LEFT: Me overlooking Kings Canyon.
RIGHT: Fiona, Georgina & James. Kings Canyon.
FEELING GO - RUNNING AMOK ON THE BIG RED ROCK
(REMEMBER: IF YOU'RE MENTIONED BY NAME ITS COS I LOVE YOU DEARLY. IF YOU'RE NOT, ITS ONLY TO PROTECT MYSELF IN THE LIBEL COURT)
Visiting Ayre's Rock, is no mean feat - its at leasta six hour drive from Alice Springs. I joined up with Fiona, James & Georgina from the Cairns-Alice bus, and we hired a car and camping equipment for the three day trip out into the desert.
Whenever you see images of the outback, its always very dry, very dusty and very red. Though I was very much looking forward to seeing that, it just so happened that our trip coincided with the most rain that had fallen in the desert in years. Consequently encountered, not an arid rusting wilderness but a lush green landscape full of vitality and flowers.
THE OLGAS
The Olgas are a collection of rocks about half an hour from Ayres Rock. Its a site sacred to the Aboriginal men - traditionally women are not allowed to visit it. My only analogy to such a place back home would be the tap room at the Wentworth Arms in Penistone. Those of you who ave been will know what I mean.
Seriously, it was an amazing and spiritual place, the ejoyment of which was only marred by a collection of Japanese tourists who treated not with the same reverence that one would save for a church or other religious site. Nope, instead it represented to them some kind of climbing frame.
People, eh?
ULURU
We moved on to see the spectacular sunset on Ayres Rock (Uluru is its correct name), where as the sun sets the rock changes through a myriad of colours. However, there was low cloud when we were there and the sunset wasn't as spectacular as it could have been. And yet is was still and awesome thing for us (and the other five million people parked up by the side of the road) to see.
The next day we saw the sun rise, which again was hampered by cloud, then set off on a walk around the rock, part of which was led by Theresa, one of the park rangers and an aborigine. She told us some of the stories associated with different festures on the rock and also showed us wher to find some bush tucker. What was more interesting however was what she didn't tell us, cos she by tribal law she wasn't allowed.
And did I climb Ayres Rock?
I'm proud to say i didn't.
I'm also proud to say that I called the American guy, who carefully read the "PLEASE DO NOT STAND ON THE VEGETATION OR DESTROY THE ROCK SIGN" before stepping over the barrier onto the foliage and giving the sandstone a hammering with his boot end, a cretin.
KINGS CANYON
Day three saw an early rise and drive to Kings Canyon, another sacred site, and very beautiful place indeed. Not much to say about it other than it was worth a visit. I'll let the pictures paint a thousand words.
LEFT: Me overlooking Kings Canyon.
RIGHT: Fiona, Georgina & James. Kings Canyon.
Time to move on again, down toward Adelaide.