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Published: January 13th 2010
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18th November - 21st November 2009
Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park (formerly known as Ayers Rock and the Olgas)
The reason I decided to do this little road trip was largely to see the 'Rock'! The iconic image of Australia, the main event as I like to think of it. It is by no means the 'best' natural landscape in Australia, I have already seen so many breathtakingly beautiful places that are unknown. But Uluru is the Eiffel Tower, the Big Ben, the Statue of Liberty of Australia. I couldn't wait to finally see it, I was the most excited I have been all trip. I had Xavier Rudd playing on the stereo and when I finally saw the big ol girl, I will admit, I cried! Yes, I cried. I felt very proud to be an Australian and so happy that after all these years I had finally made it to the famous Uluru, the almighty 'Rock'! I remember crying when I stood on the London Bridge when I reached England back in 2004. I was so amazed that I had actually made it! That's the thing about me, I can't believe that I actually get there
in the end! Yes I know, I'm just a big cry baby.
I was busting to get into the Park but the wise old traveller that I am, I went to the Information Centre at the Ayers Rock Resort first. Inside is a great display on the animal life in the Park, how the Rock and Olgas were formed and the history of the area starting with the traditional owners of the land to the early settlers to the many changes the Park has undergone over the years. Before the Ayers Rock Resort was built there were a few different places you could stay at around the Rock. It was decided that the environmental impact to the surrounding land would be greatly reduced if they centred the accommodation and other facilities into one area and controlled it under the one umbrella. And the Ayers Rock Resort was born. You will hear from other travellers that visited the Rock many moons ago of how over commercialised and characterless the place is now with the Resort. Yes it's a big Resort with accommodation ranging from 6 star to budget (that's me) campers. It's like its own little town the Resort with
all the facilities you would expect of a small town: supermarket, fuel station, bars, restaurants, shops, newsagency, post office, banks as well as a few extra's like beauty shops and theatre. Really I guess all you could ask for.
I checked into the Ayers Rock Campground and was allocated my patch of dirt to call home for the next few days. And finally, approaching sunset, I drove into the Park for my first up close and personal experience with the grand ol girl. After stopping at the National Park check point to pay the $25 (per person) entry fee which is valid for 3 days, I headed into the Park and the sunset viewing area.
For the next few days I explored every side, angle, crack and crevice of Uluru. I watched the sun come up and the sun set over the landscape. Sometimes it was spectacular, sometimes it was a fizzer. I respected the wishes of the traditional owners and didn't climb the Rock instead I walked the 10.4 km base walk the entire way around Uluru. While the climb is still open they make it very difficult to do as it is mostly closed due to
either high winds, high temperatures or forecasted storms. It was only open one of the days that I was there. I watched loads of people climb up to the top and while I will admit I was slightly tempted, I was ok to not climb. There was an interesting article in the The Sun Herald (Sept 13th 2009) on the climbing dilemma and the cultural tug-of-war visitors experience when deciding to climb or not to climb. At the end of the article I still couldn't come to any conclusion on the topic. The other interesting topic up for debate (but not a new topic) is the issue of not being able to photograph some sections of Uluru as they are important ceremonial or sacred sites. I will admit that during the Base Walk, there is a large section where there are signs up prohibiting photographs to be taken. Is it possible that in 10 years you will not only not be allowed to climb Uluru, but you won't be allowed to photograph it or get close to it. It will be fenced off. This is ofcourse the extreme but after being there you do get the feeling that that is
what could happen. If the Rock wasn't such a money making machine, I don't doubt that it would have been roped off many years ago. Seeing it (no photographs) and walking around its base (from a safe distance) might have to be good enough. But I will admit... I did touch it, while I still can!!!
Rocked out I headed up to Kata Tjuta (meaning many heads) to do the Valley of the Winds walk, a 7.4km circuit walk through the Olgas. I also did the Walpa Gorge walk while I was there. I must be doing 'extreme' trekking because my shoes decided to fall apart on this walk and you will see from the photo below I had to do some 'bush repairs' to keep on going. Might have to get them re-soled, I don't fancy the duct tape look is really in fashion! I saw my first wild camels out at Kata Tjuta. I have a love/hate relationship with camels after a rather bad experience in Egypt with camels, but all that was forgotten when I saw these camels. They are massive and really sweet looking. But they are also a pest and you will probably recall
from the news the mass shooting from helicopters of the outback camels which farmers are saying cause thousands of dollars worth of damage to fences and crops and environmentalists will say cause damage to vulnerable landscapes and pose a threat to native animals. Yes ok this all went through my head as I watched the camels. But it was still cool to see a camel (sorry)! There are apparently a million camels in outback Australia. That's alot of camel burgers!
Probably the best experience I had out at the Rock was watching a storm coming in on dusk. Lightning everywhere, black clouds and tremendous thunder. I was out at the sunrise viewing platform watching it come in when I realised that it was coming right for me. The rain started just as I got back to my van. It absolutely bucketed down, I could no longer even see the Rock, or the road for that matter! I started to drive back to the campground as lightning bolts were shooting all around me. I am not kidding, that storm was right over my head. At first I was like 'cool' till the thought went through my head 'can I get
hit by lightning in a car?'. This caused me to start to get abit well... shit scared in honesty. Everytime it flashed and the bolt hit I jumped. I was sure not to be touching any metal in the car and was just a bloody stupid mess really. Funny now, not so funny at the time! The rain was so heavy that it caused a slight flood at the campground and when I got back a sign had been put up 'No camping today - Nature at work'. Um ok great but where do I stay!!! It was ok, I got my little patch of dirt back, saved from the flood waters.
I loved Uluru and Kata Tjuta. I had a wonderful stay out there. The key is to ignore the over commercialisation, ignore the feeling that you are getting ripped off, ignore the bus loads of tourists and just go up and sit there and gaze over the landscape and marvel at this massive rock in the middle of a very flat landscape. Take from it what you will, at the end of the day, it's a bloody wonderous geological formation and that is good enough for me.
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