Sunset at Uluru Mala Walk at Uluru

Uluru

Valley of the Winds - Kata Tjuta

Skyline view of Kata Tjuta

6th, 7th 8th, 9th 10th, 11th and 12th June, 2009
Leaving Erldunda, the boys are excited to see Uluru, not realizing it would be a few hours before we got within sight of it. About half an hour before you see Uluru there is Mt Connor, which is a huge flat top mesa. The boys went crazy thinking that was Ayres Rock (Steve and I did the same thing 10 years ago). It certainly set the tone for what was in store for them.

The camping grounds here are great. Clean and quiet, without being jam packed on top of one another, so we’ve stayed for a week. Mainly because the boys have been making some great friends here, and it's been a really peaceful stay. Once again John and Kaye have been with us, however they left today so we may not see them now for a while.

The best tour we’ve done is a ranger guided walk around the base of the rock. The ranger is actually living with the local aboriginal tribe so his knowledge of EVERYTHING is amazing. Cam was enthralled. He didn’t leave the rangers side for the entire 2 hours. We all learnt so much.

It’s good to see how attitudes are changing about climbing the rock, although slowly. Even with Steve and I. Ten years ago we climbed the rock without a second thought. Today, we felt uneasy as we let the boys climb up as far as the chain link fence. They wanted to say they’ve been on the rock but it felt wrong. These days it’s discouraged more because of safety issues rather than spiritual. The ranger walks are great in showing that the real meaning and learnings of the rock are found by walking around the base. The achievement of climbing the rock is simply thought of as “white man’s folly”. (Or “minga” as they term the people who climb – it’s the aboriginal word for ant, which is what everyone looks like so high up on the rock).

Next, we did a walk around Kata Tjuta (The Olgas). We only did about 4 km’s of it (return) as that was all Dan had in him. Still, it was beautiful. The deep reds of the rock contrasting against the vibrancy of the blue sky is breathtaking.

Next, Steve’s brother Dale came in with a tour group. He is currently working for a few months in Alice Springs (while organizing his visa’s) as a tour guide. What a treat for the boys. We met him at the sunset viewing station, and then he brought the tour in to camp right opposite our camp site. We joined them for the bonfire and drinks and they boys were beside themselves with happiness. The Japanese girls on tour were taking photos of them like crazy and Cam played up to them like a real pro. They also took charge of showing everyone where the bathrooms were and all. I think the Young family could make a business out of this tour guide stuff. Dale brought an extra swag so Cam could sleep out under the stars with him, but he baulked when he discovered the swags didn’t have a roof, and opted for comfort in the camper. Mind you – even tough Uncle Dale opted to sleep under our awning so he didn’t get “dewy”. Suppose you have to take a break when you can get one.

The dingos are prevalent around here. Steve was confronted by one this morning as he got out of the tent. It had his head stuck in our rubbish bag. The nights are noisy with their howling. Every day there is a sighting within our camp grounds as they’re not fenced off as they are at Fraser Island. We just learnt how to check the footprints - the closer the left and right prints are to a straight line, the more pure the dingo. Apparently the ones here are cross breeding with dogs from the settlements and are not pure anymore.

The birds are another frustration. The little native minor birds (as much as we love them) are constantly in our food. You have to pack everything away as soon as you use it otherwise their beaks are pecking away at it. If you sit still for a moment while eating, they hop on the table and eat the food off your fork.

Cam and Dan are still thriving and growing up more and more everyday. They are learning and experiencing lots, and their independence is astounding. Although we still have some tough discussions, Cam is beginning to take real control of his schooling, and showing maturity in planning his day around studies. Let's hope it continues....

Tomorrow morning will see us packing up and heading off to Kings Canyon for a while...