Uluru

The car was packed, our bellies were full from the Caravan Parks famous free pancakes, and we had said goodbye to our friends who were leaving before we would return. As we were about to drive away Marty told us that the recent storms had brought enough rain to start the Todd River flowing again. The river had had a small amount of water in it in March this year but it hadn’t flowed since April 2010.

Since we first arrived here, there had been a lot of talk about the Todd River. We had all been hoping (but not expecting) to see water within her banks. So we made a quick detour into town to take some photos.

 

 

 

 

We had been in Alice Springs for about 10 weeks and had not yet seen its most iconic landform. Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock) is situated about 500km South West of Alice Spring, but it takes about 5 hours to drive there. Before coming to Central Australia I assumed The Rock was quite close to the town of Alice Springs so was very surprised that a return trip to Uluru was about the same distance as Melbourne to Sydney!

Normally covered with a thick carpet of green and brown spinifex grass, a recent fire had exposed the red sand underneath, leaving the ground looking more like the desert we all imagined. It was another long and boring drive with not much to look at out the window. We spent part of the trip to Uluru listening to a DIY drive cd explaining about the area and its history. It was a great way to pass the time and was really interesting.

Tonia, Cameron and their kids we also visiting Uluru for the first time and we were excited to be sharing the experience together.

We stopped off on the way to have a look at Mount Connor. Across the road the kids found some fantastic red sand dunes to play on. It was a struggle to get them back into the car to complete our journey. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We left the caravan back in Alice Springs and splurged on a 2 bedroom apartment at Emu Walk, in Ayers Rock Resort.

Zaccy had trouble understanding why we were there and not in our caravan but decided that he “likes this house much better than our caravan because it is SO big!” I wonder what he will think about our real house when we finally return to it. He has been living in the caravan since he was 18 months old and doesn’t remember any different.

Although quite old, with an obvious 80s design, the apartment was really nice. Ours had a double bed in one room and a king sized bed in the other. I reluctantly gave up the king size bed to the kids once Dan explained that it would be really unfair to make the three boys sleep in a double bed while the two of us shared the king bed!

Typical of kids (especially boys!) the first thing they did was explore the apartment. They were really impressed to find a cupboard under the stairs that was bigger than their bedroom in the caravan. I managed to snap a shot of them pretending to sleep in the cupboard!

 

Our first drive out to Uluru was just before sunset in the hope of getting ‘that magic photo’ of The Rock changing colour as the sun reflects off it. Much to our disappointment the cloud cover to the west was too heavy and the rock looked a dull brown colour! We did play around with the settings on our cameras and got a few clever photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even after a big, exhausting day, we were all too excited to go to bed early so Tonia, Cameron and the kids came to our place. The kids watched movies while we had a lovely time talking and laughing over a few drinks.

The plan was to wake up at 4.30 am to see the sunrise, but when the time came Dan kindly offered to stay home with the kids so we didn’t have to wake them! So off I went, camera in hand to the sunset viewing area of Uluru. There I met Tonia and Cam (and their two very sleepy kids, still dressing in their pyjamas) and we joined the crowds on the viewing platform.

Similar to the previous night, it was slightly overcast to the east so we didn’t get to see the much anticipated ‘colour changing Rock” in all her glory. However the view was spectacular as the sky turned from dark blue, to purple, to a pale pink and finally to blue.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I went back to the apartment and picked up Dan and the boys, then headed back to Uluru to see if ‘the climb’ was open. Dan came here with his family while on a four wheel driving trip in 1983. He was 8 years old and ran all the way to the top of Ayers Rock. At the summit was a book that held the signatures of everyone who completed the climb.

In 1985 Ayers Rock was officially returned to the Aboriginal People by the Australian Government and was leased back the government for 99 years. The Aboriginal People feel they are the true carers of the area and should be responsible for it. In 1993 Ayers Rock was renamed to Uluru, the name it has be known by the Aboriginal people for thousands of years. It is believed that the rock shouldn’t be climbed on as it is of very important sacred value to the Aboriginals. The Park Rangers along with the local Aboriginals are trying to close the climb down for good but have not yet succeeded. For the time being, we are asked politely not to climb the rock but the choice is still ours to do so if we wish.

I had no intention of climbing Uluru anyway but Dan was determined to try if he could. It has been on the top of his bucket list for years and he had talked about it many times.  To Dan’s great disappointment the Climb was closed both days we were there due to unsafe, high winds.  Many people have been killed or severely injured from falling off the Rock, so they now close it whenever the weather makes it too dangerous.

Dan was shattered! We have come a long way (a really long way!) and to be this close and not be able to fulfil a dream was disappointing. A small consolation would have been to see the book that had the 8 year old Daniel’s signature in it. I went to the information desk at the Cultural Centre and asked if they knew where the books were kept. I was given a polite lecture from a very passionate Ranger about why they don’t keep anything there that supports anyone climbing Uluru. Another disappointment for Dan!

We drove to the base of the Rock, where the Climb starts and were all really taken back by how steep it is. I couldn’t even comprehend how you could climb up the first section to get to the chain which is there as assistance for the rest of the way up. It looked like a vertical cliff face and was incredibly high. I was secretly glad that I wasn’t going to be watching my boys climb up there!

We joined a guided ranger walk called the Mala Walk. It was on this walk that we learned all about the spirit beliefs of Uluru from the Aboriginal People. It was a really informative talk and the Rangers were great. We got to see the areas that had been used for teaching teen boys, the men’s area, the sacred women’s area and the food preparation caves.

As we walked around I could understand and respect the importance of the area. Not only is it absolutely beautiful but also very practical for people living a nomadic life off the land.  There are lots of caves which would provide shelter from both the harsh summer sun and the below zero temperatures of winter. There are rock pools around the base that get filled by the waterfalls off the enormous rock whenever it rains out here. And the rock itself can be seen from far distances, being excellent as a way of finding your way in a desert that is otherwise vast, flat plains.

 
 

 

 

 

 

We drove the 60kms out to Kata Tjuta, formerly known as Mount Olga or The Olgas. By the time we got there it was almost 11am and the sun had begun to rear its ugly, hot head. Due to the extreme heat out here, the walking tracks close at either 11am or when the temperatures raise above 36 degrees.

Therefore we could only walk out to the first lookout over the Valley of the Winds. It was a beautiful sight though and the giant rock domes that are Kata Tjuta were very impressive. Scattered with shrubs and grasses, the rocks are a beautifully contrasting mix of reds and browns. It really is beautiful and looks like a painting as you approach.

 

 

 

 

We were impressed by the lack of whinging by all the kids but especially Zaccy. His little 3 year old legs carried him over 2 kms in the hot sun. Rewards of lollies for anyone who could get back to the carpark before me may have contributed to their eagerness!

 

 

 

 

Back at Uluru I accomplished a personal goal by riding my bike the whole way around the base of the Rock. The walking track is about 10kms around but I decided to take the road which is just on 17kms! It is the furthest I have ridden and was extremely proud of myself when I completed the circuit in under an hour in 37 degree heat!

 

 

We didn’t go back out to see the sunset over Uluru on our last night. It was still overcast and I was afraid of more disappointment. Instead we relaxed in the apartment and made the most of the cool air conditioning and lots of space. I even allowed the kids to have a pillow fight in their bedroom. Realising that they were so excited to have enough room to have 5 children in one room and still have space to throw pillows at each other and run around.

Our last night was spent at the Gekko Café for dinner. Very expensive (certainly not the cheap pub meals we were used to!) but a luxury we thoroughly enjoyed.

 

On the way home we called in to Rainbow Valley. The coloured rock bands in the sandstone cliffs were caused by water. In earlier wetter times, the red iron of the sandstone layers was dissolved and drawn to the surface during the Dry Season. The red minerals formed a dark iron surface layer with the leached white layers below.

This dark red capping is hard and weathers slowly, whereas the softer white sandstone below weathers quickly into loose sand. Weathering and erosion are also responsible for the valley shape, where sandstone blocks have been eroded into rock faces and squared towers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most people go on holidays in a little caravan and are glad to return to their big house when the holiday is over. We are now leaving our spacious apartment and heading back to our caravan! It is now our home and until this weekend we hadn’t realised how much we are use to it's small confinements.