The Red Centre

When I asked Mom and Dad what they wanted to see while visiting Australia, they came up with Sydney (for the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge) and Uluru. I will be going to Sydney in December for New Year's Eve, so I let them explore it on their own after I returned to Karratha and work, but I wanted to see Uluru again, so it became the fourth and final part of our trip together.

In 2009, after our Great Ocean Road trip all the way to Adelaide, Tiia and I had boarded the Ghan for the 25.5 hour train journey to Alice Springs (good prep for the almost 40 hour train journey aboard the Indian Pacific I took two months later from Adelaide to Perth, but that's another story). We went in March, so it was still pretty hot (37 degrees on the first day when we hiked Watarkka) and the flies were horrendous (fly nets were NOT optional), but we had a fantastic time sleeping in swags under the stars and hiking around all the red rock. This time we opted to stay in a hotel, as temperatures hovered around zero overnight (it was winter in the desert after all), and while we were on a more upscale tour, we saw the same three sites as Tiia and I had four years before.

We arrived in Alice Springs before noon to 28 degrees and sunshine~ I was happy, as we didn't see much sun down south. We checked into our hotel and walked down to the Todd Street Mall for lunch. We then headed to ANZAC Hill which overlooks Alice and has a memorial at the top for those who lost lives in all world conflicts. Afterwards we went to the Reptile Centre (http://www.reptilecentre.com.au), a highlight of my visit with Tiia, who had dragged me here to hold a snake. I ended up getting really into it and loved holding the different reptiles. This time around, Mom surprised me and volunteered to hold a blue tongue lizard, a frill neck lizard and an olive python. Way to go, Mom!

 An uncooperative blue tongue lizard. They really do have blue tongues!

 An olive python.

 My brave mama.

A thorny devil. Last time on the way to Uluru, 

the guide saw one on the highway, pulled over and 

put it on my shoulder. They're my favourite lizard.

A perentie, the largest goanna native to Australia. 

They can grow up to 2.5 metres long.

There are several other attractions around Alice that are worth checking out, including the School of the Air (touted as 'the World's Largest Classroom', it is how students in remote communities are schooled~ check out www.assoa.nt.edu.au for more information), the Royal Flying Doctor Service and the Old Gaol, which houses the National Pioneer Women's Hall of Fame, but we ran out of time. On Robyn's (the school librarian with whom we had had coffee with before leaving Karratha) suggestion, we wandered back to the Todd Street Mall so Mom could pick up some fabric for quilting at the fabric shop. I'm looking forward to seeing what she creates with it. We also checked out the Todd River, which is completely dry. They say you're only considered an Alice Springs local if you've seen it flow three times, so it's a pretty rare event. It was dark by the time we headed back to our hotel to prepare for our three day tour.

The Todd River does flow after heavy rains.

We had an early pick-up (I think it was 6:30) and then we were off to Stuart's Well, home of the same camel farm where Tiia and I had ridden our first camel. Mom and Dad went for their ride and then we looked around at the other animal enclosures, which included more camels, emus, kangaroos and some kind of parrot. Zara the dingo was also there, resting. It was then off to Yulara, with brief stops at Erldunda Roadhouse and Mount Conner/Attila (often mistaken as the first sighting of Uluru).

 Ready to ride.

A young camel

 An emu

Mount Conner/Attila. You can see why it's mistaken for Uluru.

A note on names: Uluru is the name given to the inselberg (literally island mountain) by the local Anangu people. The first European to 'discover' the monolith was William Gosse in 1872 and he named it Ayers Rock after Sir Henry Ayers, former chief secretary of South Australia. In December 1993, a dual naming policy was introduced and Uluru became the first Australian icon to be given backs its aboriginal name. Kata Tjuta was given back its aboriginal name at the same time. It was named the Olgas by Ernest Giles in 1872 after Queen Olga of Württemberg. The third site we visited was Watarrka National Park, also known as Kings Canyon. Watarrka is the Luritjja name for the umbrella bush, which grows in the area.

We pulled into Yulara, home of the Ayers Rock Resort, around noon. Built in the 1980's to service tourists visiting the Rock, it features five different levels of accommodation, including a campground, which is where I had stayed last time. We checked into our hotel, ate lunch and got back on the coach to head to Kata Tjuta. Made up of 36 domes and covering 22 square kilometres, Kata Tjuta is just as impressive, if not more so, than its much more famous neighbour (they're 30 kilometres apart), Uluru. We had done the Valley of the Winds hike last time I was here, a 7.4km circuit with amazing views. This time we ventured into Walpa Gorge, which was only 2.6km return. Because of the time of day, it was mostly in shadow, so the photos don't do it justice. We then went to the sunset viewing area to take more pictures, including the one below, before heading to Uluru's sunset viewing area.

Kata Tjuta, which is a Pitjantjatjara word which means many heads.

Interesting rock face.

Uluru's sunset viewing area is quite the scene. Almost everyone in Yulara is here at sunset and there are numerous coaches and mini buses, each full of tourists from all over the world. There are no bathrooms and no seating; it's been left as natural as possible. When we arrived, our tour company had already set up tables with nibbles, champagne and red and white wine. We grabbed some bubbly, chatted with one of the guides and nabbed a spot by the fence. As the sun sets, Uluru changes colours, so it looks quite different from one moment to the next. It's quite phenomenal.

We woke early the next morning to see Uluru at sunrise. When I had been before, it was March (early autumn) and I think we needed to leave camp by 4:30 or so (our guide prided himself on being one of the first ones to the sunrise area). In winter, the sun rises a little later and we didn't need to get on the coach until 5:30 or so. The sunrise area is in a different location to the sunset area where we had been the night before. There are bathrooms here and a long windy walkway leading to a viewpoint up on a hill. You could stop anywhere along the walkway, although most people headed straight to the viewpoint. At first we did too, but then decided the view was actually a little better further down, away from the crowd. It was absolutely freezing (I think the temperature might have been around zero) and even though I was wearing a toque/beanie, a hoodie, a jacket, long pants and boots, I was frozen to the bone. The tour company provided tea and coffee, but it cooled off quickly and didn't really help to warm my hands or my insides. It was, however, a beautiful sight and you could see Kata Tjuta from here as well.

The sunrise viewing platform.

Can't tell how cold it is from this photo, but Mom's 

wearing two jackets and she's hardly ever cold. 

It did warm up to a balmy 16 degrees later in the day.

Kata Tjuta off in the distance.

We then were off on our base walk tour of Uluru. Last time Tiia and I walked the entire loop, which is 10.6km. This time we walked a couple of sections with our Canadian guide (from Toronto), who shared some aspects of Tjukurpa with us, which is the foundation of the Anangu culture. The Anangu are the indigenous people who have been living in central Australia for tens of thousands of years. Tjukurpa refers to the creation period when ancestral beings, in the form of people, plants and animals, created the world. Our guide told us several of the creation stories that are connected to Uluru. You can read about some of the stories here http://austhrutime.com/mythology_uluru.htm

 Yes, a toque/beanie was necessary! It was cold!

 Some art in one of the caves around the base.

The Anangu, the traditional owners of Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park, ask visitors not to climb Uluru for many reasons. See their note here http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/publications/uluru/pubs/pn-please-dont-climb.pdf It is a spiritually significant place for the Anangu. It is steep and often slippery and windy on the climb, which can make it very dangerous, and at least 35 people have died (most from heart attacks). Climbing also has environmental impacts, such as erosion, increased bacterial levels in the watering holes and rubbish. The number who climb has dropped to less than 20% of visitors in 2013 from 74% in 1990 and, according to our guide, most of the tourists who choose to climb Uluru are either Japanese or Australian. An interesting article on whether they will close the climb can be found here http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/09/people-still-climbing-uluru-closure 

 You can just make out the route to the top
(there is a chain bolted into the sandstone climbers can hold onto).

After lunch, we boarded our coach and headed off to Watarrka National Park. The drive was approximately 4 hours and my Dad was lucky enough to see three wild dingos out the window (I was looking the other way and only saw them briefly in the distance). We were in time to see the sun set behind the ranges and then we went to eat dinner at the only restaurant in Kings Canyon Resort. The food and service was surprisingly good (we had been told by our driver that it was difficult for the Resort to retain staff due to being so remote) and after having a look around the servo/gas station, which also acted as a gift shop and general store, we headed back to our room. We had to eat breakfast and be back on the bus before 6am the next day in order to do the Kings Canyon Rim Walk, so it was another early night for us. 

When I had hiked Kings Canyon with Tiia, we had arrived after lunch on our first day and the temperature was over 37 degrees Celsius. It is a three hour hike and we were told to carry at least 3 litres of water. Our group was approximately 20 people and we rested often in the shade. This time around the temperature hovered around 0 and it took a while to warm up. Again, a toque/beanie, hoodie (so happy I bought one in Torquay the week before), jacket and long pants were required. The beginning of the Rim Walk is a bit intimidating~ 500 steps. These steps are roughly hewn into the rock and two of the women in our group, only a bit older than me, went up on all fours. My parents and another couple were the oldest in the group, but they took it slow and steady. Our guide was also older, but did the Rim Walk several times a week. She was very knowledgeable about the Canyon and had lots of information to share with us. I was just as amazed this time as I was four years earlier. It is definitely in the top 5 hikes I've done and I'm proud of my parents for choosing the Rim Walk over the more sedate Creek Walk. 

Halfway up the 500 steps to the top.

 Made it! The view from the top, just after sunrise.

 Looking across the gorge. You can just
make out another group on the stairs.

 Kings Canyon itself. A photograph can't capture
how amazing it is in real life. Wow.

After our walk, we headed back to the Resort to pack our bags and have a look around before we left for Kings Canyon Station, where we had lunch and saw some more camels. The final leg of the tour was the long drive back to Alice Springs. We had seen the Red Centre and the next day we would be parting company at the airport, with me flying back to Karratha via Perth, and Mom and Dad flying to Sydney for the final 5 days of their holiday. It was hard to say goodbye, even though I knew I would be talking to them on the phone every night that week (had to use up their Australian credit!). I'm so happy they got to see this amazing country and that I got to share what I love with them. Four weeks isn't long enough to see everything there is to see, but they probably saw more in the short time they were here than many Australians have (Perth, the Pilbara, the Whitsundays and the Great Barrier Reef, Great Ocean Road, Alice Springs and the Red Centre, Sydney and the Blue Mountains~ that's pretty incredible). Thanks for an amazing eighteen days, Mom and Dad, so glad I could share it with you!