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We opted for the BIG4 experience for our final visit to Alice Springs, before we headed south to Uluru and ultimately towards South Australia. The pools, jumping pillows, water slides, and constant activities have been fabricated perfectly to maintain a toddlers appetite for more, more, more....
Uncle Ross visited again for dinner at 'Our Place' this time making use of the camp kitchen facilities, and we even managed an evening out listening to a country music singer and slide show of Alice and surrounds, helping us to reflect on the beauty that we have taken in for the last few weeks.
On the road again, after a coffee from our favourite cafe in Alice, and a slight delay (3hrs) getting our road worthiness certificate for the Swan. Leaving town at 2pm a few hours later than expected, we only had a 5hr drive ahead of us to get to Kings Canyon. We didn't quite make it pulling up 100km short at a road side free camp at Salt Water Creek amongst the red dirt dunes. Stepping outside in the evening, the heavens opened up showing a dazzling display of stars, the Milky Way splashed across the sky.
Kings Canyon was relatively unassuming from the car park but Theo yet again had his climbing legs on, so we took on the Rim Walk, an 8km loop around the canyon. Climbing up, up, up, we saw glimpses of the sheer walls of the Canyon before we entered an ancient eroded moonscape of pancake domes on the plateau high above the canyon. The heat of the day was building as we perched atop the cliff walls, peering over the edge, slightly too close for comfort for Bern. A hidden oasis called 'The Garden of Eden' was our lunch spot under the palm trees away from the heat of the day. The return leg felt a lot longer with a sleeping toddler on my back, and Bern's back was aching supporting the healthy weight of Archie. We found a spot for the camper at the Kings Canyon Resort and relaxed for the afternoon, even enjoying a much deserved wine over looking the sunset reflecting off the canyon and surrounding mountain range.
Drive to Yulara and start our Uluru - Kata Tjuta experience. Not sure if it is fair on the other amazing camp spots we have experienced over the last 7 or so months, but I believe we may have just stumbled onto the Top Campsite of the Year!
A few heart stopping moments as we dragged the swan up a red dirt dune with the promise of an amazing view on the other side. Wheels spinning and digging in we ground to a stop. Luckily we could reverse it back, check the tire pressures, and give it another whirl. This time, we popped over the dune to find the grand red rock Uluru peering back at us as if we could reach out and touch it. His old friend Kata Tjuta was also there, looking on from a distance. Our camp spot found, we settled in and watched on in awe as we saw the sun set behind Kata Tjuta and the pearcingly beautiful red glow from Uluru fade to black, not a hint of humanity in sight.
Our visit to Uluru fell luckily on our Sunday long run day so we set off double pram packed and ready. A dramatic piece of geological mastery towering into the sky at a scale unfathomable, with details and shadows changing from every angle, water marks from absent waterfalls, sheer walls of multi colours, caves smoothed like flowing water, seams and cracks, joints and faults, you could look at it constantly and pick up new details. The chill of running through the shadow of this giant quickly transformed to the blistering heat from the burning sun as we rounded the rock. 12km complete before 10am.
The next day we headed off early to take on Kata Tjuta. The first thing that astounded me was that in this flat desert country, two geological miracles occur relatively close together but unrelated in form or materials. Uluru is solid red sandstone with so few joints that erosion hasn't been able to take hold, whereas Kata Tjuta is a conglomerate of rocks and boulders solidified and rounded over millennia by the wind and time.
We walked the Valley of the Winds into the depths of the mountains, valleys getting narrower and the top of the peaks getting further away. We stopped mid way to take it all in, winds from the west picking up as we stood in the shadows. On return we enjoyed our well deserved packed lunch, and then a quick explore into the depths of Walpa Canyon before calling it a day.
On return to our camp I had a niggle that there may have been an even better view, so we jumped in the car and drove over dune after dune to see the rock appear and then sneak away, appear and sneak away again, without apparently getting any closer. Very tricky deceptive old fellow.
On our final day in the Red Centre, we utilised our 3-day national park pass and did another loop of Uluru in the glorious morning sunshine before jumping in the car and heading south to the border. Thanks NT, you've been spectacular.
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