the outback rocks!!!

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my 9 day treck was AMAZING!!!! i definatly made the right decision to make the detour.

day 1: i was up at the crack of dawn (something i learnt to get used to!) to be picked up from my accomodation in alice springs and make the journey to uluru (ayers rock). it was a long drive but there were frequent stops, one at a random camel farm, and it gave the group chance to get to know each other as we would be spending at least the next 3 days together. i got my first glimpse of uluru and was stunned. i didnt think i would be so impressed by a big rock. but there is something mystical about it maybe because it suddenly appears from the flat land (but then so does mount connor and kata tjuta but there is something different about uluru) and everytime i looked at it i saw something different on it. later when i looked around the cultural centre that is in the park i realised just how special it is and how much it means to the aboriginal people. there are stories and ledgends that come from the rock that shape the laws and life of aboriginal people. i learnt the basics of some of them but much of aboriginal life is kept a secret and it is learnt during the initiation ceremonies. the laws are not written down either so they are passed down through teachings. uluru was given back to the aboriginal people in the 80's and they have most of the control over the park and there are sacred places that are cut off from the public. my introduction to aboriginal life was fascinating.
it was then on to kata tjuta (the olgas) for a hike around there, which was fairly difficult and not just because of the blazing afternoon sun, but because of the flies!!! they drove me insane!!!!!!! my $7 fly net was the best thing i bought, it at least stopped them from climbing up my nose, in my ears, mouth and eyes. at any one time there was about 20-30 around me....not impressed!! the hike was good though!
i then went to watch sunset at uluru. incredible. i could understand why it is so sacred to the aboriginies. it was so amazing as the rock changed from red to bright orange, then rusty, then grey/purple with flashes of pink, so beautiful and since it was valentines day it was very romantic, well for the couples it was!! i was given a glass of champagne by the tour guide though, not sure if that was just because of valetines day or not but it was drunk out of a plastic camping mug. classy!!
as it is a participatory tour so everyone had to chip in cooking dinner for everyone and washing up, it was like being back at school camp! kangaroo meat was on the menu which i declined, after feeding them and playing with them just a few days earlier i couldnt bring myself to eat one!! aparantly it tastes like lamb. i did decided to brave it though and sleep outside in a swag, well not that brave since my sleeping bags zips right over my head!! but it was very cool to watch the gorgeous bright stars before i went to sleep.

day 2: was woken up at 4:30!!!! that was a shock to the system!! but it was so worth it to watch sunrise over uluru, almost as incredible as sunset, it was like watching it wake up. i know it seems weird to get soppy over a rock but i cant explain it properly. all the tacky pictures of uluru dont do justice to what it is really like. then it was on to the 9.2km walk around the base of the rock which was very cool. me and my new friend mary completed it 1hr and 50min, which i thought was quite good considering we also stopped to look at it alot and to check out some rock art, and all before 9am! the tour guide ginny then took us for a informative walk around some of the points to explain more about the rock.
after dinner it was back in the van to drive to kings canyon, quite a long drive but did have time to chill in the camsites pool. climbed the rocks at the side of the campsite to watch sunset before dinner with the group. i decided not to sleep outside tonight due to the scorpians that roam the area. they arnt poisonus but i still didnt fancy sharing my bed with one! it was probably a wise move too since a cheeky dingo payed us a visit in the night and stood right outside my tent howling her head off.

day 3: another very early start to hike up kings canyon. we started walking around 7am to avoid walking in the crazy heat. kings canyon was awesome! the hike started with a climb up 'heart attack hill' which although made my legs burn, i was rewarded by an amazing view at the top. the whole walk was great and some of the views were indescibable, and my camera most definatly doesnt do it justice. saw lots of lizards on the way round and managed to finish the walk before either melting into a sarah shaped puddle due to the ridiculous heat or being eaten alive by the pesky flies.
drove back to alice springs, spotting wild camels and massive wedge tailed eagles on the way.

day 4: awake at stupid o' clock again for a new day, new tour guide and new group. prepared myself for the very long journey that would take me 3 days and all up one great long road (the stuart highway) to darwin. stopped alot today though including a shabby little pub that housed millions of $ worth of paintings by a famous aboriginal man. shared my dinner with the flies and then in the afternoon we stopped at mary ann dam for a refreshing swim and some exercise after being squashed in the van all morning.
accomodation was a cattle station with cows and chickens roaming around and a big dog hiding under my tent. had a game of cricket until the sun went down when the flies finally went to bed and left me alone but then the dragon flies came out and it looked like something out of a horror film as they swarmed the camp! dinner was yummy though and then in true cheesy camp fashion we sang songs as one of they guys could play the guitar and ringa the tour guide played the spoons.

day 5: i got a lie in!!!! didnt have to be up until 7am although this was rudely interuppted by a rooster screeching away before dawn. another long driving day but we did stop at the famous daly waters pub (has the oldest liquor liscence in the country) for a bevvie and a game of volley ball in the pool. as we drove up the country it got less like dessert and more green and lush as we crossed into tropic country. eventually reached our destination of katherine gorge in the evening and lit a fire from wood that we had randomly picked up earlier (i say we, i didnt actually do any of the collecting i just supervised the men. the main reason being we had just had a talk from ringa about deadly snakes found in the northern territory and the dead tree they were collecting was in the middle of the bush! i was wearing flip flops!). we didnt really need the fire as it was sooooo hot and muggy already but it was still nice and we sang a few more songs and ringa told us some very amusing bush poetry.
the shower at this camp was a slight nightmare as it housed approx 200 bugs, a full army of ants, a few crickets and one (very cute) bright green tree frog. also as we have moved out of the desert the flies have eased off but have been replaced by mosquitos and biting ants. nice. the smell of bug spray was to be my new perfume!

day 6: up at 5:30 to get ready to hike katherine gorge and started walking at 7 to beat the heat. most of the walk was rocky and trecking through various sized streams. it was worth all the sweating though as the place is beautiful. we made it to the southern rock pool with a fab waterfall and the clearest water ever. it was so refreshing to have a swim and had fun with helen, amy and lulu as we messed about and the boys tried to kill themselves throwing themselves off the rocks. was amused to see a fence to one side of the rocks which was to keep the crocodiles away. the fence didnt look too secure but we didnt see any crocs so it was all good!
hiked back to the van to complete the journey to darwin.

day 7: new group and tour guide, something i have been very lucky with as the guides and groups have been ace! this day started with an early morning boat trip down the adalaide river to go crocodile spotting!! i got a bit excited as i said hello to a 2.5m lady croc who came to the boat to be nosey. also saw another croc of similer size who kept playing with us hiding under the water and then appearing somewhere else. he wasnt bothered about the snack that the boat guy was hanging over the edge, he just wanted to play games. the best croc though was a huge 3.8m and massive! what a dude!
after breakfast (with a bloke whos actual real name was 'cave man' and he looked like one too) it was on to kakadu national park. i had a hellish climb up to a look out point and as with all my hikes, i reminded myself that the view at the top would be worth the pain and sweat pouring off me and i was right. the view from the top was breath taking, such a beautiful stretch of land especialy as its the wet season so its really lush and green. travis the guide was an absolute font of knowledge and gave us an introduction to aborginal life in this park including the story of the rainbow serpent (very important story). kakadu is about the size of ireland and the public only have acess to 4% of it due to aboriginal law. also saw some rock art that is approx 8000 years old! amazing!
travis then took us to look at more rock art, including one painting that is believed to have been done by a mimi spirit (pre-human life) and other paintings that are approx 4000 years old and he told us more info about aboriginal life. travis lived with and is still involved with an aboriginal community for 6 years and has been integrated into a family and given an aboriginal name so he taught me loads about this fascinating culture.
back to the camp site and i was welcomed to the bathroom of hell. it was full to the brim with locusts and grasshoppers and i was pushed over the edge of panic when i saw a spider bigger than my head. had no choice but to shower though as i smelled disgusting and was filthy. brave helen managed to help me through the process before i freaked out all together. i faced my fear full on and was not brave about it at all!!

day 8: again up before dawn but this did nothing to beat the relentless heat and humidity. i have never known anything like it. we hiked around gorgeous kakadu and ended at a fab water fall for swimming and then another water fall later with not a crocodile insight. swimming in these waters is brilliant, if not only to provide relief from the heat. i should have thighs of steel after all this hiking!!
after lunch we had a long drive out of kakadu and by the time we reached point stuart a tropical storm was in full force. we had no choice but to hide in the pub until the rain stopped, what a bummer! what followed the rain though was incredible, a fab natural lightning show lasting 90minites. no rain or thunder, just sheet and fork lightning lighting up the sky which was being turned red by the sunset. absolutly fantastic.

day 9: wallabies bouncing around camp this morning! including one with a little joey in her pouch! early morning drive to litchfield national park for some nice walks today. first an unplanned visit to some secluded rock pools that created a natural spa. not easy to climb in to but great once i was in! then a trail through the park to the beautiful florence falls for a swim there. after lunch we visited the stunning wangi falls which due to raised water levels and crocodiles we werent allowed to swim there. we did go to buley rocks though where its lots of rock pools and i had an ungraceful moment as i was dragged by the current from one rock pool over the rocks to the next pool. very funny despite the bash to my knee! then came the storm that i had been expecting, and the loudest cracks of thunder i have ever heard. i swear one of them shook the rocks! travis then asked if a few of us wanted to go on an adventure. i knew i shoukld have listened to the little voice in my head and said no, but i was too intrigued! what followed was a journey further down stream where i learnt that string bikinis werent made for strong currents and i am too small and weak to catch hold of rocks and climb trees!! quite hilarious as i was saved by both helen and travis! more bumps to the legs and feet but the adventure was ace!!!
it was back to darwin for a very long shower and an early night!

this trip has been awesome. im so glad i did it. i have seen the most beautiful places that my camera doesnt do justice to, i have learnt so much, met some lovely people, and pushed myself to the limits in many ways. ward 12 please remind me of this when i have to work all the extra shifts to pay for it!!

today i have just mooched around darwin and payed a visit to the northern territory measeum and art gallery. im off to meet some people from the trip for dinner before catching my flight to sydney at 1:30am!

sorry for the long blog! but i have lots to share!! hope you didnt fall asleep reading it! xx

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Photos

devils marbles
really cool rocks

kakadu
stunning

Comments

[Lucy Lewty]

Wow sarah it sounds amazing xxx

[carol]

jealousy, big time!
Ooh I am soooo jealous,