Blogs from West McDonnell Ranges, Northern Territory, Australia, Oceania - page 3

Day Eight Just to finish off yesterday…After we returned to camp from the internet debarcles - sorry no photos were published but there was a glitch with travelblog and they wouldn’t let us upload - we had a hurried sandwich and set off for a camel riding adventure. Only Jack, Emma, Ruby, Mima, Joe and myself were brave enough to actually mount the camel train and take part, the others were scaraedy cats. We were treated to the very excellent service of the ‘camela’ who did her very best to talk us out of taking the 15 minute trip because it was “just too hot for anything” and by yelling at the kids and being generally disinterested in my probing quiestions about camels. She even took her chances yelling at Rob, “Get off me bench would ... read more

Today was one of those WOW days, we headed off to Gosse Bluff (a meteor crater) and Palm Valley not having any idea what the day would bring. First adventure was a rather odd looking makeshift lookout otherwise known as a mound of dirt that we just had to drive to the top of. Why? Because it was there. Dannielle got scared and decided to walk down the otherside instead of drive. Second adventure was a wrong turn down a gas line track that went in the wrong direction but it took us 8 km to decide that it was not the road we should be on. So after turning around and finding the correct road into the Bluff we climbed to the top of the side of the crater for a view well worth getting ... read more

Went to Rainbow Valley for the night. They had dingoes there. I saw someone with a torch. I thought it was a dingo. We left the next morning and went to Ayers Rock. The climb was closed because it a little windy. We went and walked around the Olgas instead. At Curtin Springs where we camped an emu chased me at breakfast time to try and get my sausage, but I won. Before we left Dad rang Uluru Information and found out the climb was open. We went back and I climbed to the top of Ayers Rock, but not the highest point in the middle. It was very hard and it was very hot and I was tired. Went to Kings Canyon the next day and did a 6km walk then stayed at Palm Valley. ... read more

Ellery Creek Big Hole I slept well but I expect to be enjoying my nights more and more as the week progresses. We had a nice breakfast of cereal, tea and an orange. We also each got a museli bar, an apple and an orange for the day. Afer breakfast we packed up our stuff and chucked it on top of the troopies. I expect that we will get very efficient at this because we will be doing it every day. All this happened before 8:30am. Then we met Doreen. She lives in the community and was our tour guide on a hike to see some Aboriginal cave paintings. We took the troopies to the start of our hike. We met at the water pump that supplies the water to the community. We walked into a ... read more

The West Macs Surprise! I’m late! Well, I s’pose it had to happen sooner or later, and well… sooner I guess it is. Just you wait until I have started my new and very beautiful diary (thank you Sal and Emile). These entries will no doubt become boring sketches of where I have been and slept. Well… I left you about four weekends ago… My only excuse is that I had finally found people who attempted to not sleep, partying every night, and working all day, and I tried to emulate them… which meant less time in front of a computer. The West Macdonnell Ranges Well, I decided on the Tuesday that if I couldn’t find anyone to go out and explore with me, I’d best organise it myself. So I decided on a tour by ... read more