will miller travels to uluru, ayers rock

Holly and Lisa of painting fame, had finally removed all their turqoise paint, and hired a camper van to take them down to Alice and then back up and east to the coast, to Townsville. This was the route I was going to take to Cairns also - lets do it together!!

They had got the van as a re-location- extremely cheap, but you have to re-locate it extremely quickly. This suited me as I wanted to be in Cairns in two weeks to meet Sylvia.

So I gave up on waiting for fruit pickng and we planned out a route together on Friday. They were leaving on Monday, but they had already seen Kakadu National Park- it was on my to do list. I had 2 days to see it, then meet up with them in Katherine. BUT the problem, I explained to Lisa, is I dont have any passengers yet, I would have to find some by tomorrow morning. "Well, get on with it then!!!' she said.

So I did.

I put signs up all over the place, but with just a few hours before tomorrow, was not hopeful.

I didn't hear anything, but then at brekkie the next day, a french girl was pointed in my direction. Veronique had just seen my ad and was keen to come along, cool! (even though she had just a few hours ago arrived in Australia!?)

I had decided to leave on Sun, as I wasn't in the slightest bit ready to leave. Then that afternoon I got a text from a Sharon, 'Have you left yet?' We met up and she made a spur of the moment decision to come with us - Great! Full car...and two young ladies!

So Sunday morning Veronique and I went and picked up a hung over Sharon and we set off to Kaka-doodle-du, with plans to meet Holly and Lisa on tuesday.

Our first stop was a pretty uninteresting wetlands lookout, but I had an ulterior motive - Jumping Crocodiles!!

There was a boat tour that left in 10 minutes that whisked you up possibly the most crocodile infested river in the world, and dangled bits of meat over the side of the boat!

Upon arrival I was somewhat dissappointed by the boat- a large, fully enclosed, ferry type vessel. But this gave way to nervous excitement when we walked through the boat and out the otherside into a little tin dingy!! I couldnt have been closer to the water if I was sitting in it!

We soon found some hungry crocs, but it seemed to take alot to muster up the energy to go for the dangling meat as only a few went for it. Its not so much as a jump as a powerful vertical swim, but impressive none-the-less! Had a good display of local hawks swooping in for thrown meat chunks too - agile does not describe!

The next day we went for an early morning walk to discover some wildlife, Veronique was keen as she was new to Oz. As we started the track a semi-crazed guy came and warned us of the wild pig that chased him yesterday, we duely noted it and set off. It was a nice walk amongst some stacked layered rock formations, then along a dry river where we saw lots of birds, amd quite a few Kangas. We even came across the wild pig family, but they were more interested in running away than anything else.

We stopped at Nourlangie Rock were there was some impressivly vivid aboriginal rock art, featuring local mythological stories about the ancestral beings that created the land and the people, many of which had become visible parts of the landscape around us. We could see a couple of features (where the lightning man lives) from the lookout above.

We visited my first of a truly australian feature, Anbangbang Billabong, this one being famous (in its desciptive literature) for being in the film 'Crocodile Dundee'! Now thats famous!

Camped again, and the next day made the excursion off the tarmac, along the ever-corrugated 'unsealed road' to Gunlom falls. And good job too, it was lovely. We viewed the falls and large pool from the bottom, but Shaz and I were keen to take the walk up to the top. So armed with bottles of water - it is oppresively hot! - we left Veronique at the pool and clambered up.

It was stunning, a great view of the park landscape, and the river had created a collection of crystal clear pools before sliding over the edge.

We returned to Veronique and had a quick lunch, or as quick as I could, Veronique informing us that she was getting tired of moving from one place to the next, that she wasn't used to this way of travelling (after 7 months in asia).

I took it into account, but I was a day behind Lisa and Holly already.

We made it to Katherine and stayed at the same campsite as I did with Karl and Norma, but no rushing meant no kayaking for the girls the next day. Instead we had a look at the Gorge from the lookaout, having braved the walk up. It is till fiercly hot!

We continued south and arrived at Mataranka hot springs (as it was cooling down in the afternoon) and went for a dip. A mixture of good and bad, the water was crystal clear and luke warm, but the edges were reedy and full of scum, and it stank. After a quick swim Shaz and I were ready to go, Veronique had befriended a group of Swiss and it was dark by the time we left.

I'm not keen at driving at nght, but Shaz and I were looking forward to seeing the famous Daly waters pub, complete with all its wacky memorabilia. We made it and set up camp, but on exploratiopn of the pub, could not understand the hype. They had some passport photos and university id badges stuck to the walls and a few dusty old bras hanging from the ceiling. They had had a fire a year ago, so that must account for it?

The next day we had a nice drink in the pub just as a band was finishing ( at 11 am?) then continued along the barren Stuart Highway south. Holly and Lisa were flyng and were well ahead of us, maybe we will see them in Alice.

It was a long way of nothing, and Sharon was crusing on the way to Tennant Creek. Unfortunately she was cruising at 140 kph and we had the A/C on...

We stopped to take a photo of a rather impressive bush fire, when I noticed Oscar was having a bush fire of his own!

Something had blown and we were losing oil. I checked the dip stick, it was dry - bugger!

A passing campervan spotted our distress and offered help. Luckily they had a little bit of oil, and we limped to the next Roadhouse just up the road.

The guy there couldn't offer any help, other than; we could keep going, toping up the oil, and maybe make it to Tennant Creek with no problems- OR- maybe not. It was just desert for 136kms.

There wasn't really much of a choice, so he gave us some oil and off we went.

Luckily we made it to Tennant Creek with no dramas.

There wasn't anywhere to get the car looked at in Tennant Creek the next day, so we boldly continued, and found the Devils Marbles, a bizarre collection of smoothed, often spherical, stacked rocks in the middle of nowhere. We had an intriguing wander about and around them all, until we could take the downside to the place no more - FLIES!

So we departed, and made it to Alice, but not before stopping at Wycliffe Well, the UFO capital australia, and all it connected tackiness (and international doll collection??) A bit of tension in the car too when I stopped in the middle of nowhere to check the oil, I then had to wait for Veronique as she had a wander and a cigarette, then told me there was no point stopping and spending time here!

In Alice I got Oscar seen to, and the girls got their relevant stuff sorted, and we were even ready to depart for Kings Canyon and Uluru National Park that afternoon. We set off and came to the turn off to the unsealed 4x4 shortcut to Kings Canyon. Shaz was driving, and when the guy in the 4x4, who was just emerging from the track, said we should be fine there was no stopping her!! She was up for adventure. It was a fantastic drive past some really rugged scenery, along the ever reddening dirt as the sun lowered, and a quick stop at some slightly unclimactic meteor craters.

We rejoined the tarmac as darkness fell, and had an uneventful drive to Kings Station campsite. Uneventful, that is, except for when Shazza screamed "OH SHIIIIITTT!" at the top of her lungs. I looked up to see 2 kangas standing a few inches from the centre white line, on the otherside. Shaz held her course, still screaming, and skimmed past them at 100kph! Miraculously the kangas stayed put, had either one of us moved it would have been very messy!

The next day we ventured off to explore Kings canyon, and who should be in the carpark, Holly and Lisa. So we all set off up the walk together. Unfortunately Lisa didn't get very far, she had the flu, had been on the road for a week, and suffered heat exhaustion yesterday on top of Uluru (Ayers Rock) - she wasn't in tip top shape bless 'er. Holly took her down for a day of rest, and I caught up with the other two.

Kings Canyon took my breath away. I had heard or read nothing about it, so when we got to the top and I walked up to look over the edge - only to be faced with a 200 meter under cutting drop - yes, you could say I stopped breathing momentarily. It is an impressive piece of natural architecture, and vast too, the drop that is, the other side of the Canyon was just a stones throw away, we could hear the folk on the otherside talking.

We spent the next few days in the Uluru area, driving back and forth between the Nat Park and campsite for an inexplicable number of times.

We went back to pick up Veronique, then the three of us decided to go to the Olgas instead that afternoon, deeming it too hot to attempt the climb up Uluru. We were ready to go (Shaz and I) when we had to wait for Veronique as she sat on the other side of the campsite eating her lunch.

And so to the Olgas - the lesser known rock formation of the Red Centre, (at least to me anyway - I had never heard of them before I got to Oz) just a few kilometers from Uluru, and strangly more beguiling. A strange, huge, clump of Ulurulike domes and hummocks. We followed the Valley and the Winds walking track which led in and around the towering lumps, and reached to valley. Quite a view. (it was here I discovered my automatic lens cap had been stuck for this and the last I-dont-know-how-many photos -bugger)

We had to hurry to make it back to the Olga sunset viewing carpark, but Shaz and I were energetic, and continued along the loop track instead of turning back. From here we could see how vast the area of apparently clustered domes was.

Shaz and I went as early as we could the next day to partake in climbing Uluru. There was lots of literature from the Aboriginal custodians, asking for us to choose not to climb it, but it was still accessible unlike other areas, and it has to be an amazing place to be.

Unfortunately it was closed as the temperature was forecast to be over 36 degree, so hot to climb (they have a few fatalities a year). Instead we did the base walk, circumnavigating it. And it is a very Big Rock! It has a surprising surface to it aswell, the rock oxidised and flaked making it look armour plated. The oxidation gives it the colour, it is actually blue!!

We met up with Veronique and the boys for sunset again (made sure my lens cap was open this time!) then back to the campsite, where Raphel cooked us all a huge chilli. It was splendid, and I was hungry, and infinately flabbergasted when I sat down having poured Raphel some water, only to feel something hot and squishy below me...

Last day at Uluru and I tried one more time to climb it but it was closed because of the wind! I checked out the cultural centre, then returned to the campsite where we packed up and dropped Veronique off to wait for her flight.

Shaz and I had an enjoyable ride back to Alice, and treated ourselves that night with beer and Pizza. We met our room mate, Jeff, in the bar (we knew it was him cos Sharon had looked through his digital camera!) he was a good laugh, bit of a wierdo from Canada!

We spent the next day sorting out our onward travels, Shaz going south, me up to Cairns, hopefully with new travel buddies. Shaz got a ticket for the bus, and I miraculously got in touch (in 15miutes) with aFrench couple wanting to go North, perfect (although they are French....)

We stopped at the Devils Marbles for the first night, and drove and drove along the increadibly barren highway, turning left and heading east towards the coast. We took a slight detour from the main highway, on a dubiuos recomendation that the north and paralel road was more interesting. It was but it was also just a single lane. On appraoch of oncoming traffic both vehicules would veer to the left, half on half off the road, throwing up clouds of red dust and gravel. Facing an oncoming Roadtrain on it was not a pretty sight!

But we endured and continued along the hot, dry and depressingly straight desert road for 2 more days til, amazingly and unexpectedly we popped out from some thin dry trees into a lush, fresh, infinately green, landscape with steep grassy hills rolling into the distance. Unbeleiveable to think we were in the desert a few hours ago!

We spent our last night there, and got rained on! before making the last hop and arriving, eventually, in...Cairns!!