Uluru and Kata Tjuta

No matter what you hear, the first time you see Uluru it is quite spectacular and a unique experience.  I can't begin to describe it so will leave it to the photos to do so.  They have a  Ranger guided tour which is great, giving a good introduction to some of the many facets of Uluru, as well as a brief history and explanation of its significance to Aborigines.  From this tour I continued on, circumnavigating Uluru as the track is easy and it is a very worthwhile trip, tho it took me thru the heat of the day and glad to rest at the end of it!

The Interpretation Centre is very well set up, interesting and informative.  It discusses some of the Dreamtime Legends of the area, the traditional use of the area and the current management by a committee of Aboriginals and white fellas.  This combines modern land/park management concepts with traditional Aboriginal values, both protecting the area as well as allowing it to continue to be a major tourist attraction. 

Kata Tjuta is a must see, and while the Valley of the Winds track is a bit of a challenge, goes thru some great areas!  Being a bit more difficult, slow and easy does it, plus the extra time taken gives you a better insight into this varied area.  I understand there used to be a road right around Kata Tjuta, giving access to a much greater area, the road now only goes to the Valley of the Winds take off with the shorter Walpa Gorge walk turning off on the way in.  I did The Valley of the Winds walk early, saving the shorter walk for the heat of the day.

Uluru and Kata Tjuta are within 40km of each other but the geology is totally different.  Uluru is sandstone which has been tilted nearly vertical over time while Kata Tjuta is conglomerate consisting of rounded granite rocks and is only slightly tilted.  Both, of course, contain iron oxide, giving them the red distinctive colour.

What an amazing area this Red Centre is!  Distances are amazing, petrol prices are amazing, the sites amazing and there are still more to see!  Along the Stuart Highway I reckon three out of every four vehicles is a tourist - and someone told me the Victorians haven't left in force yet!  Australian tourists tend to be in the older age group (Grey Nomads), while overseas tourists are mainly young:  Certainly the Grey Nomads are many and varied as well as being quite a friendly lot.  Now it is on to Kings Canyon, then work my way back to Alice.

Coober Pedy

Being so close to this unusual town, I travelled the mere 700km (one way) to see it!  Unfortunately I probably didn't do it justice, staying only one day however The Old Timers Mine was fascinating!  Original diggings were halted and closed off in 1916 by persons unknown for reasons unknown:  Much valuable opal still remained thus the reasons remain a mystery.  In 1968 an underground dwelling was having a bedroom added and in the process broke thru into the old mine.  Recognising the tourist potential, the whole affair was then developed into The Old Timers Mine tourist attraction, and a great one it is.  It was expanded to include an underground museum and a shop, all dug out of the solid sandstone of the area.  This sandstone is very compact and doesn't need shoring up when tunneling into:  Pillars are left to provide support though.

The Northern Territory is blooming after a very wet summer; moving south into South Australia, however, it got drier and drier and had a very desert look about it.  On approaching Coober Pedy, a unique landscape begins to appear 30km north of the town:  This is the conical shaped piles of stone dug up from a mine.  It looks a bit extra terrestrial, thus a unique setting for Mad Max and other movies!  In the town itself there are verandahs fastened to the side of a hill, with a house/motel/bar/whatever dug into the hill.  Apparently the temperature remains a constant 23-25 degrees and flies won't go underground - why wouldn't you live there!  There are quite a few conventional houses as well, for which air conditioning is a must as summer temperatures are HOT. 

The Old Timers Mine.  The admission price is very reasonable with only a small additional charge to rent an iPod with a self guided tour installed and which contained a wealth of information.  The tour starts in the old mine, which was all dug by hand.  Displays and information give a good explanation as you go from station to station and over at least two levels.  The access shafts were designed for a specific individual with handholds & footholds carved into the side, the width & shape of the shaft exactly suiting the person using it.  When a seam of opal was found, it was carefully and tediously dug out by hand with a pick or other suitable tools, so as to not damage the gemstone.  While powerful machines do the main digging today (a demonstration on the surface was included), the opal seams are still winkled out by hand.  After the old mine you come up into the living quarters, which are left as they were in the 1970's.  In the photo of the girls bedroom, on the right hand side you can see where the intended extension broke through into the old mine.  There was also an underground Post Office, apparently the only one in the world.  A great tour!

Being the Opal Capital of the World, there are quite a few shops selling a wide variety of the product.  All too confusing for me, but interesting to look at.

Coober Pedy is in a bit of a downturn as seems to be common in many outlying towns and while the Opal Capital of the World apparently there is a dependence on tourism as well.  A major attraction, The Big Winch ("Oh, if you're going to Coober Pedy you MUST see The Big Winch!") was closed with a 'For Sale' sign on the door.  I never did find the Serbian Orthodox Church, which was written up as magnificent.  The information was vague and I ended up at the Stuart Highway, hot, tired and a bit grumpy so I turned north. 

North of Coober Pedy is The Breakaways, an interesting geological feature.  I stopped for a quick visit on my way back north.

The Western McDonnell Ranges

To just go back to The Devils Marbles briefly, I failed to mention that the dingo in the photograph was a semi-tame dingo, hanging about the area living off handouts.  Everyone who saw him took photos and those on the tour buses - well, it was one continuous clicking of cameras!

Two days from the Devils Marbles saw me in Alice Springs getting information on the area, getting some supplies and heading off for Ormiston Gorge campground.  There was still enough time for a quick run (returning on the same trail) to the ghost gum lookout, so named for the ghost gum perched on the rocky top next to it (and a beautiful gum it is too!).  Showers were available at this site and I needed one, which is why I choose this campsite - the alternative was a caravan park in Alice so it wasn't a difficult decision.  The next day was early up to the lookout, then dropping down to the river running thru the gorge, where there were still pools of water.  The cliffs are nothing short of magnificent!  Sheer, red, rugged and beautiful, set off by the odd ghost gum clinging to a lnely crag, or from the top.  This walk was scheduled for about an hour, it took me four as there are so many interesting little scenes to take in.  There is a longer Pound walk of 9Km, but I had heard you virtually had to swim across the river at one stage, so gave it a miss as I didn't want to get my cameras wet.  The two nights camped here gave me an excellent opportunity to see it in various stages of light, critical to catch some of the scenes at their best.

The following day took in Glen Helen Gorge, Redbank Gorge, the Ochre Pits and Serpentine Gorge and scenic overlook (a heart starting walk to the top of the hill, but great views!) and then to the site of the now disappeared Serpentine Lodge area for the night:  On the way in I got hung up on a rock in a dry river bed, which took a strenuous hour to work my way out, fortunately with the help of a German couple who turned up shortly after.  A day to catch up on chores at a rest area and currently in Alice for the Bangtail Muster on Monday, then off to Coober Pedy.

The Western McDonnels are truly stunning, the views continue for the 100+km trip in and the gorges are spectacular.  The colours, or should I say colour as it is mainly red, the landforms, the Range itself.  It all started 800 million years ago with a large inland sea depositing sand and fine iron oxide deposits, followed by subsequent upheaval and erosion forming rivers & gorges to get to its present form - and for that rock to rise up and get me hung up.

The Devils Marbles

Located ~ 110km south of Tennant Creek, these are the big brother version of The Pebbles;  While The Pebbles are the baby version, they are not necessarily cuter.  There is not much in between the two areas other than flat scrubby or grassy plain.  Trying  to imagine travelling through it as the early explorers and settlers had to is difficult, as it is so vast and featureless.  The Telegraph Station near Tennant Creek was a 'must see', being one of the oldest buildings in the Northern Territory.  It was a centre in the early days for travelers and Aborigines, as well as providing communication with the outside world in those days.

The Devils Marbles are scattered over a wide area, with a couple of outstanding outcrops, the main one next to the campsite.  They are the weathered remnant of a granite extrusion, formed by water seeping into the granite, dissolving the feldspar along fault lines mainly, resulting in the current striking phenomena.

The Devils Marbles is a very popular campsite, though many only stay for a single night and some wheel in, take a quick look and are gone again!  It has been lovely to afford the time to stay a few days and wander around the greater area (spinifex poking & stabbing legs not-withstanding).  There is a resident dingo that would have to be amongst the most photographed dingo in Australia!  He won't let anyone get within 2 metres, but he's pretty nonchalant otherwise.

The night sky is the billion star display the Outback is noted for and satellite spotting is popular.  The best night was three in the space of about an hour.

The last nite was spent with a fellow from Malta, a chap from Austria and myself - we chatted until after midnight!  And had a drop or two of red.  Onward toward Alice next.

The Pebbles

The Pebbles are an Aboriginal Sacred Site just north of Tennant Creek, mainly used for women's ceremonies.  It is an area scattered with granite rocks & boulders.  A proposal to mine the granite - which is red hued and very coarse grained - for floor & kitchen tiles met with strong protests, resulting in its preservation as a reserve.  The Aboriginal Community manages the area and facilities are provided.

During the night spent here dingoes were heard howling nearby - very near in fact.  The night was cool and I was welled tucked up in my sleeping bag.  The early alarm was a shock, not nearly so much as finding out I'd run out of gas so no morning coffee!  Today I'll mosey on down to the Devils Marbles, with stops at the Telegraph Station & Lake Mary Kathleen (I think is the proper name); oh, and for some gas of course.

Rollin', rollin', rollin'..

My stay in Brisbane is over - great to spend time with distant family, lovely to see them move into their new home with their new son - a few stressful bits but all fine now.  I bought a few items while here (retail therapy may be fine with a house & garage to store impulse purchases, but a campervan?) so packing was a challenge, with some items remaining behind.  One 'plus' was an Easter present of a great printer, an HP portable which is a third the size of the one I brought up and runs off a battery. 

I sorted my pot cupboard and placed pieces of the foam matting used as non-slip on boats etc. - Magic!  they now hardly rattle at all.  Plastic storage crates are great, they travel on the floor and sit up on boards when the top is raised. 

Friday, 20th April, I left Brisbane for Tennant Creek.  Hwy 66 runs from the W Queensland border joining the Stuart Hwy just north of Tennant Creek:  Not as well know as that other Route 66 BUT I was passed by a red '88 Corvette! It was pretty warm until I got to the Northern Territory, where it was cool and raining.  Fortunately it fined up today, Anzac Day, for the Services:  Didn't quite make it to the Dawn Service, and nearly missed the later Service which was at 0930 rather than 1100!  There was a very good attendance and obviously Tennant Creek is a very sociable town as there were many wreaths laid by many different groups & organisations - an excellent Service!  Also good to be able to get out and walk around after a couple of days of rain following long drives.  From here it is north 10km to the Pebbles as I didn't stop off to see them along the way, then turn south, put her into 'mosey' and mosey on down along the Stuart Hwy, taking weeks rather than days to get to Alice Springs.  Perhaps not a lot to say after travelling 2,500km, but that distance only gets me to the start of the places I want to see (and that doesn't include the 1,770km up from Tassie).  But it should get interesting from here!

Going back a little, the second day I travelled to Winton and spent that night camped beside the Long Waterhole, the place the alleged Jolly Swagman incident took place.  I didn't here any ghosts but I just love the romance of the spot:  In the morning spoonbills waded the shore 10m from my van! 

Tassie by Sea

Well!  My original plan to cross to the mainland in early Jan 2012 was revised with the opportunity of joining the Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania's summer cruise!  And where better to start an Around Oz trip than on this unique island? 

Starting down the D'Entrecasteaux Channel on 20th January, we visited Bruny Island, Port Esperance and Recherche Bay on this leg.  Weather was kind, seas were kind and the scenery was, well, typical Tassie spectacular.  About 30 boats were signed up for the cruise but didn't necessarily travel as a fleet.  We partnered with another boat whom we traveled with the entire time.     stops included Stringers Creek in Port Esperance and a couple of spots in Recherche Bay, near the SE corner of this fair island. 

Australia Day saw us in Mickeys Bay on Bruny Island, where we had a bit of a celebration!  A brilliant meal was prepared, lots of wine was consumed and silly hats, singlets and other Australia Day paraphernalia saw tradition upheld!   

We then departed the Channel, passing through The Friars, off the south tip of Bruny Island, sailing to Port Arthur with a night's stopover in Adventure Bay along the way.  The dolerite cliffs along the way provided an everchanging panorama to our west, while to the east was the neverending ocean.  In Port Arthur we were fortunate to be offered a mooring right near the public jetty and the sites in this most popular tourist attraction.

Moving on to Mercury Passage, separating off Maria Island, we stopped at Chinamans Bay for the night but the next day bad weather was forecast so we pulled into Triabunna, on the main jetty for three days while it blew & blustered, taking the opportunity to do some shopping and a visit (or three) to the laundromat.  There is an excellent fish & chip van near the wharf so we also had our junk food fix!

Moving on up Mercury Passage past the seals on Isle de Phocques to Schouten Passage, separating Freycinet Peninsula from Schouten Island.  From here we went up to Wineglass Bay for a day trip, then back and into Coles Bay with the superb Hazards in the background. 

This was the top end of our trip and we then turned south, stopping in Triabunna again in what we thought would be a sheltered area from the strong northerly winds forecast.  We rafted alongside our partnering boat, which had anchored, and went aboard for tea:  Just as coffee was being served, a 60 knot wind sprang up from the west in less than a minute, catching us well & truly exposed!  We raced out to cast free, having to cut our bowline such was the hurry to separate lest the boats crash together!  The sea was whipped to a white froth as we moved around to a sheltered cove, sheltered being relative, as the wind howled most of the night and little rest was had as we were ever vigilant lest the anchor start dragging - even though we had 60 metres of chain out!  The weather settled down about 4am, allowing a couple of hours of light sleep (every time the wind picked up a bit, it was Eyes Open and checking to see if we were dragging anchor.  But it was calm enough in the morning to continue south to Dunalley for the night:  This involved going through the very narrow entrance into Blackman Bay. 

Going through the Dunalley Canal involves having to radio to have the bridge on the Arthur Highway lifted, and the tradition of presenting the bridge operator with a $2 coin taped to a can!  We entered into Norfolk Bay, visited Taranna and spent two nights as close to Eaglehawk Neck as we could safely traverse up the narrow channel:  It gave excellent protection from most winds.  All too soon we were passing into Frederick Henry Bay, past Black Jack Rock, around The Iron Pot and back to Hobart, arriving on 9th February.

On our travels, we managed to catch few flathead and the Master of the other boat hauled up the odd cray in his pots, the odd squid, a few abalone plus we had enough food of a broad variety on board to stave off any hunger and scurvy.  To encourage socialising, BBQ's were scheduled in at predetermined spots open to all who wished to attend.  Ad hoc visits were also welcome, with a dinghy or two from neighboring boats tying up to the fantail, usually involving much wine being drunk, jokes & the resulting loud laughter, singing and the odd dance until wee hours, much to the chagrin of others within hearing.  What a great start to this venture!  There is so much more to see and do in the travels to come, the challenge being can it get any better?