Uluru

Man, it’s hot out here!!  We’ve apparently caught the sting in the tail of summer even though it’s the middle of April.  We arrived at Curtin Springs mid-afternoon with the temp at an eyebrow singeing 37 degrees.  Even with a nice possie between some trees, we were desperate for any breeze.  The night gave us little respite.  We can all remember those hot February nights as kids waiting for the southerly buster to blow in. Pretty much nails it.  Fortunately, Curtin Springs Roadhouse had everything we needed to survive – at a price.  She’s 400 klm from Alice Springs, so freight is a real thing.  Fosters was $10.00 a can but we managed a six pack of Great Northern for $28.00 which VERY cold, took the edge off.

The next day we set off after lunch for Uluru.  It’s a 300klm round trip if you include The Olgas. Now, Uluru is a world icon.  EVERYONE knows what Uluru looks like – you’d think.  But some people, especially overseas tourists go nutso when they see THIS guy.  Now admittedly Mt Connor or Foolaru, a local term of endearment, is the first large rock you see on the road to Uluru, but seriously? 

We drove out to the Olgas first.  As a group they rival Uluru on the landscape. Imposing and mysterious, a dreamtime story begging to be told.  We attempted a walk to the heart of these monoliths, but the temperature beat us back to the air-con of the Jeep.

So much has been said, written and photographed about Uluru, so I’ll say just one thing.  NOTHING can prepare you for the enormity of this rock. It is huge.   It takes you 15 minutes at 60kph to drive around it!  And again, it’s not in the middle of a desert. The Cultural Centre was an eye-opener and well worth the visit. We did the obligatory sunset pic and celebrated with an engagement bottle of Bollinger – thanks Dee.  We drove back into the evening with a blazing pink and red sky over our left shoulder.

Now we DID have King’s Canyon on our To Do list but the next morning, with another red hot day in front of us, what lay install was a four hour round trip, a 4klm walk up and down 250 steps to a water hole we weren’t allowed to swim in. So we spent a few hours under the sprinkler that watered the lawn of the roadhouse instead.   Lying in a shaded, cooling breeze with a beer was a so much better idea.

That afternoon, we packed up and headed back to the Stuart Highway, not sure where we’d spend the night, but on a promise of three nights in air conditioned bliss at the G’day Mate Caravan Park in Alice Springs.  Ostensibly for rest and recreation, but to also effect those running repairs to make us roadworthy (and legal) again.