We left Curtin Springs and headed towards the Ayers Rock camp grounds at Yulara. We were a day early but hoped to get an extra day at the resort. This didn’t happen though as the park was too busy so we went back to the free camp about 10 kms away. Not wanting to unhook and leave the van there, we decided to have a lazy day and enjoy the scenery with the view of Uluṟu in the background.
Next morning we leave our overnight camp and get to the resort by about 10.30. We checked in and made our way to our site and quickly set up before packing some lunch and heading out again. We are only booked in for two nights and there’s a lot to do!
We drove to the National Park, showed our passes at the pass station and then head out to The Olga’s which were about 50 kms from the resort. We stopped at the lookout on the way and then we walked the Valley of the Winds. We then had a quick lunch before driving around to Walpa Gorge, another part of the Olga’s where we walked to the lookout point.
We then left the Olga’s and drove to Uluṟu, closer to our resort, only about 15 kms in. We drove around the rock and checked out the spots for both the sunset and sunrise and also where to park the car to do the walk around.
It’s been 21 years since we have been here and that was when we took the McCafferty’s bus from Adelaide to Alice Springs with 2 days in Coober Pedy. We then did a 5 day 4 night camping trip from Alice Springs out around Ayers Rock (as it was called then) the Olga’s, Kings Canyon, Glen Helen Gorge and Hermannsburg. We climbed the rock back then but this time we are determined to walk around it!
Having checked out all the spots we head back to get positions at the sunset area. We joined a couple of families we have met before and chatted while we waited for the sunset and the changing colours of Uluṟu. While chatting we heard that the two mum’s, along with one other were doing the helicopter flight as a Mother’s Day gift. That got me looking at the availability for us. I managed to book us on a 15 minute flight the next day at 11.30. As the sun went down on the rock we watched the changing colours and enjoying the atmosphere of the evening.
Next morning we were up early for the sunrise and it was still dark as we stood with lots of other people to watch the sun come up and see the rock come alive. I have to say that the colour changes were not so markedly obvious with the sunrise as it was with the sunset, but both were good.
We then headed back to our van for breakfast and a chance to do some washing before we went out to await our helicopter flight. Early as usual, we had plenty of time to do the safety video and chat with the ground staff. Peter was very friendly and answered all our questions and then it was time to board the helicopter. Natalie was our pilot and with Chris as her co pilot, I was in the back with another couple. Because of the aboriginal beliefs, we were not able to fly over the rock so we flew up to it, around to one side and then the other. I was busy taking photos, which is not easy when the helicopter moves and turns so quickly. We did manage a quick glimpse of Uluṟu with Mt Conner and the Olga’s all in a line as they are on the same fault line. Before we knew it our 15 minutes were up and we were back on land. A great experience.
With the flight over we head back again to the van for an early lunch and to get the washing in before heading back to walk around Uluṟu. It’s a 10 km walk with some areas to walk into to explore. It took us nearly three hours and boy, was I glad to see the car park by the end. Now we can say that we have climbed Uluṟu, we have driven and walked around it. We’ve seen the sunsets and sunrises and we have flown in a helicopter up to it. I think that pretty much covers it now!
The next morning we leave the Ayers Rock resort and head back to Curtin Springs where we spend one more night. It’s Chris’s birthday so we decide to have dinner at the roadhouse. We are joined by Matthew and Alison for drinks and then we enjoy a nice home grown steak from Curtin Springs own cattle.
We are now again heading up the Stuart highway towards Alice Springs, stopping overnight at the Fink River rest area. The river itself, like a lot of others we’ve seen was completely dry but it was pleasant to have the place to ourselves with the occasional people stopping to have a break from driving.
Getting to Alice Springs we book into Blatherskite Park which is the town’s Showgrounds and this was a great spot. Fenced all around and with gates locked from 6.30pm to 6.30am we felt very safe. Alice Springs has been getting bad press for a while with troubles in the town and most travellers are not stopping because of this but like with a lot of things, the press like to exaggerate.
We spent four nights at the Showgrounds and enjoyed all that Alice Springs had to offer. First stop, the visitor centre then the Royal Flying Doctors Service centre. This had been updated with its technology since we were last there and the highlight for us was the virtual reality goggles we wore to share the experience with both the pilot and a nurse caring for a patient on a flight to Adelaide. It was incredibly how we could look all around, up, down and outside the plane while this film was running.
The next day we went to the Sunday markets in town where I was tempted to buy an aboriginal painting. Not usually a great fan of aboriginal paintings, this one did appeal to me . It was only small but so pretty with pinks and blues depicting bush foods. Not what I would call a typical style and I wish now I had bought it.
We left the market and headed out to the old Overland Telegraph Station where we wandered the old buildings and read about the history of the place. We also bought the book about Alex Ross. He was the old aboriginal guide who had shown us around all those years ago. We remember him as such a lovely man who was one of the stolen generation. He told us it was the best thing that could happen to him as he had an education, travelled the world and became a boxer even meeting Mohamed Ali. It was his Gt. Grandfather, John Ross, who chose the sight of the central telegraph station back in 1871. Alex had continued to be a guide at the telegraph station until he was well into his late 70’s.
The next day we visited the school of the air, learning how that had come about because of John Flynn of RFDS fame and Alfred Traeger with their peddle powered radios, making education accessible to children of the outback. Nowadays it’s all about technology but the kids come into town one week a term to spend time with their friends they usually only see on a screen.
We drove out to the East MacDonnell Ranges and walked into Emily and Jessie Gaps and did the Corroboree Rock walk before driving to the West MacDonnell Ranges stopping at John Flynn’s grave on the way out. We then walked into Simpson’s Gap.
We visited the Women’s Museum of Australia, showing all women of note in Australia’s history and their stories. From sports women to inventors, professors, Prime minister. They were all there.
This museum was based at the old Gaol and part of the entry fee was to explore this prison. First the men’s section and then the women’s. We listened to recorded stories of the time and commented on how cold it all was even though it was hot and sunny outside. Conditions would have been hard then for the mainly aboriginal inmates.
We left Alice Springs, having enjoyed our time there and not once feeling threatened or uncomfortable. Our next stop was a free camp at Ti Tree, just off the highway. It was a great little spot with a well stocked shop and cafe and an array of animals out the back. The cutest being the baby goats only a week old.
Next stop, the Devil’s Marbles and our camp for the night. We booked our spot, No.21 which seemed to be the largest site and we were able to position our van sideways on so we had a good view of the marbles.
After setting up we drove out to the day use car park and walked around some of the marbles and found the one we were looking for. This one was noticeably lighter in colour and the reason being that it used to be on the grave of John Flynn but was pressure washed to remove the graffiti before being returned to it’s original position among the other marbles. Another large rock with no aboriginal cultural significance replaced it on the grave.
We walked more of the walks around the spectacular marbles and lookouts and we watched the sunset and sunrise before moving on again, heading towards Tennant Creek, another town that gets bad coverage and most people don’t stop at.
Just before we reach Tennant Creek we get to Wycliffe Well, a roadhouse with service station and caravan park. Our son in law Phil had asked us to check it out as it is supposed to be the alien capital of Australia. It is now closed because of the last bad floods and although I read it is being renovated at some point, it looks unlikely as it is totally deserted and derelict. Still quirky and interesting to wander around though.
We found a property at Tennant Creek that looked like a good place to stay called Spinifex Ridge Farm on the Tennant Creek Cattle Station. It’s a large camping area with great views and we made the most of the “pay two, stay three nights”deal. There is not too much to see in Tennant Creek but as usual, our first stop was the visitor centre. We spent a while talking with the lady there who came from Tasmania to live 10 years ago and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. We then watched the video that was playing about the history of the town before going through the three small museums.
The Freedom, Fortitude and Flies museum was about life back in the early days of Tennant Creek’s history which is not yet one hundred years old after the discovery of gold. The old stories and letters of the day made good reading. The next was the Borella ANZAC story about Albert Borella who when WW1 was declared, left Tennant Creek and walked, and rode to Darwin then down to Townsville to enlist. He was to become a war hero and received the Victoria Cross. Then in WW11, he enlisted again. The next museum was the McLaughlin Minerals Collection that were all found in the area.
We drove out to the Tennant Creek lookout and got a great view of all around the area and the spread out town with it’s approximately 3000 residents, of which about 60 percent are aboriginal.
We drove out of town to The Pebbles, a much smaller version of the marbles and not quite as impressive. Then we went to the old Telegraph Station, one of the eleven repeater stations on the line from Adelaide to Darwin. We then went out to the Lady Mary Ann Dam Lake. It was lovely to see so much water in such a dry and arid landscape. While we were at the lake we caught up with the families who we shared the Uluṟu sunset with. I was anxious to hear how they enjoyed their Mother’s Day helicopter flight only to be told it had been cancelled on them. Apparently the company was short a pilot and the others had all done their hours for the day so were legally not allowed to fly anymore. How disappointing for the girls.
When we later got back to our van we had lunch and then Chris decided to go and have a game of golf, again on a course that hasn’t seen any grass. I amused myself by sorting through my many photos.
We visited the aboriginal art centre and spoke for quite a while with a guy who is helping out there at the time. Normally an English teacher, he was taking time out from his usual job to spend time with these artists and learning their stories. We wandered around the gallery and saw many different aboriginal art but none that appealed to me as much as the Alice Springs painting and these were so much more expensive.
I have to say I was disappointed with Tennant Creek in one way because I always like to check out the Op shops in any town we stay at but the Vinnies, like a lot of other shops in town, was closed. Never mind.
Yesterday we had a lazy day at the van, doing some washing and only ventured out to do some shopping at the pretty impressive IGA in town. Again we have found the locals to be friendly and have not felt uncomfortable in another town that people say is to be avoided.
Now we are on the road again and the date is 29/5/23. That’s significant as it was on this day at 10.00pm, eleven years ago (after a night out with the girls for me and the first State of Origin game for Chris) that we left our home in Caringbah and set off on this fantastic journey. Not one moment have we regretted making our decision to live on the road and travel this beautiful country. We’ve seen some beautiful places, had wonderful experiences and met some great people. Long may it continue!