Days 24, 25

DAY 24 – Monday

Today we headed for Adelaide River, where we were going to base ourselves at Mt Bundy Station to look at Litchfield National Park.  We called in at the Station first and decided that $40 per night was too expensive when we can stay in the national park for $15, so we headed into Adelaide River to get some fuel.  The local market was on so we stopped for a look.  The boys did some honey tasting, and we bought some spice made of smoked garlic and sea salt.  Then back in the car and up to Litchfield National Park. 

We decided to go all the way to Wangi Falls to stay, as Harry and Joy had stayed there and recommended it to us.  We got to Wangi Falls at about lunchtime and found a good site.  The boys were both asleep in the car, so Darren and I unhitched and levelled the van.  We had just moved the car away from the van when another caravan pulled out of a nearby site.  The site they pulled out of had some really good shade and we decided it was worth hooking the van back on to move sites. 

Once in our new site we set up camp and decided to go and have a look at some of the other areas in Litchfield (we would look at Wangi Falls later).  We grabbed our bathers and towels and got back into the car.  Our first stop was the Litchfield Tourist Kiosk.  There wasn’t much there other than a few souvenirs and some overpriced food (special of the day was– hotdog in roll for $7-50 plus $1-00 for cheese), so we headed off.

Our next stop was Florence Falls.  We found a park in the crowded parking area and headed off on the walk to the falls.  1.5km and 135 steps later we were at the falls.  It was a beautiful place, but very crowded.  We found a place for our stuff and immersed ourselves in the lovely cold water. 

The boys looked at the fish that were swimming around our legs, and were excited because they were the largest fish we had encountered yet. 

Darren was chatting to a guy from Ararat (Daryl Baldock) and the kids swam around for a while.  There were some teenage boys climbing up the cliffs to jump into the pools below.  They were about 30 feet above the water, so nobody was sure if they would actually jump or not.  Finally one jumped, to the cheers of the watching crowd, and then a few of the others decided they would too.  Darren got film of one guy jumping out too far and doing a massive back whacker, where the crowd all cringed and “oooohhh”ed.   He sat on a rock for a good half hour later, looking rather subdued and very red.  Then some younger kids decided to climb up, but one of them slipped and fell about a metre down the falls.  When he stood up we could see that he was bleeding.  He jumped back in the water and started to swim.  Darren swam over to him to make sure he was ok, and swam next to him back to safety.  When he got out of the water they had a look and he had a graze on the head that was bleeding and a big graze on his back.

When we had enough of swimming we went back to the car and decided to head in to Batchelor (about 50km) to get some ice and some food from the general store.  We had a look around and then got a text from the Andersons saying that they were staying at the Big 4 in Batchelor for the night, wondering where we were.  We called into the Big 4 and the kids had a swim in the pool while we had a drink and a chat, then we headed back to Wangi Falls.  It was dark when we got back, so we had a quick tea and sat under the stars listening to the water crashing over the falls, for a while before heading to bed.

DAY 25 – Tuesday

After breakfast we headed over to have a look at Wangi Falls.  The viewing platform was fenced off and all the signage told us that we could not swim here as they could not be sure it was safe from crocodiles.  The falls themselves were beautiful and we spent some time watching them. 

There was a walk to a lookout leading off the platform and we decided to have a look.  The path led off into the surrounding forest, and when we got under the cover of the trees, all you could hear was the screeching of the flying foxes.  When you looked up in the trees you could see them hanging upside down in the trees.  They were very active and we even saw some having an argument on their branch.  We made it to the lookout, which gave us a view back over the tree tops of the park, and completed the loop back to our camp.

We decided to look at the other attractions at Litchfield, and finish at Buley Rock Hole for a swim and lunch.  We packed the car and headed off.  First stop was Tolmer Falls Lookout, which was a short walk to a platform overlooking the falls.  Once again we were awed by how beautiful the falls were. 

There is no access to these falls due to the two endangered species of bats that have colonies in the caves at the base of the falls.  A few photos and then back in the car to tackle the 4wd track into The Lost City.  On the way to the turn-off, we passed the Andersons heading to Wangi Falls to set up camp.

It was a 10 km drive through sand and bush to get to The Lost City.  Darren was happy to have the opportunity to drive the track, even though he didn’t get out of 2wd the whole time.  The Lost City is rocks in the middle of the bush that were formed in a way that you could easily imagine that they were ancient remnants of where a city once stood.  We did a short walk through the rocks, with the boys taking the opportunity to climb as high as I would let them, then climbed back into the car and back out to the main road.

Next stop was Buley Rock Hole.  We found a shady spot for our stuff and set up the portable gas stove.  Darren cooked hotdogs for lunch while the boys had a swim. 

Buley Rock Holes is a series of small swimming holes along a creek.  If you find the right spot, you can sit on the rocks while the water flows over your body, or there were some deeper pools where the kids could bomb and dive to their hearts content. 

The kids met some girls from Darwin and were jumping in the deep pools with them.  The girls moved on to Florence Falls, which was further downstream, and we met up with the Andersons and had a swim with them in a safe little water hole.

Mitch and Thomas were diving with their goggles on and Mitch found and earring and belly ring that one of the Darwin girls had lost in the water.  The boys wanted to go to Florence Falls and return them, so they ran along the track while we packed up and drove to the Florence Falls parking area.  Darren went down to the falls to get the boys.  Meanwhile, Mitch had swapped Facebook and email details with one of the girls so that Darren could email them the photos he had taken of them jumping off the rocks.  They finished their swim and headed back to the car.

We went back to Wangi Falls and had a few drinks and nibbles with the Andersons while the kids played UNO.  Sausages and potato salad surprise for tea and off to bed.

Days 22, 23

DAY 22 – Saturday

We packed up camp and refuelled at Mataranka, before heading to Katherine.  The town was really busy because their show was on, so we decided that we would not stay, but would do it on the way back down after Darwin.  We went to a local pharmacy to get some decent cream for Mitchells bites, and then got the boys some shorts at the local shopping centre.  We went to McDonalds for lunch and an internet fix, and then headed for Edith Falls.

At Edith Falls, we got the last available site, which due to an error was already occupied by another caravan.  We made our own space alongside the van that was already there (luckily it was a really long and large site and there was heaps of room for both of us).  We set up camp, by which time we were all a little bit hot and bothered, and decided to go for a swim. 

The waterhole was a really large lagoon with the falls on the opposite side to the swimming entry.  Once again the kids put on their goggles and marvelled at the fish life swimming with them.  Darren, Mitch and I decided to swim to the waterfall (which was a bit far for Thomas).  We made it to the base and Darren and Mitch had a great time fighting the current to get under the waterfall, which they finally did.  Then we swam back to the swimming spot where Thomas was waiting.  The Andersons were there as well, and Thomas was playing with Lucas, James and Reece.  The water was really cold, so we decided to get out and lay on the grass area to dry off.  By this time the day had cooled a bit and we headed back to camp to organise tea.  We grabbed a couple of drinks and went over to the Andersons to catch up.  The adults sat and talked while the kids played UNO and chased lizards.  Then we went back to camp and put the boys in their swags.  Darren and I sat outside looking at the stars for a while before going to bed.

DAY 23 – Sunday

We had breakfast and pottered around the camp for a while before heading for reception to pay for another night.  On the way past we said goodbye to the Andersons who were leaving that day.  Once our site was organised, we decided to do the walk to the “upper” falls and the lookout. 

We made it to the lookout first and the view was magnificent, looking out over the Parkland.  Then we came to another area where we had a breathtaking view of the falls that we were heading to.  This put wind in Mitch and Thomas’ sails, and we didn’t see them for dust until we reached the swimming area.

The swimming area was a large pool at the base of a waterfall, and many other pools of different sizes and depths.  We all went for a swim in the large pool first, making our way to the base of the waterfall to have the necessary waterfall shower.  Then we swam around for a while taking photos underwater with the kids looking for fish-life.

After a while I got a bit cold (surprise, surprise!) and decided to get out.  Darren, Mitchell and Thomas swam over to a small cave in the rocks to explore.  They met some people over there who told them about an underwater tunnel that went from under the water outside the cave to come out inside the cave.  They then spent a heap of time swimming through the tunnel from one side to the other.

Once we had had enough swimming, we headed back to camp to have some lunch.  After lunch Thomas decided that he had to swim out to the bottom falls before we left, so we grabbed the swim ring and our towels and headed back to the water.  We all helped get Thomas to the falls and let him have a climb on the rocks around them.  We all had a waterfall shower, and then headed back to the grass area.  We spent the rest of the afternoon there, laying on the grass in the shade, reading and relaxing.  On the way back to camp, we called in at the kiosk for an ice-cream and Darren rang the park in Darwin to book our accommodation.  We had chicken surprise for tea, which was a chicken concoction that Darren made Chicken breast topped with a fried egg and covered in melted cheese.... (fresh food is getting a little low!), and sat out under the stars while the boys lay in their swags before heading to bed.

Days 20,21

DAY 20 – Thursday

Woke up reasonably early and Darren made omelette for breakfast.  Had showers and packed the van ready to go.  Caught up with the Andersons (Dave and Sue) and they were heading the same way as us.  The kids decided that they wanted to do a car swap, so Lucas and James hopped in our car with Thomas, and Mitch travelled in their car with Reece.

Arrived at Mataranka Homestead about 11.30am and set up camp.  Waited for the Andersons to arrive then had lunch before putting on our bathers and heading for the hot springs.  The hot springs was a part of a creek that has been developed into a little haven for swimming.  The water comes from underground and is a lovely 28 degrees all year around.  The kids put on their goggles and saw some little fish swimming around. 

We met Lee and Maddie and they showed the boys a croc sunbaking in the river about 100 metres away.  When we had all had enough swimming (and our skin had shrivelled up to make us look like reptiles), we went back to the van and Darren set up the fishing rods to go fishing.  We all went over to the Waterhouse River (about a 200 metre walk) and Darren and the boys did some fishing while I read a book.  The boys got their lures caught on submerged logs a few times, and Darren had to “borrow” one of the hire canoes (which he rowed with a piece of Palm tree) to retrieve them. 

When we got back to camp, Mitch was complaining that he had been bitten by “mozzies”.  In true caring parent fashion we told him to “suck it up , princess” and didn’t take much notice.

After tea we went for a walk along the walking track and saw a couple of crocodiles and a large family of turtles (from a safe distance, behind a fence on a viewing platform!).  On the way back past the springs the boys decided that a midnight swim was in order.  They stripped down to their undies and had a dip.  When we got back to camp we stopped and chatted to the Andersons for a while.  The boys saw some lizards and a cane toad.  Mitch put some Soov on his legs and we all went to bed.

DAY 21 – Friday

We woke up to Mitch complaining of being itchy.  When I had a look, the whole bottom of his legs was covered in bites.  I gave him some antihistamine and put some bite cream on them.  We are not sure what bit him (probably midgies),but whatever it was, it had a feast!! 

We had breakfast and decided to do the river walk before it got too hot.  The walk took us down to a little swimming hole.  The signs said that swimming was ok at your own risk, but that crocodiles may be present.  None of us was brave enough to enter the water, but Darren and the boys laid on the platform and wet their heads in the cool, refreshing water.  They say that freshwater crocodiles wont attack people unless they are provoked, and some people enter the water even though the crocodiles are present – not us! 

We went back to camp and had some lunch, then headed for Bitter Springs.  This is another hot springs, but it is different to Mataranka Springs in that it has been left natural other than a few sets of steps leading into the water.  The swimming area, rather than being a single pool, is a stream about 400 metres long that you can move along with the flow of the water, and then get out at the other end and walk back to the start.  Mitchell and Thomas saw some kids jumping off a tree into the water and had to have a go.  They jumped a few times while Darren went and put his bathers on.  Then we let the flow of the water take us along the stream.  We stopped about half way where a group of Pommie backpackers had made a set of steps their base for the day.  We were diving with them taking underwater photos of the fish.  While we were there we saw a Water Dragon swim across the stream and climb a nearby tree.  Everyone was trying to get a good look at it.  Then Thomas decided to start a bombing competition with the backpackers.  Darren, being Darren, could not be left out, so he joined in as well. 

 When the competition was over, we got back into the car and headed to the supermarket in Mataranka for some bread.  We cooked tea and then headed to the bar to have a quiet drink and watch the live entertainment for a while.  After a quick catch up with the Andersons, we headed to bed.

Days 18 +19

DAY 18 – Tuesday

After a bit of a sleep in, we packed up and left the park around 10am.  We headed north, crossing The Tropic of Capricorn.  Our first stop was Barrow Creek (notorious for being where Peter Falconio was murdered).  They were out of diesel, so we just had a toilet stop and had a look around the pub, then made a quick salad for lunch.  We got back on the road and stopped at Wycliffe Well for fuel.  Wycliffe Well is the Australian hot spot for UFO sightings (maybe this is also related to the pub having 150 different beers?).  The stop is all painted up with aliens and alien messages.  We had a bit of a look around, took a few pics and then got back on the road. 

We pulled into The Devils Marbles camping area at around 3pm and it was nearly full.  Luckily for us Dave and Sue had parked in a way that they could move their car and we could just squeeze in next to them.  We set up the van while the kids went climbing the “marbles”, and then we sat down with Dave and Sue and had a drink.  There were still quite a few vans and campers that pulled in and drove around, having to leave because there was no space.  There would have been at least 50 vans and campers staying the night.  We went for a walk around the marbles and took a few pictures, and then Darren cooked fettuccini carbonara for tea.  We ate tea while watching the sun set.  Ange settled in for an early night while Darren had a few beers and talked travel plans with Dave and Sue.

Wycliffe Well UFO hotspot

Devils Marbles at sunset

Devils Marbels at sunrise

DAY 19 – Wednesday

We woke up early and Ange decided to get up and watch the sun rise.  We climbed up on to the marbles and waited.  The wait was worth it as the colours reflecting off the rock were gorgeous.  A few pics and we decided to hit the road.  The boys watched a movie while we drove.  We decided not to get fuel at Tennant Creek, but to push through to Three Ways which was only 25 km further on.  When we got to Three Ways, there were a lot of vehicles in the parking area.  We pulled up at the bowser and there was a hand written sign – Sorry No Diesel.  We went into the roadhouse and spoke to the guy.  He said that the truck had left Darwin yesterday but they didn’t know when it would arrive.  He tried to ring forward to Elliott to see if they had any diesel, but couldn’t get anyone to answer the phone.  We decided that it wasn’t worth the risk in case they had no fuel, so we turned around and went back to Tennant Creek for fuel. 

Once we had filled up, we hit the road again.  We had been told not to stop at Elliott because there were two groups of aborigines at each end of town that were “blueing”, so we decided to push through and stay at Daly Waters.  We filled up the car at the roadhouse on the highway at Daly Waters, and then headed into town to the caravan park.  We pulled up out the front of the pub so that Darren could book a site.  Directly opposite the pub was a fuel station of sorts, and parked in front of it was a local “character”.  The car was an old HG Holden ute.  It had no doors, the front was smashed in, no headlights and was well past its use by.  It had a “ROAD TRAIN” sign mounted on the front and the back was full of rubbish.  They had the bonnet up and there was steam rising from the radiator.  One guy was putting water in while another was firing the old V8 back to life giving us the proof that there was no muffler either.  As the motor jumped to life, the guys jumped into the ute and drove off with a bit of smoke and a lot of noise.  Everyone around was watching and taking photos.

We got our site and set up the van, then put on our bathers and headed to the pool for a swim.  The water was refreshing (so Darren and the boys tell me!) and I read a book while the kids (including Darren) had a swim.  Darren couldn’t resist having his photo taken with a Bikini Clad Austrian backpacker that just happened to be there at the same time, so that he could stir up some of the guys at work.  We headed back to camp to find that Dave and Sue had also stopped at Daly Waters and were camping the night too.

We booked in for “Beef and Barra” for tea at the pub, which is their specialty.  The restaurant is attached to the pub, but is like a big carport....roof but not many walls.  The cooks have two large barbecue plates, one where they cook the beef and one for the barra.  When they called our names, we collected our meals and filled our plates with salad.  It was delicious.  There was a guy playing guitar while we ate, and later a comedian.  We sat for a while and had a few drinks while enjoying the entertainment, then headed off to bed.

Days 13 to 17

DAY 13

Today we decided that we needed a nice restful day at Ormiston Gorge.  After a bit of a sleep-in we headed down to the waterhole for a look.  It was the most beautiful and peaceful little waterhole.  It had lovely still water, red textured rocks, beautiful sandy beach and an abundance of birds and wildlife.  The boys climbed around the rocks and in the caves for a while, and then decided to climb the cliff-face.  They had climbed a fair way up when Mitchell called out to Thomas to look up.  About one metre from Thomas was a black-footed rock wallaby.  It just sat there and looked back at Thomas...it wasn’t scared at all.  The boys climbed back down so that they wouldn’t scare it away while Darren went back to the caravan to get the camera.  We took a few photos and the boys climbed back up again.  The wallaby just sat on the rock sunning and cleaning itself.  The boys were even able to pick some grass off a rock and feed it by hand.  This made their day!!

After a few Kodak moments, Mitch decided that he wanted to go for a swim, so we went back to the caravan, had lunch, and got their bathers and towels.  Daren and I grabbed our books and we all headed back to the waterhole.  We spent the afternoon laying on the sand reading our books while the boys swam and played in the sand.  It was a lovely relaxing day.

Ormiston Gorge

The Wallaby is checking the boys out......

When it started to cool down (and I could feel that I was a bit sunburnt), we headed back to the van.  The boys played a game of Skip-Bo while Darren and I went for a walk to the lookout.  We then had tea, with a nice glass of red, and packed up for the night.  Kerrie and Dave called in for a chat and the boys talked to her about the information they had learned from the ranger’s talk the night before, and Kerrie promised to get them some information to help answer their questions.  We played a family game of Skip-Bo and turned in for an early night.

DAY 14 - Friday

We were going to head for Alice Springs today, but the Camel Cup is on tomorrow and we have been told that all of the accommodation is booked out.  Instead we are going to stay here for another couple of nights.  The supplies are a bit low so we will go to Alice Springs to do some shopping and then come back.  Up early and on the road to Alice...

We got to Alice Springs at about 10.30am and had a bit of a look about.  Darren had Rodney Berry’s business card so we kept an eye out for the Dealership where he worked.  We found it easily and decided to call in.  Rod wasn’t there so we went across to a 4X4 shop for a look, and then decided to go to The School of The Air for a look.  As it is school holidays up here, there were no classes in progress, but they showed a film on how the school operates, and also had a recording of a class in action.  We had a look around the classroom and the souvenir shop before heading off.  We went back to Rodney’s work and this time he was there.  We had a bit of a chat and arranged to catch up when we come back to Alice Springs on Sunday.

We went to Subway for lunch, did a quick shop at the supermarket and then headed back to Ormiston Gorge.  On the way back we called into Serpentine Gorge for a quick look, where a group of 4 travellers sang a few “shanties” for our benefit.....very amusing!!!  We took a few quick photos and headed for home.

Once back at camp we had hamburgers with the lot for tea....washed down with a bit more of the red wine.  The boys were both excited to find a heap of information and brochures left by Kerrie for them.  The ranger was doing a campfire talk, so we grabbed our chairs and a bag of marshmallows and headed to the campfire.  The ranger talked about the flora and fauna of the area, as well as the role of the ranger.  Both of the boys were really interested and fired a lot of questions at him.  When the talk was over, the boys cooked some marshmallows and then we packed up our chairs.  We then decided to go on a night walk down to the waterhole to see if we could see any animals coming down to feed.  Thomas heard a noise when we got there and when we shined the torch in the direction of the noise, we saw a dingo, at the side of the water, having a drink.  We sat quietly for a little while and heard a few bird calls, but nothing else.  It was getting a bit cold so we went back to the van for a game of GREED, and then off to sleep.

DAY 15 - Saturday

Up early and on the road to explore some more of the West MacDonnell Ranges.  We decided to go to Palm Valley via Hermannsburg which was another 45K’s of corrugated dirt road then along a 4wd track for another 22K’s.  The scenery was magnificent and Darren enjoyed the 4 wheel driving, which involved driving in sand, over rocks, and through water(bit of a testosterone boost!!).  We went in as far as we could, and stopped at a little parking area for lunch.  The valley was very picturesque, with the rock cliffs and the usual greenery along the bottom, as well as a few palm trees which give the valley its name.  The wind was quite cool, and we wanted to call in at a few other stops before going back to the van, so we headed off.

Palm Valley

 Our next stop was Ellery Big Hole.  This was another camping ground with a walk down to the scenic little waterhole at the base of the cliffs.  We took a few pictures and the boys had a climb on the rocks, but it was getting cool and the place was in shade, so we headed back to the van.  We cooked t-bone steaks and vegetables for tea (washed down with a glass of red!), and played a game of GREED before climbing in to bed.  I looked at my watch and saw that it was only 7.45pm, so we put on “Cloudy with a chance of meatballs” and watched that before going to sleep.

Ellery Big hole

DAY 16 – Sunday

We packed up early and headed to Alice Springs.  Our first port-of-call was the car wash so that Darren could wash some of the red dirt off the van.  Then we booked in at Heavitree Camping Ground.  We picked out a nice shady site and got set up, before heading into town for a look.  We went to the Royal Flying Doctor Service and paid for our tour.  The film and information was very interesting, but it was a bit disappointing to find out that the service is not run from Alice Springs anymore, but from Port Augusta.  This meant that we could look through the window into the radio room, but there was nobody there operating it.  After a quick look through the museum we got back into the car and headed for the Telegraph Station for a look.  As we headed up the path to the Telegraph Station, we saw some faces that looked familiar.  Sure enough it was a family from Ararat (Tracey and Sandy Laidlaw, and their kids).  We stopped and had a chat then went and had a look around.  Next we went to the top of Anzac Hill and had a look at Alice Springs from above.  We took a few photos and headed back into town.

Anzac Hill Alice springs

Royal Flying Doctors

It was after 2pm, so we were able to purchase some beer (you can’t purchase alcohol till after 2pm here, and they have to scan your licence for you to buy it – maybe that’s where the saying “BEER O”CLOCK” comes from?!!).  Then Rod called to say that they were doing a barbecue tea at 6.30pm for us. 

We went back to the caravan park at had a bit of a rest while the kids met up with some kids (the Andersons from Wheelers Hill in Melbourne) that have regularly camped in the same camps as us along the way (Coober Pedy, Maryat, Yulara, Kings Canyon, Alice Springs) In fact they are stalking us I think.... LOL.

We had a lovely barbecue tea at Rod and Loretta’s and caught up on a few years.  Some of their other speedway friends were their too, and Mitchell and Thomas made friends with their kids.  Thomas thought it was pretty cool that all three of the boys (who were all under 16) had their own speedway cars and raced in the juniors.  We watched a few of their speedway home movies and then headed back to the van for sleep.

DAY 17 – Monday

Today was going to be our “lazy day in Alice”, so the kids went off early to the jumping pillow while we slept in.  Darren got up and went to see Rod about some new rear tyres for the Pajero, whilst I put a couple of loads of washing on, stripped the beds and did some cleaning.

After lunch, we headed into town for a bit of a look.  We went to Target, and then to Safeway where we did a bit of a shop for the next week or so.  The boys bought the game Cuponk.  Darren and Thomas then headed back into town to pick up the Pajero whilst Mitch and I stayed back at camp.  I folded the washing whilst Mitch played Cuponk.  When Darren and Thomas got back, Mitchell and Thomas headed to the jumping pillows on their scooters to use up a bit of energy.  Darren washed the car and I “blogged” to catch us up.

day 11 + 12

Day 11

Packed up and hooked on, Gas bottle refilled and up to the shopping area where the boys picked out a T-Shirt each which they bought with their own money. Back in the car and off to Kings Canyon stopping along the way to take a photo of Mt Connor. Arriving at Kings Canyon we set up camp before heading out to the canyon for a look. We did the short Kings Creek walk looking at the canyon from the ground in preparation for the Rim walk around the top the next day. Back to camp to have tea then off to the pub to see the 2 piece band called the roadies.  Well they should have been called the Con Band as what they did is con everyone else to get up and perform, Mitch and Thomas were first along with every other kid in the place as they performed a few songs as the back up band, playing the clappers.

Then it was the adults turn, Ange was coaxed up to conduct the kids as they did a rendition of Advance Australia Fair. Darren was next as he got up and did a version of the song “On the cover of the rolling stone” with 3 other suckers(wearing a multi-coloured wig to top it off)... at least he got a lollypop and a free beer voucher for his effort. Thomas pointing his fingers then dobbed both of us in as they were looking for “lovers” to get up and dance.... A quick waltz was performed before we sat down and watched a bit more as people from the audience (who did have talent) got up and played the guitar or sang.  We settled the boys into their swags and headed off to bed.   Just as we got settled Mitch bowled in the door of the van all excited because there was a dingo walking around the park, by the time I (Darren) got out of bed and dressed it had walked off .... Typical.

Day 12

The boys were up early today trying to get Thomas a look at a dingo.  They couldn’t find one.  Then we hooked on the van and headed back to Kings Canyon to do the Rim walk. The first leg is very daunting as its about 500 steps very vertical and you are fairly puffing as you get to the top but it is worth every step as the view is amazing.  Uluru was exciting to climb to the top, the Olgas very pretty but Kings Canyon was something else again. Both Ange and I thought it was the best part so far as the rock formations and the landscape were just magnificent. The photos we will attach will certainly not do the real thing justice. The boys loved it because it was over the top of the mountain, with lots of rocks to scale, even though I think they are over the walks already, well guess what boys..... Suck it up as there K’s to do yet.  About 7 K’s later we finished the Canyon and are in awe of what it has to show. Definitely a favourite so far.

Lunch in the van before setting off to Ormiston Gorge along the Mereenie loop which is 230K’s of corrugated Red dusty road....... Definitely not a favourite.... 

Well 230K’s later and I pull up to have a check of things only to find that 3 of the van windows had worked themselves open and the red dust that we had driven through had decided to hitch a ride with us.... luckily because there was more than one window open it had created a vacuum and most of the dust had settled on the floor. We finally arrived at Ormiston gorge at around 5pm and whilst looking for a nice camp spot this lady approached the car and said “Darren?” “Darren Gemmola?”  I knew the face but couldn’t put a name to it when she said “Kerrie, Kerrie Coone” Ah of course, Kerrie and her husband  David are from Ararat and are up here managing the camp sites for Parks NT.

She then directed us to the Coach parking area and said that we could camp there (much to the disgust of the Coach drivers) and that gave us an ensuite as well. So we set up our camp and got ourselves organised only to find that we had got a puncture in the Pajero. (Macgyver and his toys to the rescue) out with the electric Jack and ratchet gun, off with the wheel and the “Plugger” puncture repair kit did its Magic. One repaired tyre.....  Meanwhile Ange tackled the van and cleaned the red dust and put back the contents that were strewn all over the floor from the corrugated road.

Tea, a hard earned drink, then off to a slide show and talk about the native flora and fauna, by one of the rangers before a nice warm bed.

Days 8,9 and 10

Day 8 - Darren

Off to the rock....

Leaving the mouse plague behind we took off to Kulgera for fuel, Brekky and a quick photo of the muscle man Blak and his Bikini clad sidekick.

Back in the car for the last 3 hours to Yulara where the line up to check in was out the door. We set up camp and jumped in the car for a drive around. First stop the tourist info to get some ideas then a short drive out to see “IT”

Wow... the photos in magazines, calendars, brochures do not give you any idea of what we were driving up to, It is huge and the closer you get the bigger it grows. Ange and I both said that it was nothing like we imagined.

We arrived at the carpark and hopped out to just gaze at the gargantuan mound of rock that was glowing red.  As the sun was starting to go down we decided the sunset viewing was the go, so back to the viewing area we went stopping along the way to get a picture for my facebook page.

When we arrived the sun was behind some clouds so the sunset pics weren’t as good as we would have liked and the stomachs were rumbling so home for tea and bed.

Day 9 - Ange

Up and at em, lets hit the Rock again, so out we go.

As we arrived we saw that the climb was closed due to forecast rain, so the base walk was our next choice.    We headed off along the path reading the Aboriginal stories as we went.  The first part of the walk was really good as it went close to the base of the rock, even allowing us to get into some of the caves and view some of the old rock art.  We saw some really beautiful rockpools and took some photos in the caves.  The path around the back of the rock was much less exciting as it moved away from the rock and all of the signage said that they were sacred areas and photography was not allowed.  We obeyed the signs and took no photos, but marvelled at the shape and colour of the different areas we passed.  Around another corner and the path moved back towards the base of the rock.  Once again the scenery was beautiful and we were allowed to take photos.  Finally we saw the carpark in view and we finished the final leg of our 11.6km walk.  On the way out we had a look at the visitor centre which included historic information, information on the aborigine tribes and way of life, copies of letters from the “Sorry” book  a which was interesting to read as well as a few art and souvenir shops. The sorry book comprises all the letters from people who had taken rocks from the area as souvenirs and they wanted to return them as they found that it had brought them bad luck.   As we drove out of the park, we noticed that the sign had been changed and the climb was now OPEN!

We headed back to the Caravan Park for lunch and a well earned rest, and decided to give ourselves the rest of the day off.  We were too exhausted to do anything else!

After lunch and a bit of a kip, I decided that maybe we should go back to Uluru and tackle the climb.  Brilliant idea!!!

We all climbed back into the car and headed for the rock once more.  When we got there we walked straight to the base and looked up at the first stage.  It was lined with a chain fence and went up on a 60 or 70 degree angle.  We all took a deep breath and made a start.  Thomas went ahead like the little monkey he is and we lost sight of him fairly early.  Mitch started slowly and worked his way into it.  I was fairly slow and Darren hung back to keep me going.  Once we got past the fence, it was another stage of steep climb that left me exhausted.  I would have been quite happy to stop there and wait for the boys to come back, but Darren urged me on and we slowly made our way up.  Each time you got to what you thought was the top, you would look up and there was more.  You actually had to make your way over a heap of ridges across the top of the rock to get to the highest peak.   Once we reached the top, the feeling was exhilarating and the view awesome (there is no charge for the awesomeness).  We took a few pictures from the top and then started our way back down.

The trip down was much easier, although tricky in spots.  Especially the final section where we came down the steepest part.  Once we reached the bottom it was high fives all around.  We jumped into the car and went back to Yalara (The Ayers Rock Resort).  We decided that we earned a beer and made a beeline to the first Pub.  Darren had to take a photo just to prove that I drank a beer!!  Home for tea and a fairly early night.

Day 10 – Darren

Waking around 7.00 we slowly got going and had showers, brekky and packed the car for the day.  We are off to the Olga’s (Kata Tjuta).

After Parking the car we set off for the 7.4K Loop walk through the Valley of the Winds, a beautiful but reasonably demanding walk through the large rock domes and variety of lookouts.  It was not very difficult climb wise but very unstable underfoot, which prompted you to look down rather than around you, so regular stops were on the agenda just so that we could take in the magnificent scenery. 3 hours later we arrived back at the car looking for lunch.

Off to Walpa Gorge where we got the little gas cooker out and Thomas cooked up some snags for lunch before tackling the short 2.6k walk to the Gorge, once again a magnificent piece of Australian landscape.

About buggered for the day we headed back to the resort to have a relax whilst the kids played around the park and had a swim.  The boys were happy having their own time so we left them at the park and went to the shopping centre for a look around.  We had a look at the few shops that there was, and also at the restaurants to see if we could find somewhere suitable to have tea.  We couldn’t find anything, so decided to make Tacos.

Tea,  dishes and an early night to rest our weary bones.