I love a sunburnt country

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Perth is the most remote capital city in the world, dear reader. If you cast your eyes east the vast expanses of the Nullabor Plain stretch to the South Australian border and way beyond; if you cast your eyes west the vast expanses of the Indian Ocean stretch all the way to the South African coast and the nearest city of Johannesburg. The inhabitants of this booming city feel removed from the goings on in the Eastern States, and methinks maybe they like it that way. Perth is situated on the Swan River with a population of over one million people, who are bathed in sunshine for three hundred days per year. There's plenty to see and do if you pop over for a visit, and leading on from the previous journal my Australian adventures continue when the Greyhound arrived in Perth.

I spent an excellent few days exploring the sights and pubs of this great city, and then headed south to areas of Western Australia that I'd not previously visited. The south west coast of W.A. is booming, and the cities that dot the coast are growing in leaps and bounds. The first city is Fremantle, a fabulous port town that is almost considered part of Perth nowadays. The foreshores are spectacular for strolling, dining and relaxing after the huge influx of development money to prepare for Australia hosting the America's Cup in the 1980's. Freo is awesome, and a definite must see for any tourist coming to the west. Then I journeyed down to Mandurah which is another beautiful coastal town and then further down the coast to Bunbury. The weather in the south west is superb, and there is huge potential for growth in W.A. From the west it was time to catch another flight to the Red Centre of the country, and the largest city of Alice Springs.

The Alice is a great frontier town of thirty thousand people in the Northern Territory, and really feels like a unique travel destination. There are three world famous tourist attractions not much more than 500kms out of the Alice; namely Ayers Rock (Uluru), The Olgas (Kata Tjuta) and Kings Canyon. Also close to town are the superb MacDonnell Ranges, so you can really pack in the sights in a trip to the Red Centre, which is possibly my favourite world travel destination. I hired an Aussie Ford Falcon for sightseeing and quickly hit the road. The first little drive of 500 k's saw my arrival at Uluru, a truly awe inspiring rock right in the middle of Australia. The size of Uluru is hard to comprehend, but the following may give you an idea of the majestic size and beauty of the Aussie icon. I did the base walk around Uluru which is a vigorous 10 kilometre hike, and yet two thirds of Uluru is underground. Now that's what I call a big rock! I climbed to the summit at dawn for an unforgettable sunrise, note the climb itself is not on sacred land. What a fabo experience, truly unforgettable; with the first part of the climb being seriously steep so all the climbers hung on to the railing with white knuckles as we pondered the very steep inclines on either side of the railing. If you started to slide down the rock you wouldn't stop, and many tourists have perished while attempting the climb over the years.

Then I drove along the highway to Kata Tjuta, another huge set of rock formations featuring spectacular walks. While not as famous or unique in shape as Uluru, nevertheless Kata Tjuta is just as large and awe inspiring. The Red Centre of Oz didn't get it's name for nothing, and the abundant red earth and desert shrubbery is absolutely breathtaking. In fact I've fallen in love with the Red Centre! Then I headed on to Kings Canyon for more beautiful walks and spectacular scenery at this wonderful tourist destination. At the end of a fabulous day I walked back to the car park to prepare for the long drive back to the Alice, and met a Japanese couple whose motorbike had broken down. It was clapped out as we say in Oz; yep his bike was shot through, buggered, conked out, on the blink ... you probably get the picture!

They didn't have much chance of flagging down a vacant left-jab in the middle of the outback, so the bloke took the back wheel off, we chucked it in the back of the station wagon and I drove them 500 k's back to a bike shop in the Alice. You gotta do the right thing in the Aussie outback, cause if people have mechanical problems in this remote country it can be truly life threatening. I checked into a great hostel in the Alice, and after a good sleep I headed the 80 k's from town to the many famous sights in the West MacDonnell Ranges, and my cunning plan was to head first to the furthest tourist sight, and thereafter gradually make my way back towards the Alice while stopping at the attractions along the way. I returned to the car park after my first stop to be approached by a man with three young daughters whose van had broken down. I told him that I was at the start of my day, then looked into the eyes of one of his daughters who'd been crying and the game was up. We all piled into the Falcon and I drove them back to their home 80 k's down the road in the Alice. I was turning into a regular bush cabbie, but it was no drama to head back out to the beautiful West Macs to see the sights after a necessary detour.

The Red Centre is a stunning and unique travel destination, and the superb scenery will always live on in your memory. As a matter of fact, basically all of you should be here now!

I love a sunburnt country, A land of sweeping plains, Of ragged mountain ranges, Of droughts and flooding rains. I love her far horizons, I love her jewel-sea. Her beauty and her terror - The wide brown land for me!" Dorothea Mackellar, My Country

It's home time so until next time, I'm signing off for now

Tom

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Photos

Views of Perth
From the Botanical gardens overlooking the city.

Uluru summit at dawn, Red Centre
The climb to the summit was a truly unforgettable experience on a perfect morning.

Eagles swooping
At the nature park.

Me and me ford mate!
A trusty Ford station wagon to chew up the miles in the Aussie outback.

Comments

[Bob Jones]

Good read
Photos fit in so well with your text. The red color of the earth is almost unworldly. It is interesting to note the ease and compunction with which you lend assistance in a locale so sparse with human beings. Conversely, in New York City, no one helps nobody! My best friend is now in Africa, in the bush, transcribing a threatened language. He has started a blog -- but only one short entry so far. The travel blog is new to me. Out of hundreds, I happened upon yours and plan to follow you without really knowing what your itinerary is. --RFJ

[random person]

hey i was lookin at my sisters travel blog and got to lookin around the whole sight and i found someone travellin in aust...where i live...which is you and i was just wondering if you've been to Queensland..you'll love it!!!