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Published: July 16th 2011
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JUMPING IN THE RED CENTRE
Where do you take your son when he returns on a November holiday to Oz from two & a half years in freezing cold Canada...pursuing a Diploma in Snowboarding...Toronto, Whistler and Vancouver?
...into the desert of course...why didn't that come immediately to mind?...lets take him to the Red Centre.
And of course it has nothing to do with this decision...but we can acclimatise for our trip to Timbuktu...and the Festival au Desert in the Sahara...and try out my new camera...and watch us beat the Poms in the cricket...sounds better than taking him to a tropical island!
After ten years of drought which broke a couple of years ago with flooding in Queensland that renewed the inland rivers...even filled the salt expance of Lake Eyre in South Australia...we were in for a surprise...the Red Centre had had rain every month for twelve months before our arrival...and was Red and Green...yeh Green...unbelievable!
Uluru (Ayres Rock), Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), Mt Conner and Kings Canyon...
The Uluru Base Walk is a must...let me show you...10.6km loop...flat as a tack...but take plenty of water...the World's largest rock monolith will blow you away!
Not far away...Kata Tjuta...so different...unlike Uluru which is sandstone, Kata Tjuta is conglomerate...each the result of wetter times...sitting on a bed of treetops as you approach...then the many faces of domed rock monoliths...a must to do a circuit...come...let me show you!
Mt Conner, an uplifted sandstone mesa...like a round flat stand of a long lost obelisk.
Then in the middle of nowhere in the Watarrke National Park is...Kings Canyon.
Arrive at Kings Canyon...goodbyes to our Canadian hitchhiker...the Thirsty Dingo Bar is closed...so time for a wander.
We met a Cockney backpacker who thought he could have a lark with us...we might be from Sydney but compared to him we are 'locals'...but why not?
So we accepted his invitation to act as our Tour Guide...don't expect to be paid mate!
He went ahead with our son Simon & our daughter Anna-Louise...Denise & I wandering close behind.
I was videoing at the time so got the following transcript...
In a thick Cockney accent, language abbreviated to protect the sensibilities of Travelblogateers:
"Right...keep walking...you walk on the path"...kicks at something...
"F...ing rock" ...starts pointing...
"A stick...some grass"...obviously he's a professional Guide!
"Come on...f...ing hurry up...got rapters thing...just keep walkin' mate..."
"Got a tree (pointing)...
a gum tree I think...yes a gum tree... isn't it?..(kicks at something)...
shit here." Our daughter asked
"When are we getting to a shop for food or drinks?" (Your kidding...no shops out here...presumably she's baiting him!)
Not losing stride he continued:
"You've had enough Sweetheart...trust me keep walking"...(pointing)
"If you want a little rest there's a little f...ing cave here...but I'm going to leave you behind...Come on!...Come on!"...
He scampers off.
"I can't keep up" whimpers our athletic daughter...as we leave him to disappear into the scrub...
Do I dare hope he gets lost...like...not just lost...terribly lost????
Relax & Enjoy...
...let me be your Tour Guide...
Dancing Dave
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
We love Uluru
Nice blog. Lots of good jumping.