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The day after our KI adventure we were up and out the YHA at 8am on our way to the airport to catch our flight to Alice Springs. We got an Adelaide airport flyer shuttle bus from the YHA to the airport very handy. Once at airport we checked in and went through departure and enjoyed a Hungry Jacks breakie before catching our 11am flight to Alice Springs only an hour and half flight. Whilst in airport we bumped into the French family also on our KI trip haha.
We arrived in Alice Springs safe and sound, very hot around 38 degrees we got our bags and jumped onto the Alice Wanderer bus service from the airport to our YHA only cost $20 each return pretty good. We checked in at the YHA and moved into our room, we booked a double room yay and the toilet and showers were not too far away. The hostel was nice had a pool, outside area, nice kitchen and common room and we were pleased with our room. We headed back out into town to find the Rock tour office to confirm our trip tomorrow and to get more information on meals, where we are going and what to bring which was pretty cool then we popped into Woolworths for a food shop for tea tonight and snacks on our trip before heading back to YHA for a relaxing dip in the pool ahh followed by a nap in our room. Teatime we went for 10 minute or so walk up Anzac Hill where you can see awesome views of the whole of Alice Springs at the top which was stunning. It is actually more developed and built up than I thought got all the supermarkets, fast food places and shopping centres, cinema and named shops. After our walk we made tea in the YHA and chilled outside before having a sort out in our room packing our bags, small bags for our trip and big bags into YHA storage room and early night.
5.50am Our Rock tour adventure began picked up outside YHA nice and handy we went round Alice Springs picking up others on the trip then headed to the Rock office to sign in before we started off on our journey. There was only 14 of us in the mini bus which was nice and cosy and our tour guide was called Josh nice guy very Australian! Two hour journey into the desert stopped at a servo (petrol station) to grab any snacks, drinks and toilet stop. Another 2 and half hours drive to Kings Canyon, we were supposed to do a 3 hour hike around the rim of the canyon and to the Garden of Eden for a dip in the lagoon pool but unfortunately they closed off the walk when temperature is 36 degrees or above and it was 39 degrees. They close it due to wild fire risks and also due to people not being able to cope with the walk in such high temperatures. We were still able to walk along the bottom path an hour or so round-trip. Josh was telling us about some trees and wildlife on the way, mainly based on what Aboriginals used the trees for and so on, like the sap of trees, weapons they made from certain trees etc. It was still an awesome walk great scenery and the canyon was really cool. Afterwards, we drove half an hour or so to Kings Creek Station which had a pool and had about an hour enjoying the pool, getting to know one another in the group and cooling off. Drove onwards again for half an hour then hopped off the bus and collected some firewood for camp fire later on and another stop off at desert bottle shop for beer before heading to Curtin Springs, our stop over for the night, camping in the bush. First thing first was unloading the trailer of the wood and putting them in piles, small and long. Then we each got a swag a type of sleeping bag with mattress and sorted our stuff before it got dark. Two other guys and myself helped tea by cutting up the veg while Josh got the camp fire going and tea was well on its way. We all sat around the fire and ate our tea, chilli con carne with rice, chatted and drank beer :) Bed early sleeping under the stars, after bush toileting in the desert.
5.30am Josh woke us up, dressed and breakie watching sunset as we go. All packed, sorted and on bus for 6.30am. Drove for an hour to a campsite, Yulara where we were to stay our second night. Here there was toilets and showers so we were given 45 minutes or so to wash up clean for the day ahead. 8am we drove into the National Park to Kata Tjuta, Josh led us in the beginning of the walk sharing information about the geology of the rock formations and how they have formed. Then we split up some choosing to hike the longer walk and others the shorter through the Valley of the Winds, awesome walk very hot but really cool. We met back up to the others at the lookout chilled there, group photo and Josh talked more about the Aborigines and how they used this area and why. They were a lot of resources here for them the trees, wildlife and also impressions on the rock for caves, ceremonies and so on. The Kata Tjuta was a major spot for hunting and training up of younger men. Aboriginals slowly learn everything they know from the older generation and once told how to hunt and survive our sent out into the world on there own to survive. Once the elders think its time they will send someone out to retrieve the youngster if they are still alive. Also, you have to appreciate the harsh environment in Central Australia, very very hot and dry summer season temperatures up to 50 degrees and very cold winters seasons night reaching -10 degrees!!! Aborigines have a very good relationship with the land, they respect it as they live off the land and in return treat it well, they move around allowing the land time to recover from their use. All very interesting, I really enjoy learning about the Aboriginal life and stories. After our walk we headed back to the campsite for dinner, ham, tuna salad wraps and a dip in the pool :) Afternoon we spent hour or so in the Aboriginal Culture Centre learning more about their lifestyles and the stories of Uluru. The we headed to Uluru itself (Ayers rock, largest monolith rock in the world) and Josh walked us along the Mala Walk telling us Aboriginal stories as we went and us asking a lot of questions too. I will not go into the stories as they are quite long and hard to explain in a way without seeing the rock. Also, the Aboriginals are very secretive about their stories, there is only so much we are allowed to know, Josh could only tell us some stories and things he knew even if he does know more as there is only so much he can share with us who are considered children and can only know the children stories. Even Aboriginals themselves don't share stories until they become initiated and older, all very sacred to them their stories, ceremonies, life and the land and Uluru is a very special place to the Aborigines who live among it.
The National Park is leased to the government from the traditional custodians, the Anagu people, however, more respect is given to the Aborigines and they are now involved in the National Park and their opinions and wishes are respected. One hurdle yet to overcome for Uluru is to stop the climbing, you are able to climb the rock, one tour in particular allows you to, however a) it is extremely unsafe over 200 people had died from climbing the rock and also b) it is very disrespectful to the land and Aborigines to climb this sacred place. Once tourists hit Uluru, with no thought of the Aboriginies, they allowed people to climb it, building a very low metal fencing and now a very clear white scar on the rock of where people have worn away the lovely orange colour of the rock with their walking. Now the Aboriginals are more respected, the Australians have given the land back to the Anagu people with certain compromises such as tour guides, walkways and sign posts, however the climb is still allowed. Imagine it in your world here is your house but people are allowed to walk in and use your kitchen, not very nice but its a slow improvement. I think the value of Uluru needs to be changed, to us as tourists we only know it as the largest rock in the world, the red centre and cool must see stop off, when in actually fact it is a very sacred site belonged to a community, an Aboriginal community depending on this land. Tourists and people of the world need to be educated on this side of Uluru. It is good to see Australian's and Aborigines working together, as a whole I would say Australian's have treated them very poorly so far and still to this time show very little respect and care which is a real shame. For a country to have very little history due to late discovery and to not appreciate the little history they have, the people living on the land originally, the stories, beliefs is very sad yet use Aboriginal art work, paintings as a tourist landmark hmmmm. Anyway, off my soapbox and back to our trip, you can tell Josh was a very good guide haha. We drove to Uluru viewpoint where we stopped for the evening, Josh cooked our tea as we talked together overlooking the rock, had some beers and our tea altogether chicken and noodle stir-fry before heading back to our campsite for the night around 9pm. Swags sorted, showers had, a few of us sat around played cards, few beers and cheap wine haha bed quite late was really good fun night and the stars were amazing. The camping was awesome such calm, warm and still nights under a million stars, no bugs or annoyance and pure quiet!
Josh woke us at 4.30am quickly dressed all packed on bus for 5am and drove back to the Uluru viewpoint to watch the sunrise enjoying breakie as we sat and watched. The sunrise was more special than sunset, we didn't quite see the change in colour as the sun went down or up but it was a stunning experience to watch. Next was the Uluru base walk a 9km walk around the rock which was so cool very hot but was good to see where the stories came from, or the evidence they say from their stories, you could see their paintings on the rocks, in the caves and great to see all the impressions on the rocks, the cavities and the two main waterholes which returns life after the summer. Unfortunately they were all dried out for us as in summer months but was still good to see and read the sign posts as we went along. Five of the group left us as flew from Ayers Rock airport we said our goodbyes then drove back towards Alice, 2 and half hours to the servo we first stopped at and we had lunch ham and tuna salad wraps. Another 2 hours down the road to the Camel farm where few of us rode camels, the heavens had open and it rained all the time we were there and all the way back which was a shame as there was llama's, baby camels, cockatoos and other animals to see but we had fun. Once back in Alice Josh dropped us all back off at our accommodations, we checked in went up to our rooms and did jobs. We had another double room again yay, we did a wash very sandy, red dust and sweaty things, had showers and cleaned up. Read emails, uploaded photos and started blogs until 7pm. We met Theresa in YHA, girl from the trip and we walked together to the Rock bar next door to the office where we met Josh, Jo and Berry from the tour for food and drinks. We had an awesome night good fun chatting, having shots and many laughs.
We had a great time on the rock tour, awesome guide, good group of people, stunning views and cool learning experience, loved it even in the 39-41 degrees sun!!!
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