Yulara

 
 
 
DAY 2:
This morning we woke up, rolled out of bed and drove to the Sunrise viewing area to greet the morning, Each time you enter the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, a visitors pass ($25 per adult, children free) must be shown. In our haste to get to the Sunrise viewing, we had not only misplaced our pass, but had forgotten to take the battery out of the recharger for the camera. Fortunately, the lady let us into the park on good will and we found that we had our video camera instead.

The sunrise hitting the Rock was spectacular – it was a vivid orange colour. Well worth rolling out of bed and waiting for breakfast.

After the sunrise, we made our way to the Supermarket complex where we found a café and bought, yes, you guessed it – a coffee! The kids enjoyed a hot chocolate and juice. In this complex of shops we found a display of canvases painted by the local Aboriginal people. We purchased one… be sure to come and have a look one day when we get it framed. We really wanted a momento of our trip which was traditional artwork.

During the morning, we decided that we had not spent enough time in Yulara and needed to book for another day at the Alice Springs Desert Park. It was decided that Estelle and Lauren would also book themselves in for an afternoon session of Dot painting and Ben and James would book themselves in for the Night Sky Experience (telescopes etc).

Having made the bookings we made our way to some of the other Pradopoint members sites for Brunch – eggs, bacon and juice. It was a great time to relax and unwind with new friends.

The rest of the afternoon was relatively quiet with a trip to the playground equipment before getting ready for a Pradopoint photo of the entire group with Uluru as the backdrop. Organising 100 people into a photo was interesting in itself, and of course the cars were then lined up for a photo shoot.

Dinner was held at the Pioneer Restaurant which was a smorgousboard. Some local delicacies were available – Emu, Kangaroo and Crocodile (all very nice). The desserts were a hit with pavolvas, mousse, pecan pie, blackforest cake, mango cheesecake and chocolate cake to name a few.The kids were well catered for on one long table and supplied with endless chips, nuggets, pizza and ice blocks. Various sponsers had also organised prises ot be given in various catagories (best outdoor rig, least modified car, prado jester, gadget guy etc. Unfortunately, they did not have one for ‘Towing large white whale’, otherwise we would have won for sure!

This has been the final day of Pradopoint. Of course, there is the mandatory talk of next year’s destination (possibly the Cape or the Victorian Highlands). We have thoroughly enjoyed our time with these new friends and haven’t felt like we have lived in each others pockets. A week well spent enjoying all the Northern Territory has to offer.



DAY 3:
After saying goodbye to our Pradopoint friends, we travelled 50 km to the Olgas (Kata Tjuta) where we were able to take a walk into Walpa Gorge. We followed a rocky path between two of the Olgas. There are various plants that aren’t found anywhere else in the world. The air was still, only the sounds of birds could be heard echoing within the Gorge. An hour later, we returned to the car, ready to grab a quick lunch and for Lauren and Estelle to head to the cultural centre for Dot Painting.

Two o’clock could not come fast enough for Lauren – craft is definitely her thing! As we entered the area, we were greeted by and interpreter and Valerie (our Aboriginal painter). We sat around on stools while Valerie and the interpreter sat on the ground. Valerie smoothed the surface of the dirt and then proceeded to draw some Aboriginal symbols. She told us two stories of the dreamtime through symbols. We all remained silent while she drew and the interpreter explained her drawings. We learned symbols for water, men, women, spear, Emu prints, basket and many more. After some story telling and question time, we were then encouraged to use these symbols in our own dot paintings.

We were provided a canvas and paints for the next hour to express our creativity. After a couple of hiccups (the child next to Lauren sprayed paint all over Lauren’s canvas and clothing, and then after painting her canvas background, the wind blew Lauren’s in the dirt), we created our ‘masterpieces’. Lauren is looking forward to framing and displaying hers in her bedroom when we return.

A quick game of Yatzee and Scrabble in the afternoon was quickly followed by dinner (much salad was eaten because we can not take it into South Australia tomorrow), showers and the boys started getting ready for their Night Sky Adventure.

The night sky was beginning to cloud, but we strolled off to the bus stop to be escorted to the Observatory. Upon arrival (in pitch black) we were greeted by Ian, the resident astronomer and he began to explain and point to stars with his powerful laser pointer (I am sure they are the illegal type following the incidents with aircrafts). Anyway, we looked at a few through a powerful telescope and the clouds closed in further. Hurriedly, he pointed out Saturn and we cued to see the planet. It looked just like a star to the naked eye, but with the aid of the telescope, we could make out the rings. Clouds came and went and we luckily were able to see most things that were on offer – a good night all round.

Uluru

 
 
 



It was a fairly relaxed morning around the caravan and we got everything ready for a 9:30 departure, destination Uluru / Ayres Rock. It was the smoothest road we have driven on for a few thousand kilometres which gave us a welcome change and simple drive. During our trip we thought we may have been closer than we were to our destination as Mount Connor has a similar appearance to Uluru from a distance. Eventually Uluru came into view and we sorted out our misunderstanding. Soon the Olgas also appeared and even though they are another 50km from Uluru, they look huge, so we have high expectations for them tomorrow.

Upon arrival we were allocated an unpowered site, but we eventually got that sorted and got set up on a recently converted powered site – then it was off to see the BIG ROCK.

We hurried out there as we felt a breeze starting and we didn’t want to get there and find that the Rangers had closed the climb. Fortunately all was clear for our ascent and we looked up and started. It is STEEP and there is nothing to prevent an injury if you slip, so we took it slowly. The first 100m or so is unassisted after which there is a chain that you can use to help pull yourself up with. The gradient changes and there are some easy sections and some really steep ones. Lauren had a little slip early on which scared the baggingers out of her (and us) but we all bravely continued after a little bit of encouragement. The wind did start to pick up with some gusts and we felt quite exposed sitting on the rock with feet firmly planted on the poles supporting the climbing chain. We all got to about three quarter height and decided that that was sufficient – although we would have loved to get all the way to the top, there was not much more to be seen and the consequences for a slip were high. Later in the evening we found out that one of the Pradopoint members did slip and has a suspected fracture in her arm. The descent was tricky too, but we all made it down safely.

A quick dash back to the caravan followed to rustle up some supplies (quasi dinner) and then back to watch the sunset on the rock. It was impressive in some ways – it is not able to be explained adequately without first hand experience, but some small clouds in the west prevented the full “glow” that can occur.

We’ve turned in for another night, planning to rise and go back for the sunrise (7:30am).

Kings Canyon

 
 
 
 

After our big walk yesterday, we woke the children at 6 a.m. to get ready and packed up for our journey to Kings Canyon. Group 1 left the site and headed out to Gosse Bluff where a crater had formed 142 million years ago when a meteor hit this place. Our drive (on rocky dirt road) took us into the centre of this huge crater where we quickly took a snap shot and were on the move again.

There is still so much that we have not seen in this area as we are restricted by time – hopefully one day we will return to this vast land and investigate more of what it has to offer.

The time then came to bring to tyres down from 40 psi to 29 psi before we hit the dust and dirt. Our slow 125km travel from between 40 km /h and 70 km/h began with us being 5th in our Group 1 convoy. We have the biggest and heaviest tow, but we still managed to eat the dust of the Prado in front.

Words cannot express the grandeur of the ranges and mountains we have travelled past over the last week. The colours are ever changing as is the vegetation and terrain (some of our photos almost capture it, but it is unbelievable in real life).

We got to the campgrounds at about 1pm and set-up the caravan. We were overjoyed that there was no damage at all internally or externally. We got a bit of dust in underneath the fridge (it needs to be vented when running during our travels), but a quick dustpan sorted that out for now.

We devoured a sandwich and then felt we were up for the Kings Canyon Rim Walk which is about 6.5km around the top of the whole canyon. Again, this was spectacular and another highlight of the trip !!! While we have seen lots of vivid coloured rocks, you seem to never tire of it. The walk is quite strenuous, but we all got through it really well and had a refreshing ice block on the way home.

Off to Yulara and Uluru tomorrow where we will stay for 2 nights (yeah) and it will be the end of the Pradopoint Get Together.

Glen Helen Gorge

 
 
 
Another quick drive of 1 ½ hours along tar road saw us enter Glen Helen Gorge today. There are a large number of gorges to visit in this area, so after setting up the van we headed out to Ellery Creek Big Hole.

This was basically a water hole which would be lovely in summer, but unfortunately was a bit cold and dirty to swim in today. The scenery is again superb and the weather, although about 5 degrees in the mornings, continues to be sunny and about 22 during the day.

The next stop was Standley Chasm where we were told by other Prado friends, we could find a cafe which sold ice creams, meat pies and coffee. We ended up purchasing wedges and coffee before our loooong walk. (We definitely needed the carbs from the wedges for this walk) The signage showed that the walk would take 30 mins return – very doable. We proceeded along the track and into the Chasm – truly magnificent walking through a small passageway and rock walls either side.

We continued onto the end of the walk and then noticed other people had climbed over the boulders and were continuing up the rock face. We joined them and then spent the next 45 minutes climbing hand over hand, under tree branches, across shale and trying to find some type of foot hold as we clambered up to the top of the Chasm. It was a magnificent view from the top, but of course, what goes up….must come down. Thus we started to journey back down the hill, using hands, feet and bottoms to finally end up at the bottom of the Chasm again. The kids did a wonderful job of walking, without one complaint. Yes, they are sleeping well tonight.

After our adventurous walk, we proceeded onto Ochre Pits where there was a display of rocks showing various colours that the Aboriginal people use to make their face paint.

Last stop of the day was Ormiston Gorge where we went for a short walk to the water hole. It again was quite picturesque, still and quiet – only the sounds of birds in the trees.

After returning home and having a well deserved hot shower, Glen Helen Gorge had organised a dinner for us – steaks, sausages and various salads.

Tomorrow we are heading to Kings Canyon. The first part of the trip is 60km on tar, where after we will change our tyre pressure in readiness for 125km of dirt / gravel road (Mereenie Loop Road - 4wd only). We have placed contact over the vents to try to prevent excess dirt and dust entering the van as we travel. 8 a.m. will be kick off time as we have been allocated into group 1 with 4 other cars. This will enable us to keep radio contact with a small amount of cars, rather than travelling all together in one long convoy.

Ross River

 
 
 

Day 1 at Ross River was a fairly relaxed event – just hanging around the camp grounds kicking the footy, throwing the vortex and Frisbee and greeting the Pradopoint members as they arrived. The first night was an all in BBQ and a fun social event. There are about 30 Prado’s that have come for the event, so that is about 100 people, including children, so we all pitched in helping get dinner ready throughout the afternoon. Two of the attendees have made the journey from USA, and given it was the 4th July, we celebrated with red, white and blue decorations and an Uncle Sam shaped and coloured hat cake.

During the afternoon we took a scenic walk up a small part of the East MacDonnell Range – this landscape is well defined as “rugged mountain ranges” which shimmer magnificently in the correct sunlight. We are told that the Western side of the MacDonnell’s are even more spectacular, so we have high expectations.

Day 2 / Sunday at Ross River was the first 4wd adventure and it was fantastic. We had a shotgun start at 8am (well it actually didn’t quite get going until about 8:30) and our final destination was Ruby Gap. Along the way we stopped at numerous historical sites which were mainly early settlements established by gold miners. The drive to Ruby Gap was approximately 75km each way and the last 4km was 4wd only territory and we shifted into low range. This was our first experience of proper off road driving and the Prado showed how capable it is (even in our hands) as we zig zagged across a dry river bed through soft sand and over slow rocky sections, between the gorge walls. Ruby Gap was named as a result of a prospector who thought he found Ruby’s in great abundance, but they turned our to be worthless garnets, which the kids fossicked around and found numerous examples. The gorges are magnificent – the shape and colours are captivating.

We arrived home at 5pm (big day !!!), exhausted, but enthusiastic about another journey. Dinner was a typical Sunday throw together and we sat around a campfire with our new friends and told yarns until midnight. Great day.

Day 3 - We drove a short distance to West MacDonnell Range Caravan park today (Monday) and kinda just caught up on domestics (washing and restock on food) while the kids played on the big jumping pillows. We spent the evening at the Desert Park on a Nocturnal Tour – kids loved it as we explored a section of the park for wild(ish) animals (birds, echidna, bilbies, mala etc…). Tomorrow is another short drive to Glen Helen and then some more exploring off road of the local attractions west of Alice Springs.

On the Road Again !

 
 
 

Today we drove to Ross River (actually Friday - catching up on posts), 85km east of Alice Springs where we will meet up with the Pradopoint Club and spend 3 nights, which will be a welcome rest. We set off at about 8am and had a brief stop at the Devils Marbles which were only 90km down the road. It was a much winder and cooler day than we have been experiencing (max about 19 deg C) and it was quite chilly (relative to what we have been enjoying), so we did the tourist thing quickly and got in the car for some more driving / sitting. We purchased some more fuel at about the halfway point, to avoid the mis-adventures of our previous drive, and set our eyes on Alice Springs.

When we arrived, town was quiet as it was a public holiday (not sure why yet). We still found a shopping centre open and replenished supplies at Woolworths. We also purchased some beverages from the liquor store and were required to present and have scanned my photo ID to ensure I did not purchase more drinks at another store and exceed our quota for the day. As I said yesterday, there are specific laws in NT to help reduce the abuse of alcohol.
Once these domestics were completed we had a further 80 odd km’s out to our campsite at Ross River. To get here we drove alongside the magnificent Macdonald Ranges. They are spectacular and I doubt our in car photography captures the grandeur satisfactorily. It certainly gets our hopes up for the beauty of the larger sites like Kings Canyon and Uluru.

Another big drive, but all is going well. We are offline for the moment out here, so not too sure when we can post and read all your comments. Thanks for staying in touch.

Tennant Creek

 
 

Catching up on posts now as we have been out of communication for a while. This is what happened when we were in Tennant Creek (Thursday)

After our experience on Wednesday, we thought we’d try to make Thursday a little less eventful, so we had an easy morning and then headed down to the visitors centre, which was also the Battery Mine Tour Site. We got there at about 9:30, had a look around and booked into the 11am underground gold mine tour. This gave us enough time to cruise back into town and check out the Tennant Creek Cultural Centre. It was basically a gallery which displayed Aboriginal art, photography and historical diorama’s depicting how the Aboriginal people lived when European settlers came to rule the land. It was a sobering experience and contrasted to our journey though outback Queensland where we celebrated the achievements of the European stockman etc… who did great things on the land, but somewhat at the expense of the Aboriginal people who were oppressed in many ways.

Tennant Creek is our first experience of outback Northern Territory where the number of Aboriginal people walking and hanging around town is extraordinary. There are signs all over NT prohibiting the sale of alcohol and pornography under certain conditions, just to limit the issues.

Anyway, we got back to the Mine Centre where Ray, our tour guide, took us underground and passed on his 30 years of working underground experiences. He was a good story teller and made many facts far more interesting. The mines in this area were gold mines and we got an opportunity to noodle and pan for gold ourselves. Panning is hard work and relatively fruitless, but noodling is much simpler, fun and rewarding, especially when Ray points you in the right direction. He pointed us towards the area where, what looked like gravel had been spread, but it was actually magnetite from another gold mine which it was estimated to contain approx $400k of gold. All we had to do was pick up a handful, wash it under water and look for gold on the stones – easy picking compared to panning !!! We collected a number of samples as souvenirs.

Off to Alice Springs (Ross River actually) tomorrow.