Day 12 - Ayers Rock to Alice Springs
If you want to see the sunrise over Uluru, you must get up early. Really early. Sunrise is at 6:30 and we set the alarm to 5:00. Only that we messed up Queensland and N.T. time and it went off at 4:30. Ugh.Drove to the “Sunrise over Uluru” spot. Again shot lots of pictures. Sunrise is more exciting than sunset, so if you only have a few days like we do, do not bother with sunset, it should be better viewing this at the Olgas.
Kristin wanted to do the base hike (10 km) but I objected. We settled on a ranger-guided tour around part of the Rock. Ah, and we did not climb it. Everywhere around are big signs that the Rock is a sacred site and the aboriginies object to tourists climbing the rock. So I decided to be culturally aware and respect the feelings of the natives (that and the prospect of climing a ~ 350 m steep rock slope in 34 degree celsius dry heat…).
Around midday we waved farewell to the Rock and started the drive through the outback to Alice Springs. Still no kangaroos and emus. We saw a few wild cows, though. And of course, the famous australian Road Trains (that is a regular truck pulling two more trailers. Say 35-45m of truck to overtake. And they are allowed to go 130 kph, which they do.
In Alice we went to the famous Overlanders Steak house. Tried and failed the 700g rump steak. Kristin was more sensible in having the six meat (kangaroo, emu, beef, crocodile, camel and barramundi) platter.
alice springs austalia ayers rock outback travel uluruDay 11 - Port Douglas to Ayers Rock
Relaxed and in peace with the world around us, we took the leisure drive back from Port Douglas to Cairns. Hopped onto an air plane and three hours later we were at what is now called Uluru in Australia but everywhere else is known as Ayers Rock.First impression of the heat after stepping off the plane: “Hmm, that is not too bad”. About the same temperature as in Port Douglas but much less humidity. Drove over to Kata Tjuta (also known as the Olgas) which is the other great attraction in the national park. While walking around there, I made a funny observation: You feel hot, you sweat but you do not feel it. The sweat vaporizes almost immediately. But once you hit the rental and turn on the A/C you are drenched in sweat.
And then there are the black flies. Not the stinging kind like in Canada but the obnoxious kind that insists on crawling into every orifice. First you smile at the people that wear fly nets. After five minutes you do no longer. Even as I sit here in Alice Springs (more later) and write this, I’m wearing it. Sure, I look like a tourist but that is better than the wildly gesturing, fly swatting kind. I don’t have the serenity to ignore the flies.
In the afternoon, we went to the mandatory “Sunset over Uluru” viewing spot. Took lots and lots of pictures. Not that crowded (we are off-season) but nine out of then people were Europeans and again nine out of then were Gemans. We tried to hide as good as possible.
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