Uluru, Kings Canyon & Camping in the Outback
Trip Start
Mar 23, 2009
1
17
21
Trip End
Jun 03, 2009
Uluru,
Western Australia,
Australia
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Kata Tjuta, like Uluru, are giant rock formations that rise up out of the arid wilderness in the Outback. Both have special ceremonial significance to the Aboriginal cultures in the area, and Day 1's early afternoon included a 6km hike of Kata Tjuta. These formations are also called The Olgas, just like Uluru is also known as Ayer's Rock, but most guides refer to the Aboriginal names. The day was beautiful with bright sunny skies, no humidity, and temperatures in the high 70's. Not going to lie, it would have been a lot more beautiful without the flies! Those buggers are out all day, and while they don't bite, you're better off wearing a fly net for the walks. Fortunately, they have a 24 hr lifespan and disappear at night - and fortunately I was only in the Outback for 3 days ;)
We finished our hike of Kata Tjuta, then drove over to Uluru to beat the crowds of other tour buses that gather to watch and photo the sunset. My tour was the "Safari in Style," so while we were hiking and walking all day, we were also set up with champagne and snacks for the sunset "happy hour." It was beautiful to watch the colors change over Uluru as the sun set.
Our group camped that night in a site created for most of the other tour groups - so the had permanent tents with floors and electricity, as well as a large bathroom and showers. I was glad to ease in to full-on camping... I enjoyed hanging out that evening with some new friends from my tour group- an English and Australian girl, each traveling solo and about my age, as well as a German and a French couple also around our age. Since we had a 5 a.m. wake-up call to see the sun rise over Uluru, it was an early dinner and then to bed.
We made it to Uluru by 6:30 the next morning and had a great position to watch the sun come up. There are several resorts in the area, plus our camp site, so about 200-300 people gather along the road for the views. We had a good spot, took our photos, and then headed to Uluru to see it up close.
The Aboriginal people did not live at Uluru, but used it as a ceremonial gathering place. There are several areas that are highly significant to their culture, and tourists are asked not to take pictures of these spots. Also, climbing up the rock is extremely disrespectful and yet there were a lot of people who ignored the request and trekked to the top. As a fellow visitor to Uluru, I was embarrassed of the tourists who chose to blatantly disregard the sanctity of the site! Our group used the marked path that circles Uluru, and walked the 8km to see it all the way around. It gave us plenty of great views and we were able to respect the Aboriginal people of the area.
After the long walk around Uluru, we packed up and headed out to our next camp site in Kings Canyon. This was also a permanent campsite, but exclusive to Adventure Tours. We had a kitchen, showers and baths, and while there were also tents set up, I opted to join some of the others on my tour to sleep outside under the stars. It was amazing, and only slightly unsettling to think of the dingos in the area. You are under a blanket of stars and can see the Milky Way and shooting stars. It was actually a really good night of sleep, and it was just the 5 a.m. wake-up call that made it uncomfortable!
We had the early start in order to watch the sunrise and explore Kings Canyon. We did the 10km Rim Walk, which gave us a hike to the top of the canyon and views throughout the morning of amazing geology. The area was formed over millions and millions of years and the history is shown in the rock layers, crevasses, cliffs and formations. A lot of other tour groups stop in this area, but we were one of the few that climbed to the top and saw most of the area. Note to future travelers: that's probably what the "adventure" in Adventure Tours is about! I loved it - it was beautiful! (And especially since there were few flies, too!)
After Kings Canyon, we headed back to the camp for lunch, then boarded the bus for the afternoon drive back to Alice Springs. My trip to Australia would not have been complete without seeing this area, and I'm really glad I had the chance to walk and hike the sites, rather than just show up for a photo opportunity!
I flew out of Alice Springs to head to my next stop, Sydney. More to follow from there, where my friend Melissa joined me from Florida, and we set out to explore the city and beach life of Australia's East Coast!
Stephanie
