Nature's Domes

So the alarm went at five.........what sort of a holiday is this?

Breakfast started at five thirty for the early birds who wanted to make the Canyon Rim Walk.....among them us. They close it at 9AM on a hot day. We managed to wolf down breakfast (two courses) in about 15 minutes and headed off on our walk.

The opening bit was tough going, as we essentially climbed from the valley floor to the canyon rim. However taking it slowly helped and we were up in a really strange landscape of red rocks and trees growing in cracks. It really is a sight to behold with the rock eroding into domes and a variety of trees growing where they can get a root into a deep crack to find water...... river red gums, cypress pines....etc.

The views into the canyon and off into the plains were glorious. Less glorious was that it was crowded. We either had a group of grumpies (older tourists) or surlies (younger tourists) around us for a reasonable part of the walk. That is because we went slow.....mostly because I was forever taking photos, but partially also because Marjan was nursing the knees.

The crowds are a shame, but I understand why they want to see this. It is magic. I also wonder about the recentness of this particular park and the deals done to turn unprofitable cattle country into very profitable tourist country....... so who pays for the road? It is essentially a road to a resort to feed and house tourists who do this one walk. Hmmmmm...... I am just an old cynic. Here and Uluru though, are slick money making ventures aimed at the tourist market. Not sure other national parks could duplicate this, but it sure seems to keep the facilities decent in very remote locations.

Anyway, enough politics, we dropped into a wide crack in the rock called The Valley of Eden. This is deep enough to reach the permanent water table, and thus we actually have permanent water. A water hole at the end of the crack, which becomes the head of King's Canyon.

There was actually life in the water. The local people ask that we not bathe and nobody did, though I have seen dozens of tourist shots with people swimming. So one up for the tour groups going through on this day.

We actually rested here for a while as it was very peaceful. I loved the reflections. Marjan listened to the frogs. All in all we rested and found serenity.........I think that is what it is called.

Anyway off to the other side of the canyon and down. More domes, more incredible rock, more exercise for the joints.

All up we did it in three hours for the 6.5k up and down. I am sure some of the surlies did it in an hour and a half with selfies at every cliff face.

It was quite warm by the time we finished, so Marjan wanted a rest. I took her back to our room, whilst I did the walk along the creek. It was really hot by then. But interesting checking out all the trees in the valley.

When I got back from my walk, we had some lunch and checked out the pool. I do not have internet but I suspect we got up around 38C. Was not too bad by the pool with a lounge and some shade and some rainbow bee eaters keeping us amused.

After dinner we were sufficiently recovered to shoot some stars..magellanic clouds again

This one with the moon and milky way.

Red Centre Way

Off to King's Canyon. A last goodbye to the cliché in the rear view mirror.

Also saying goodbye to the red sand dunes as the country side changed. We started to get more mulga and grass and less desert oak, also the odd eucalypt. When we turned off for King's Canyon the countryside changed more often. We had rocky hills, mulga forests, desert oak forests. It was lovely to drive through the changing landscape. Having spent four days in fairly flat red sand/dunes country, we appreciated the changes.

We also managed to catch a couple of birds. Could not get near what I believe was a kingfisher (red backed or sacred). The white under wing on the black breasted buzzard was stunning.

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We soon reached the George Gill range and drove along beside it. Not massive, but rather pretty.

We stopped for an ice cream at the King's Canyon station. A traffic jam ensued.....a convoy of 4WD on a mission to fuel up. They then attracted a bunch of others and before you knew it there must have been 20 cars and a bus. They had a baby camel at the station....what is that a camellito?

Shortly after we stopped for a break/picnic/lunch at Kathleen Gorge. It is apparently a lot like Katherine Gorge, but more diminutive.........you can hear me cracking up can't you?

Actually it was very pretty and the permanent waterhole was full of life. I could hear birds but could not get a sight, so I photographed insects. Not a bad alternative I reckon.

The hessian is to deter graffiti on the trees.

We arrived at our digs and checked 'em out. Yes the spa should get some use.

A little time by the pool, followed by a spa and off we went to the mandatory NT requirement for a sunset view of something., On the way we watched a dingo wandering around the petrol station and trying to pull down some of that plastic traffic tape stuff. There are a number of warnings about interacting with the dingo. None mentioned babies!

This time the Canyon....or at least the George Gill Range and a glimpse of canyon. Lovely.

Valley of the WInds

So, we went out last night to look at the stars. Pretty impressive.

I wish I could give you a better shot, but having to hold the shutter open manually means I have introduced a little bit of shake into the camera, which is why the stars are a backward tick......its my hand shaking. We are looking south and the large and small Magellanic clouds are visible, the Southern Cross is under the horizon and there are a few light clouds about.

In the morning I slpt in....till 5am. It was going to be a little cooler, so I headed off for the second walk in Kata Tutja, The Valley of The Winds. This one actually goes in over the initial gulley to the middle/inside of the domes.

It was a little after 6 and the light was beautiful.

There are all sorts of dire warnings about this walk and the need for care and water...lots of water. I had 4.5 litres.....

Anyway, it was truly lovely....quite rocky, but once over the first ridge it was another world

. The spinifex pigeons and zebra finches abounded around the water stations....

now to walk into that valley....

I was expecting some difficulty....this section was rated 'hard/difficult' , but I think things had been overstated. It was a bit of a climb and again, the path was rocky, but nothing untowards.

Inside it was silent, apart from the call of a bird or two, a truly magical place.

down the other side

and into an open area behind all the domes.....

The wildflowers and river reds were a feature

but the place is still really a desert..................

and so, as I had been a good boy and following the advice of the national park folk and drinking copious amounts of water............ I assisted with increasing the average moisture content of the park......at several strategic locations.........

I suspect they have to overplay their hand on heat and hydration to get the message through to tourists. I was one heading in as I was heading out.........lovely gold slip on sandals, short shorts, halter top, no hat, no sunglasses, one 600ml bottle of water and her iphone. On one of the hot days she would have been really struggling. Today it was just getting to 30C as I finished at 9:30am so hopefully she should be OK. They actually have several water stations and emergency radio points scattered around. I suspect that a proportion of the market that comes here does not do the bushg walk thing and certainly not in arid places.

Anyway it was a magic spot and the photos do not do it justice. Kata Tjuta just seem to shrink in photos, even though several are higher than Uluru and in fact the tallest, Mt Olga is over 200m taller. Still I loved it!

A break by the pool and some sustenance, and Marjan and I headed back to Uluru to check out the two waterholes for the last time. Marjan had missed the cave painting. Nothing spectacular, but worth a look, and the waterholes are lovely.

So we pack up tonight. It has been a pleasant interlude to have an extended stay. Probably longer than needed, but it has allowed us to catch up on home news and to do a little of the lazy holiday thing. Off to King's Canyon tomorrow. I hope not to wake till after 6am.

Musca vetustissima

Last night we succumbed and did the full tourist thing and signed up for a dinner/tour. Well whilst here we may as well put some money into the area....though it looks like the OS folk bring enough in. Anyway it was called Sounds of Silence and involved being bused out from our hotel/apartment to an Uluru viewing area.  I suspect we probably travelled less that 800 meters distance as the crow flies, but what is a tour if you have to walk.

Anyway, we got to view sunset, drink champers, eat kangaroo and crocodile canapes before dinner. Then we sat down for dinner.......by then it was lovely out in the open and the flies were mostly gone. We got lucky and landed a young table......that is we were the only old farts. We had an interesting bunch: a couple of young, out there, advertising, Sydney girls, a Mexican couple, and a young married couple from Wiltshire. It was actually a bit of fun, sharing travel and other stories. The best story of the night was one of the young women's about having a coffee table made on spec in Asia, then realising all the costs to have it inspected, fumigated etc.....and then to have it start making a noise after delivery. After much investigation, it turned out she had a bug inside it that was making the noise, which by the way she had recorded on her phone. The government took the table away to put it in a freezer. Apparently she is expecting it back soon.

Dinner was bush tucker inspired, the kangaroo was well cooked and tasty, the cutlets were nominally lamb, the wine was flowing and Victorian. We had some local aboriginal dancers perform and an astronomer pointing out highlights in the night sky. Marjan saw a shooting start and had a look at the Magellanic clouds through the telescope......I had shiraz.

A really lovely evening.

My phone buzzed at 4:30am....again. Marjan had decided that the crepuscular lifestyle was all very well, but she was having a morning of sleep and rest.....so I went off by myself.

I went to the dawn viewing....almost religious........but from the sunset spot. I had spotted the possibility for a particular shot of the sun peeking over Uluru and wanted to try it. Of course I took about 100 shots, but what the hell.

 


Abuela would say that the flies were pesadissimas, well they were worse. I can normally cope and have only used the net occasionally. They are pesky, but I have not found them much more pesky than a particularly bad BBQ in Victoria. This morning however musca vetustissima got to me. I had forgotten the net and they were everywhere and super persistent. When I tried changing lenses, thereby having both hands occupied, they would swarm all over my face, in my ears, nose and eyes. I really got creeped out. A new passion, I am planning to start an organisation to wipe out musca vetustissima by any means....I will not cavil at chemical, biological or nuclear approaches to eradicating this pest.
Yuuuccccckkkkk!!!!@#%^&*%#@Yuuuccccckkkkk!!!!

Anyway, I went back and got my net before trying to get some wildlife. Not very successful, but I did find out another interesting fact. Uluru is rusting. The red is caused by the reaction of iron, water and air.....in other words rust. The actual rock underneath is grey. I love nerdy trivia.

I am resting now, Marjan is resting still!