Would the real Uluru please stand up; Mount Conner
is often mistaken for The Rock by the unwary.
As we arrive at the tourist village of Yulara, darkness is falling and rain is beginning to fall, so we do not get to see the rock this evening, Hopefully the weather will clear up tomorrow?
Like something dropped from space, the real
Uluru seems completely alien to its desert
surroundings.
Many visitors climb the rock, but the native
owners discourage this for safety and cultural
reasons. This morning the climbing path is closed
anyway, due to expected rain, thus saving us from
the tough choice of climbing or not. Instead we
do the circuit walk, a grueling 10km trek which
was made slightly easier by the cooling effect f
the clouds overhead. The rock looks dramatic when
seen at close quarters, with the elements having
carved fantastic shapes in its flanks.
Far from smooth when seen up close, the wind and
occasional rain have cut dramatic caves all around
The Rock.
Desert trees still luxuriant from April's rain,
oblivious to the sinewed behemoth behind.
40km west of Uluru is another dramatic rocky
landmark, known as Kata Tjuta (the Olgas). There
are less restrictions on walking here and Rory and
I undertake the hike to the dramatic 'Valley of
the Winds'. The name is well deserved as there is
a brisk cooling breeze running up the valley, even
though the plains outside are dead calm.
The surreal Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) show what Uluru
might look like after another million years of
erosion.
On the inside looking out; the Valley of the Winds
in Kata Tjuta
The most common marsupial in this part of the country is a shy creature called a 'Euro'. Since this is also the name of the official currency in Ireland, Rory can't help commenting on the absurdity of carrying these Euros around in your pocket when you go shopping or to the pub. I guess he's got a point.
Today sees another sad parting of ways, as Rory heads back north to take up a three-week job doing cattle muster on a station in the middle of the outback north east of Alice Springs. When I ask him about his qualifications for such a role, he cites his Tamworth City Slickers holiday, the fact that he owns a cowboy hat, and the fact that he has been listening to Slim Dusty in my car for the last three weeks; I am glad to have contributed to his career! I will miss him though, as he has been a truly excellent travelling companion, and who else can cook tropical punch beef stew like him?
On my own again now, I head back east and then
north-west to Kings Canyon, which is a very
dramatic place of weathered rocks, sheer rock wall
and garden paradises beside the stream which has
carved out this huge gorge through solid rock.
I wouldn't want to fall off! The sheer rock walls
of Watarrka (Kings Canyon)
Map of South Australia
Lots of driving south today. At Marla Homestead
gas station there is a huge hand-painted sign
extolling the virtues and political opinions of
the tiny hamlet of Oodnadatta. It take a good ten
minutes to read it all, much of which is quite
funny. It recounts how a town meeting one night
was debating secession from Australia, but the
barman called last orders and the forgot to vote
on the issue.
Another border, The Patmobile enters
the land of Sturt's Desert Rose.
Oil barrel cow begs for safe driving.
A bypassed little town's claim for attention; 'The
Oodnadatta Manifesto'
This evening I arrive in the town of Coober Pedy which is renowned for Opal, being hot, people living underground, bombings. I check into Radeka's Backpackers, where the dorms are underground and carved from solid rock, which is the dominant architectural style of Coober Pedy.
Coober Pedy lives from opal mining and the
countryside outside the town is littered with
multicoloured 'dumps' of waste rock from the mine.
Many people make a living from 'noodling' through
these heaps to find any opals that the underground
miners have missed
Cut from solid stone; underground Serbian church in Coober Pedy
'HAVE ONE ON ME, ARNE BRATS, 1940-1999'.
Renowned Coober Pedy professional drinker
has a beer keg for a headstone.
Running past Coober Pedy is a portion of the 5000km
long 'Dog Fence' which stretches from the Southern
Ocean in South Australia to the Pacific Ocean in
Queensland. It is designed to keep dingoes (wild
dogs) from entering 'sheep country' in the
southeast of the country where they wreak havoc on
flocks. And it works!
The Dog Fence stretches to the horizon,
separating cattle country on the right
from sheep country on the left; obviously!
Searching for our fortune; 'noodling' for opals
amidst the mine 'dumps' of Coober Pedy
Back in the 1940s, 50s and 60s, the British and Australian governments worked on development of missiles and nuclear bombs. All of the testing of these was done in the wide open spaces of central Australia, centred on the town of Woomera. The town park bristles with old missiles, jet fighters and bits of space rockets recovered from the wilderness. There is also an excellent museum where I spent a happy hour looking at old movies of the place in its heyday.
Unfortunately, today Woomera is best known as a
detention centre for illegal entrants to Australia
and gets very bad press. A few months ago there
was a mass breakout from the centre and a protest
in the town, but thankfully all was quiet of the
rainy day that I visited.
High performance machine in unusual location; with
Skylark rocket in foreground.
Today I gave a lift to a young Canadian 'surfing
dude' called Todd. We had somewhat differing
outlooks on life and especially on Woomera.
Nonetheless we stuck together and he keenly spots
a free campsite at the Baroota Rodeo grounds. We
have the entire campground and rodeo arena to
ourselves. I set my tent up in a shed to avoid the
gently falling rain and get an excellent nights
sleep.
Now that's luxury! Camping in a shed, on a double
mattress at Baroota Rodeo in rural South Australia.
I stay in a hostel in the city tonight, but Eoghan and Annette invite me to spend the rest of my Adelaide stay in their house. I am happy to accept as it will make a change from the hostels and campsites which have been my home for the past few months.