gear, and had so far made it over 1600 kilometers to the Red Centre. We had many enlightening conversations about their travels, the highs and lows of cycling, and how they were possibly carrying their food supply in such slim panniers! We really got on well with this couple, and promised to visit them in Germany one day (on another trip for sure!) where they graciously offered to host us. We all sat around the fire until it was time for bed, keeping nice and toasty warm into the cold desert night.
Something magical happened on our trip through the Red Centre; as were camping in the West MacDonnel Ranges, around our big, beautiful fire, I ventured to give the didgeridoo a real go. I had such a hard time circular breathing in my previous attempts, but for some reason it felt so much more natural this night in the Outback. A couple really intense efforts, and I could feel what it was I was striving for! And it was addictive, once I got a feel for it, I didn't want to give it up. Good thing we had two didgeridoos! Since that night I have been working on my sounds and techniques, and I'm coming along quite well. Very excited to show all of you at home how far I've come!
On our way up to Kakadu National Park, our northernmost destination, we stopped at Karlu Karlu (or the Devil's Marbles) to see some more very unique rock formations, Wycliffe Well, the UFO capital of Australia, and Alice Springs for a bit of civilization and to let our folks know we were still alive! It was an awesome experience, and I had knocked a major destination off my Bucket List at Uluru. Next, we were destined for crocodile country, and the home of Mick Dundee. Kakadu and Arnhem Land is home to the most culturally alive traditions in Aboriginal Australia, and we were about to experience it first-hand. Stay tuned!
Please visit our photo gallery here to see our adventures for yourself!
That night while sleeping in our car, we were awakened by a loud noise, what Jason thought was someone yelling. He got out of the car to have a look around, and make sure that no unwatched fires were the cause of distress, but upon not finding anything unusual came back to bed. In the morning, we learned that two of our new Irish friends, while sleeping in their tent, were rudely awakened by someone or something slashing at the outside of their tent in the middle of the night! One of the other Irish gals sleeping further away in her own tent heard this, and rushed to their help, to find that it was a resident emu who was so rudely attempting to enter their tent in the night. I'm sure from inside it seemed as though they were being attacked by some crazy person, but we were all relieved to learn that it was just a curious and inconsiderate animal. Turns out Jason's instincts were right after all, but things had settled down by the time he had gotten outside.
The next day, it was time to greet Uluru at last. As we drove along the highway toward the national park, we began to see the massive red rock rising out of the ground in the distance, and with the sun illuminating its face was such a breathtaking sight. It was hard to believe its enormity from the distance, but we soon found ourselves much closer, and in disbelief of its sheer size and natural beauty. After an educational visit to the Cultural Centre, nestled in Uluru's shadow, we headed to a side of the rock not often seen to take a bit of a walk to a waterhole. There we found a gentle waterfall, and some of our first Aboriginal rock art galleries. The marks and scars in the rock each seemed to have their own stories and legends, accorded to them by the Aboriginal ancestors who used Uluru as a gathering place, an oasis, and a place of spiritual discovery. This place was alive with dreamtime stories, illustrated on the walls by the tribes that frequented this place. The base of the rock was dotted with Sacred Sites, places of much cultural significance to the Anangu people and their Mala ancestors, and that were not permitted to be photographed or disturbed. At the cultural centre we had learned that the Mala, the people who frequently used this landmark, named themselves after the rock wallaby that had since disappeared from the area, but who was depicted in much of the rock art in the Sacred Sites.This place was an oasis for many species, and supported many birds, small marsupials and a multitude of reptiles.
After our waterfall walk, we drove around the base of the rock to the more frequented side, and found it was certainly much busier. We were appalled to find a large metal rail and chains had been pounded into the side of Uluru to assist people in climbing up the rock to the top. Along our journey to this place, we had often been asked if we were going to climb it. We hadn't even a notion that you could, and didn't decide if this was something we wanted to do. At the Cultural Centre, there were many stories and legends surrounding this place, telling of the spiritual journeys that the Mala people took to get here, and that climbing the rock was something that only men at a certain stage in their life were permitted to do, because it was of huge spiritual significance and not to be taken lightly. It was upon learning this and more about their culture that we had decided it was not something we wanted to do, or that we should, out of respect for the place and the people to whom it meant so much. So when we saw this huge scar in the rock, and children and adults running and jumping all over it, we were simply in shock. Not only this, but all along the area were signs asking you to PLEASE not climb Uluru. The chains had been put there in the eighties to encourage more tourism by white folks, but the Traditional Anangu Owners were now in joint partnership trying to petition to have the chains removed. I hope they are soon successful.
We left the crowded area with the signs and went for another walk, passing by some amazing caves that had obviously been inhabited and well used. And more amazingly, we were suddenly alone! It seems that the vast majority of the people who came to visit this place wanted to climb it, conquer it, and be on their way. Very few took the opportunity to enjoy the peace and beauty it had to offer, the surprise waterfalls and pools, and the many varieties of birds that make their homes here. The tall eucalypts were dwarfed by the towering red walls of rock, and we were lost in the unusual landscape. There was something very spiritual about this place; it seemed to us that Uluru had a personality and presence all its own. This was such a landmark moment in our trip, and somewhere we had anticipated being for so long, we savoured every moment.
That afternoon, we headed out a little ways to find our view of the rock for the sunset. We wanted a good spot, so we got there a bit early and had some fun! Jason pulled out his didgeridoo and added to the sounds of the Outback, while I dragged my mat onto a platform and absorbed the sounds and surroundings through my yoga. It was magic. A little later the Irish friends we had made joined us, and we watched the sun transform the rock into a glowing red ember as it sank closer to the horizon, illuminating the few clouds with pinks and purples. Shortly after the sun went down, the moon started to rise, and came up directly behind the centre of Uluru. It was the night before the Super Moon, and its brightness lit up the landscape as we flocked away from the event, back to find a place to camp for the night.
The next day we set out early to explore a lesser known rock formation, in the same park as Uluru, called Kata Tjuta (also known as The Olgas). While covering nearly twice the land and being also quite a lot taller than Uluru, we weren't very familiar with it, and had only seen it in the distance as we approached Uluru the day before. We were immediately stunned by the size, and its resemblance in shape to a giant submarine on the one side. We took the Valley of the Winds walk, which did involve some climbs, but each one rewarded with astonishing views. The highlight was the highest point of the walk, where we ascended many, many rock steps into a channel surrounded by two massive rock faces. As we reached the top of the steps, we could see the amazing valley views and orange rock formations, lit up by the midday sun and perfectly framed between the cliffs. But then, as we turned around to face the direction we came, we could see our ascent and the oasis down below, of trickling waterfalls, birds flying, and green eucalyptus leaves. We lingered here for a while and took some pictures, which sadly could not do it justice, and then climbed back down toward the oasis. When we reached the streams at the bottom, we spotted some beautiful green and yellow budgerigars, who were making their homes in the gum trees. Definitely a special place. We capped off our day with another Uluru sunset and a view of the Super Moon, and said goodbye to these magnificent natural monuments.
Our visit to the Red Centre had one more major stop to be complete, a series of sandstone cliffs and plateaus called King's Canyon. This was much different from the sandstone that makes up Uluru and Kata Tjuta; instead of being smoothed and polished by the elements, the monuments that make up King's Canyon are quite jagged and reminiscent of the Pyramids. We took a long walk around the canyon's rim, about 4 hours, and were again surprised by the hidden oases and groves in the canyon, one aptly named The Garden of Eden. Toward the end of our walk, as we were descending back down the cliffs, we were lucky enough to spot a rock wallaby foraging in the bushes. That night we found a spot to camp at a rest stop, though it was a bit crowded by caravaners who had assembled a sort of village... And we met up with a couple German cyclists who we were expecting to see from our previous night's camp. This lovely couple started their journey in Adelaide, where they had purchased all of their gear, and had so far made it over 1600 kilometers to the Red Centre. We had many enlightening conversations about their travels, the highs and lows of cycling, and how they were possibly carrying their food supply in such slim panniers! We really got on well with this couple, and promised to visit them in Germany one day (on another trip for sure!) where they graciously offered to host us. We all sat around the fire until it was time for bed, keeping nice and toasty warm into the cold desert night.
Something magical happened on our trip through the Red Centre; as were camping in the West MacDonnel Ranges, around our big, beautiful fire, I ventured to give the didgeridoo a real go. I had such a hard time circular breathing in my previous attempts, but for some reason it felt so much more natural this night in the Outback. A couple really intense efforts, and I could feel what it was I was striving for! And it was addictive, once I got a feel for it, I didn't want to give it up. Good thing we had two didgeridoos! Since that night I have been working on my sounds and techniques, and I'm coming along quite well. Very excited to show all of you at home how far I've come!
On our way up to Kakadu National Park, our northernmost destination, we stopped at Karlu Karlu (or the Devil's Marbles) to see some more very unique rock formations, Wycliffe Well, the UFO capital of Australia, and Alice Springs for a bit of civilization and to let our folks know we were still alive! It was an awesome experience, and I had knocked a major destination off my Bucket List at Uluru. Next, we were destined for crocodile country, and the home of Mick Dundee. Kakadu and Arnhem Land is home to the most culturally alive traditions in Aboriginal Australia, and we were about to experience it first-hand. Stay tuned!
Please visit our photo gallery here to see our adventures for yourself!
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