Uluru to West Macdonald ranges

Day 105

Beard update, 2 weeks and counting, still a bit fluffy but certainly getting there.

Up at a reasonable, pack up and were off 314 Km’s (which is not all that far out here) to Kings canyon. Basically a huge canyon and is billed as ‘Australia’s Grand Canyon’.

Arrive and check in to the only campsite and go to set up. A minor annoyance where we think someone is in our spot but turns out not to be (my mistake) and we are set.

There is a 7KM walk around the rim of the canyon and we were going to do it in the morning as it is nice and cool then but after thinking about it we decide that it would be better to do it today and have a good night’s sleep before another big drive rather than do it in the morning and then have to drive so off we go.

Its only early afternoon and so is still scorching hot when we start and are immediately faced with a steep climb up the side of the canyon to start with. “Mad dogs and Englishmen” Carmen pants halfway up but we persevere and make it to the top with lots of little stops on the way.

We are rewarded with a spectacular view along the canyon and get an idea of how far we have  to go, right around the rim of it and back down the other side!

As we continue along the landscape is amazing, the rocks look like some sort of lost city or a film set and it all feels very surreal.

There were some good signs!

This used to be the sea floor!

About halfway round you detour from the rim and come across a long narrow crevice in the rocks called ‘the garden of Eden’ and you can see why. It’ s a beautiful oasis with a permanent water hole at the bottom and filled with rare and ancient plants and animals.

Back to the canyon and at the halfway point you are right at the end of the canyon and can look down over the edge (very carefully) to see the bottom and the sheer sides, breathtaking (literally).

    

Continue along the edge of the rim before descending (much easier than ascending) back down to the carpark, where I think the heat has got to me as I go all ‘Gangsta’ much to Carmen’s amusement!

Gangsta

Realise that we have possibly just invented a walking challenge!! Richard and Carmen’s ‘Red Centre Endurance challenge’ (3 walks, 3 days).

Day 1 - ‘Round the rock’ (10.6KM),

Day 2 -  ‘Over the Olgas (7.4KM)’,

Day 3 -  ‘Climb the canyon (7KM)’

All including transporting yourself to the three locations. Whew!

Return to the campsite for a big feed and a cold beer, job well done!

Day 106

Leave Kings Canyon and face a dilemma, take an unsealed (marked as 4WD) road 100KM straight back to the highway or go back the way we came (more backtracking) on a sealed road for about 300KM’s to the same point?

We Umm and Arrr (like pirates) for a while but decide on the sealed  road (good for the KM’s at least) and so stop to fill up with the most expensive petrol we have seen yet at Kings Creek station $2.14/litre (we have paid $1.30 odd in Sydney!!).

460 (uneventful) KM’s later and we arrive back in Alice springs and head for a campsite just over the road from the one we were at a few days ago called ‘G’day mate’ where we settle in for an early night.

Day 107

Pretty much a rest day (and certainly no hikes) today.

Do washing and head into Alice to catch up some shopping  and in the afternoon drive out to the East Macdonald ranges to a couple of gaps in the mountains (Jessie gap and Emily gap) to see some aboriginal rock art depicting some of the dreamtime stories.

There aren’t too many pictures but it is interesting to note that each family group (they are not called tribes) have slightly different stories relating to their specific area.

Know that we are off into the wilderness for a couple of days so cook up a  big Ruby (Ruby Murray – Curry) in the evening so that we will have leftovers.

Day 108

Up and out to explore the West Macdonald ranges today so fill up (at a much more reasonable $1.62) and first stop, just 10KM’s out is Simpsons gap.

A permanent waterhole in a gap through the ranges. As gaps go it’s a pretty nice one but is far too early in the day to entertain the idea of a swim and plus its started to rain!

I thought we were in the middle of the desert!! Luckily it’s only a short shower and soon blows over to reveal a lovely sunny day again.

Next stop are the Ochre pits where traditionally the aboriginal men collected all the different coloured Ochres for uses in ceremonies and some for medicines and ointments. Its amazing to see all the different colours layered next to one another, like the best paint shop you have ever seen!!

On to Glen Helen Gorge and another permanent waterhole between the ranges and this time the sun is out so it’s a lovely stroll along the waters edge to the gorge and back.

On to our final stop for the day at Ormiston gorge, yet another waterhole in a gorge in the ranges but this one has camping as well so set up and head off on a stroll (‘Steep, strenuous climb’ Carmen says) up the side of the gorge to a lookout and then back down into the gorge and follow it along to the swimming hole.

This time I am prepared (Swimmers on) and so just before the sun sets over the gorge I am in.

 Its freezing but perfect after hiking through the ranges all day and feeling refreshed we return to the campsite in time to see what is billed as ‘an hour long slideshow on the habitat and wildlife of the Macdonald ranges’ by one of the bearded rangers.

Over two hours later, its dark and cold and we are still sitting there (many people have got up and left by now) listening to the bloke rabbit on!

Fair enough he knows his stuff but some of us are cold and thirsty mate!

Day 109

Up with the larks (as usual now) and its cold this morning. After breakfast and a shower were off, just further along the range to Serpentine gorge. Now the road is marked as unsealed but should have been 4x4 really, it’s very rough and Polly is bouncing about but makes it.

A (‘Steep, strenuous’) climb up the side of the gorge leads to a lookout over the whole gorge and the mountain range and what a good view it is. Well worth the climb although we shouldn’t have left our tops in the car as it’s still freezing cold!

Clamber back down and face the rocky road again back to the highway and further up the road is Ellery creek big hole. Yet another gorge (Carmen has had enough of gorges by now) with a big swimming hole and camping.

Set up and have a walk down the gorge (far too cold to swim) and I spot a cave halfway up the rockface…

Even to get there means crossing a fallen log over water (one of my personal favourites) and then the climb to reveal…

Nothing, I had climbed up the wrong bit!

Back to Polly for a relaxing afternoon in preparation for three more days of driving (before we get to our next gorge!!).

More good signs

Desert flowers

Mount Isa to Uluru

Day 99
Time to pack up and move on again today but before we leave we have a few errands to run in town so up earlyish.
First stop Telstra to find out why we have no reception and to cut a long story short we have to buy a new handset suitable for rural areas. We get a cheap one, put Carmen's sim card in and head to the petrol station.
Fill up and also fill the jerry cans now as we have a few miles ahead of us along remote roads through some pretty tough country and don't really want to be running out of fuel.
First stop Camoweal

200 KM's West and the final town in Queensland before crossing the border into the Northern Territory. Top the tank up as it's another 250 clicks till the next fuel stop and drive just out of town to the Queensland / Northern Territory border.

Continue West at a rate of knots (94KM/hr seems to be Pollys cruising speed) till we reach the Barkly homestead roadhouse and pull in to the dusty campsite for the night.
Quite a good set up here with the roadhouse, bar and fuel on the road and the campsite round the back with shady trees and good bathrooms.

I head out for a stroll to look around and come across a field full of smashed up vehicles and one jumps out immediately as its one of Pollys cousins!

We thought about taking the bull bar too!

Not in a good state though and it looks like it was rolled but upon closer inspection the front passenger light and the rear drivers light seem to be in perfect condition (just the bits we need).
I head straight into the roadhouse to ask who owns them and the bloke says no one and help myself to anything I want!
I go back, check the van and find its donor card and know she would have been happy to donate her eyes to her cousin and so grab the tools and perform a bit of delicate surgery.
5 minutes later and we have probably saved ourselves $500.

Day 100
No messing about this morning as we have another day of driving ahead of us so fill up again at the roadhouse ($1.90!!) before heading off West.
Reach Three ways (so called beacuse you can go three ways from it) and turn South for what must be one of the biggest detours in the world to Uluru and back (aprox 1800 KM's!!).

So head South and stop in Tennant creek to fill up again and visit the information office to find out about our overnight stop tonight at the Devils marbles a further 100KM South. Arrive at a great (and empty) campsite right in the middle of the marbles and set up.

No one quite knows how the marbles were formed (there are various theories) but whatever they are great big.. well marbles i guess you would say.
In the middle of nowhere and nothing else like them around, an oddity.
But what a good one! huge round boulders just resting there, some of them looking like they could teeter and fall at any moment.

Jumped on the bikes and enjoyed a sunset tour of the glowing red marbles only to return to the campsite and find it chokka block with caravans! (It was only $3 each a night!) Finally a chance to have a fire as well (we have been carrying a sack of wood around since Rainbow beach)

We were both glad we had been holding on to it for so long because as soon as the sun goes down the temperature plummets. The only dissapointment was that we hadn't picked up another packet of marshmallows.


Day 101
An early night is follwed by getting up in the dark to witness sunrise at the  marbles.
Well worth it though, the marbles seem even more amazing at sun up and sun down and climbed up to the lookout over the campsite to get an overview of the whole site.

 Where's Polly?

No hanging about though as we need to hit the road again and head further South  to Alice springs.
An uneventfull drive along incredibly straight roads (a corner is an event in the NT).

We arrive in Alice and (after the obligatory lap) check in for the night at our (expensive) campsite.
As we are checking in the womman tells us about karaoke they have in the campsite tonight but we are both too tired for ABBA and so go and set up.
I glance at he map of he campsite and notice there is a BMX track way up the back somewhere!
Without need for further encoragement the bike is off the back and before Carmen can say 'Helmet'I am off. Cycle right up the back (it is quite a big campsite) and would you Adam and Eve it the Bloody Karaoke is set up on the track!
I return disheartened and consider asking for a partial refund!

Day 102
Up and time to leave Alice for now (we are stopping again on the way up) so fill up (yet again) and head a further 200KM's South towards Adelaide before the Uluru (ayres rock) turnoff to the West. Carmen tells me we are also seeing the Olgas (Kata Tjuta) and I think that this is an Australian band comprised of the Olga twins (Why, i dont know) and am therefore surpriised to learn that these are other huge rocks (taller that Uluru) right next to it (in relative terms).
Continue another 260KM's West (its not close) before we finally see it.

Its huge, no picture (and we have all seen a million) can prepare for actually seeing it in the flesh (as it were). It is just one huge bloody rock in the desert. It really is big and for both of us that was what impressed us most.
Check into the campsite/resort, still 20KM's from the actual rock (there are hotels of varying expense set amongst the sand dunes). Set up and drive to the actual rock and round the back for the sunset.

From this view you get the setting sun, the Olgas and the rock all in one. Pretty nice but as you are on the shady side you just get the silhouette of the rock but still lovely all the same.

Day 103
An early night is again followed by an early start in the dark so that we can drive to the rock for the sunrise. As we are in the van we park up nice and early and have time to put the kettle on and make a coffee for the sunrise. We should be selling them I think we would have made a killing!

The sun rises to lots of Ohh's and Ahh's from the assembled masses and once that is done we head right up to the rock to do the Base walk around it.
This is no stroll in the park though its 10KM's and takes us three hours in total (this thing is huge) but amazing to be up so close and see it in minute detail and you can walk into some of the folds in the rock and lots of little caves around the base.

View from Polly

Despite the signs telling you the traditional owners would prefer if you didn't there are quite a few people climbing it but Carmen and I don't even think about it and return home for an afternoon kip after being up so early.
Up in the afternoon (feeling a lot less tired) and drive back to the rock to see the sunset and this time we are at the picture postcard view side.

It really does appear to change colour as the setting sun hits it from a brown through reds and oranges before finally going dark and we stand in awe as it unfolds in front of us (it was worth the detour after all).

Day 104
Up earlish again as today we plan on vising the Olgas (Not the Australian sisters!) and you have to finish any walks you are doing before it gets too hot (midday onwards). So get up and drive the 50KM's to the amazing rocks. The same stuff as Uluru but rather than one huge lump there are gorges and valleys right through them.
The walk we are doing this morning is the Valley of the winds walk, in between two of the huge lumps and then back around the side. These things are huge  (taller than Uluru in fact) and the walk takes us a couple of hours to go round one of them!

The path is rough and is up and down all the time and the sun as already hot even early in the morning. Enjoyable walk though and in fact we both agreed that the Olgas were probably better than the big rock itself.
A short drive to a gigantic gorge and a chance to walk right up into it.

The size and scale of these things can never come across in a photograph, you really have to be there to appreciate how big they are. Another great walk we both thought and we returned to the campsite very happy that we decided to look at Kata Tjuta (you never hear about them) and think that they are certainly not Ulurus' poorer cousin.

Back at the campsite and on the recomendation of our neighbours we decide to go and have a look at the Camel farm where they look after the camels (obviously) which you can have a ride on for sunset.
Its red hot and the short cycle ride tires us and whilst i go introduce myself (and my beard) to the camels Carmen waits in the shade (turns out she doesn't really like camels).

I say hello and make small talk with the camels for five minutes and then we ride back to the campsite via one of the resort pubs.
We get back in time to catch our final sunset on the rock from one of the campsite lookouts and retire for an early night.