Uluru (Ayres Rock) Day 2
In the morning we set off at 8 am so we could make the most of our limited time here. We saw 5 vehicles on the 40 minute drive to the resort, which was 4 more than we saw the previous night. We thought we would stop off in the resort and get a light breakfast, we found the local supermarket didn’t open until 10am!
Into the park we went and we wanted to explore the second large rock Kata Tjuta which was much lumpier than Uluru rock and was in the distance and was about 50kms travel. It came into sunny view but as we got almost on top of it, the clouds came and it started raining! There was a sunset viewing point for this which included a short 10 minute walk up to the viewing point, rain coats on we ran up the hill to take some very cloudy pictures…..at least we had seen it. Back to the car and we were off again, racing back as we still had things to do.
Next stop Uluru again in the sunset viewing area for one last look at the rock, another photo then back to the resort for fuel, some food we could have for breakfast and then onto the airport. By the time we had parked the car, moved a few things between bags, 2 tour coaches had pulled up which Dad had seen. By the time we got inside the shed (airport) there was quite a queue. Security was quite slow too but we understood the need, Bethany got randomly selected much to our delight, but after a body pat down, scan and swob they returned her to us, unfortunately (just joking sister).
Then a wait in the departure lounge which Bethany was pleased had a shop to browse and then we were back onto the plane, we calculated we had been in Ayres Rock outside of the airport for a grand total of about 16 hours!
Uluru (Ayres Rock) Day 1
An early taxi journey to the airport left us with plenty of time before our flight and this was made slightly longer with a further 1 hour delay.
When we landed we were greeted by a tin shed which turns out to be the airport. We then found out that the airport is only used between 3 and 4 times a day so that explained why it was the smallest airport we’d ever seen.
Our bags came off the plane quickly and there was no security as every plane that arrives is from Australia, and therefore domestic. Dad went to sort out our vehicle which we had learned on the flight over that he couldn’t actually get our usual bus sized transport. He was sweating when he saw the car we had. We walked over to it with 5 large suitcases, 3 small carry on bags, and 5 backpacks……the Kia Carnival is a very deceptive and actually a huge car; crisis averted.
As we were only in Uluru for about 20 hours before we flew out again we were keen to get started and headed straight for the national park. The park only charges adults (£21.75 each) and not children and our ticket was valid for 3 days. The lady on duty provided us with some useful tips and maps.
Mum and dad were excited on our 15 minute drive into the park and there it was, a huge rock in the middle of nowhere. We stopped at a couple of pullover points for some pictures and also at the sunset viewing point for more pictures before we tried to get closer. There were about 3 car parks to choose from and they all interlinked with walks around the base that you could do. It has been a few years since you could walk up the rock and you can see the warn out path of where this used to take place.
We wondered around the base and found a place we could touch the rock and learn a little about some rock carvings visible and how the indigenous people used to use the rock, and its importance to them. A true learning experience.
As we wondered around, there was one place where they asked for no photos or videos to be taken as it was a sacred part of the rock used by the females to teach the youngsters about the spiritual side of the rock and the rights of passage.
We also found some water stands and filled up our water bottles and were surrounded by what dad called “punk pigeons” they were very funny and made strange noises in flight. One of the birds came close and had some water off the floor, this got us thinking, we then flooded the bottom of the water stand and about 20 birds then came and started drinking. It was lovely to see.
As it was now just before 6pm and the sun was setting, even though it was very cloudy and we were all annoyed with the flies that were everywhere (we can see why some wear the classic Australian hats with the corks), we set off to find our accommodation which dad had warned us was a long drive away.
Check in was before 7 pm and was out of the resort on a campsite called Curtin Springs in the middle of nowhere…..literally. We picked up on a few chats between our parents on the way to our accommodation that we were going to be pushed to make the 7 pm target and we had no phone reception to call ahead. As the sunset and darkness fell (which was proper darkness with no light bleed from anything) we sped on.
Finally, a sign came into view which said 5km to Curtain Springs, we had made it, well we might of, we pulled up at a petrol station and asked at a cabin with people on outside tables….mum went in to ask, a thumbs up from the cabin and the clock was stopped at 6.55 pm. We had to order food immediately as the kitchen shut at 7.30 pm prompt before we were shown our rooms. Another of dad’s bargains, we passed some aviaries on the way to 2 rooms at different ends of the site. The rooms were made out of porter cabins (but nowhere near as nice as our Year 1 classroom at school), mum was not impressed, and I don’t think dad was either but we thought they were fun and at least we all had our own single bed, so we were happy.
Back into the main outside area and we had a surprisingly good meal and the bar was open so good drinks too. This area shut at 8pm and the bar/shop/reception desk strangely had photos and skins of things that had been caught there over the years. Alexander wanted to touch the skins of things that we didn’t know what they had been on before they died. The man explained they were lizards and how to take them off the road safely if we saw any.
We unpacked the car, all wished each other luck…we say this as we found out that each of our keys opened each other’s room doors, we didn’t try anyone else’s or that may have really worried us, and went to our allocated rooms.
After a day of travel we went to sleep quite easily. Mum and dad however were reading the literature for the accommodation and the reason why it was in the location it was, the history and how it is powered and about the family. A really good read.
It started off as a stop off point from Alice Springs and a place to take on fuel for visitors to the rock. The family that set up there took on cattle and had to bore holes to find water, but there wasn’t a lot on it so the government kept increasing the land size to bring the water holes inside the properties boundaries. The property runs off a diesel generator and it says in the book, that’s the noise you can here, it also says if you don’t like the flies, eat quicker, and we are the guests and the insects are the locals. We think mum and dad slept with one eye open.