ULURU
H and I arrived at Dan and Fry's door at half seven to astoundingly find them awake. We last saw them in the bar and after a fair few rounds me and H bowed out and left them to it. Risky move I know but they were so happy. We made our 10am flight and soon we were gliding over Sydney.
The flight resembled a sleepy slow mosh... In turn our heads slowly rocked forward and backwards till gravity stepped in with a big downwards jolt causing startled expressions. This rhythmic dance was sometimes interrupted by an unexpected snore to the delight of fellow onlookers.
Soon the city was far behind, in fact every sign of human life was far behind as the landscape took on a warm orange glow sprinkled with the odd bush. Every now and then a straight dusty road would slice the landscape in two, disappearing into the fuzzy horizon and that was about it for the next three hours. Don't get me wrong I loved it, the sheer scale of empty space that is pretty much the entire centre of Australia is mind boggling.
Due to the unstable hot air we landed with a bit of a bump. Fry eventually stopped holding the roof and collected his things and himself... We had arrived in the red centre.
Our steed was a little blue car, our destination a massive rock, apparently you can't miss it. Here's a tip for anyone heading out this way, get your own ride. The coach tours let's say for sun rise cost $75 per head ($300 for us four) and you are at the mercy of fellow passengers arriving in time and have to go where all the other coaches go. The car however for two days hire was about $275 including fuel and we saw many sunrises and sunsets.
We stayed in a four bed dorm room with two bunks in the Outback Pioneers Lodge. It was a nice place, one of the cheaper options but the facilities were nice enough and the large bar made our two new companions feel very much at home. We walked up the slope just outside our room and stopped in awe and silence one by one as we reached the top. The magnificent red sandstone slopes of Uluru rose up out of the flat red scrub below. It took a while for any of us to really say anything of worth, to describe what we were seeing. After a while Dan had a go and said "enough said". I guess a picture really does speak a thousand words and in this case the sight had spoken for all of us.
Bellies rumbling we headed back down in search of a bite. We ate at a little cafe round the corner from the lodge called Kolta, we were hooked after trying their smoked kangaroo and made a pact to return as many times as possible. We swung by the lodge bar, grabbed a six pack then chased the dying afternoon light across the national park. Luckily we pulled into a sunset viewing area with a bit of time to spare. This quickly became a highly stressful situation as it gave us time to really scrutinise each spot along the carpark to see which had the best view of the rock. This resulted in two laps of the viewing area, three test parks and a whole lot of deep and meaningful debates about the pros and cons of each spot. This eventually came to an end when another car showed up and forced us into a mad panic as they might take a better spot. A screechy three point turn put an end to that and soon we were parked up in our opinion probably the third best spot. The best two spots had gone to some people with no life who must have been camped out there all day and be really bored. Or that's how we saw it.
The sun was setting behind us causing the rock to change colour with the sky. It was a pretty magical sight and we all agreed if we had to leave there and then it would still have been worth the trip. After a flurry of photos we cracked open the beers, sat up against the bonnet and watched the show. Once the sun's light had left the rock it was time for the sky behind to have its moment.
Pinks and purples surrounded the rock once again causing us to lose all words and just watch open mouthed, which was a dangerous thing with the volume of flies. The flies out here are as professional as they come, each has a black belt in being a little bastard and they constantly one up each other. I think it's ten points for a nostril, fifteen for the eye or ear and twenty points for the mouth, and dam they were good. Luckily Helen had bought a four pack of head nets that became a necessity over the following days. We were parked near a nice couple in a blue van who had driven three days from the coastline south of Sydney near Jervis bay. We exchanged travel tips and took souvenir photos for each other. They seemed more interested in taking photos of their van than the rock, we know how they felt and instantly missed our traveling companion Vanwell. We stayed until the rock had merged with the sky behind and all that was left of the sunset was an orange and gold slither on the horizon. We bid our new friends farewell and headed back to the bar in search of food and beer. There was a singer on stage singing popular songs for all ages giving the scene a Butlins feel. A few old ladies clapping with glee and a young family dancing near the front confirmed this. We sat at the back out the way and guzzled Croc dogs. Yes you read correctly Croc Dogs and they were wildly tasty, but the jalapeños would bite your head off.
We grabbed a couple of bottles to go and headed back up the path by our room to do a spot of stargazing. Just like the silence that had settled over us when we first saw the rock, again Uluru had us in its clutches as we all stood quietly looking up. The only thing to break the silence was the popping lids of the beers and the odd little burp.
Having learnt it pays to get to sunrise and viewing spots early we were awoken by an orchestra of alarms and buzzes from the flashing pile of phones in the corner. It had the desired affect and we were on the road by half past five. The stars were even more intense than before as the moon had sauntered off somewhere. About 30km from Uluru is another rock formation called Kata Juta. We pulled into a deserted carpark next to a tall dusty dune. A short path snaked its way up to a platform that sat parallel to Kata Juta which was barley visible in the dark dawn sky. On approaching the end of the platform the view more than made up for the early start. A scorching orange strip stretched out across the horizon gaining in intensity every second, this was sliced in two by the robust silhouette of Uluru standing proud and dark on the horizon. Silence again fell.
We took the corner spot, which by all accounts was the best possible position with Kata Juta to the left and Uluru uninterrupted dead ahead. It wasn't long before we had company, but it didn't matter, we had won the best place race. The approaching sun threw all its colours up into the sky creating impossible gradients. Soon the old fellow peaked over the horizon and lit the tops of Kata Juta to our left. We watched as the purpley grey rock turned orangey red and soon the mornings light show was over.
We turned round to see the full effect of turning up late, as the platform had filled with hundreds of people cameras pointed to the back of our heads, we are fairly sure the back of our heads are now all over Facebook. This called for our first selfie.
As the crowd cleared we noticed the guys from yesterday's sun set. We again became each other photographers and after a few "good mornings" and "nice day for it's" they toddled off. It was a brilliant morning and we were all feeling very pleased with ourselves as we ambled back towards the car. We were pretty much the last to leave. Just as we were packing up the car a shriek from Helen and a slammed door signalled the arrival of an inquisitive wild Dingo. We had learnt from Fraser Island how dangerous these guys can be so we all dived into the car as it was within about five feet of my drivers door. Just like any good horror movie once we were all in safe and sound we realised the boot was left open, and just like a hero in the movies, Fry nipped out, closed it and got back in and we drove off. We are all still a tad unsure where this heroic streak came from.
We made our way round the back of Kata Juta to a deep valley called Waggu Gorge. As you approached two towering red walls engulf you on either side as you make your way over the uneven rock terrain. We were unsure whether Dan could make it at first but he was determined to get to the end. It was nice and shady inside the valley, so we set off hoping to make it back out before the sun made it in. The red landscape gave the whole scene the appearance of Mars as we plodded over under and through this alien rock world.
It was all a bit much for Fry who started going a bit weird taking odd and unusual photos the entire trek. Once a drama student always a drama student.
Dan nailed it and we eventually pushed through a narrow bushy path revealing a wooden viewing platform...we had made it to the end. The end had been coming for a while, visible in the distance, so at first were not too animated.... Then we turned round. The walls of the gorge perfectly framed the blazing horizon beyond, and again we fell silent, apart from a few unfortunately timed farts. We are not too sure why but Uluru had made us all unusually farty.
We raced the sun back down the gorge however we didn't quite make it over the final ridge and spent the last twenty minutes dripping with sweat. Morale was still high and even though Dan's feet were killing him and we were all running on empty, we were stoked to have completed the route and set off in search of food and water. As we pulled up by the water taps in the rest area close by, we again bumped into our new friends who were rolling past in their blue van. This was starting to get a little awkward/stalky.
For lunch we stopped at Geko's restaurant near our lodge. It is located in the town square conveniently located next to the fantastically name Ayres Wok !!! (Had it been open it would have been a no brainier between the two). A dead cow and dead kangaroo later we pointed our car back towards the rock and set off. I was experimenting with the joys of cruise control, which after a 5am start and a big lunch probably wasn't the best idea. There is a road you can drive around the entire base of the rock which suited us perfectly as none of us were up for taking on the midday un air conditioned heat like some of the poor buggers we drove past. Up close the rock is fantastic with its grand glowing walls, constantly changing as the sun passes over. We pulled into a carpark where one particularly sloppy wall meets the ground. A fixed chain ran all the way up to the summit which looked particularly steep and hairy in sections. There was an official looking open gate with signs saying not to climb when the gate was closed and giving times of when was best to climb. Quite a few people were climbing to the top however there was a sign saying that the traditional owners of the land would rather you didn't. This became a heated discussion back in the car. It wasn't against any rules to climb and thousands of people do every year however there was the polite notice asking you not to. If you climbed you would feel guilty and if you didn't you would leave most likely wishing you had.. As we drove away I found myself at first glad I was following the wishes of the polite notice, then shortly after had a massive feeling that I had missed a once in a life time opportunity. A chat with a couple in the carpark confirmed this when they said how amazing it was at the top and that the chain was due to be removed within the next few years.
We carried on round to one of Uluru's little watering holes tucked away in a tall valley. On route to the water we visited a cave full of eroded aboriginal paintings. A tour group shuffled in with us so we blended in amongst them and listened to the guide talk about some of the shapes. He pointed out a series of swirling circles which represent water when a pebble has been dropped and a wobbly long blob which is apparently the sign for a witchery grub.
Fry relaxing before the walk ahead.
We carried on down the overgrown pathway and soon appeared at another alien looking landscape surrounding a small pool. It was a tranquil looking spot, however the two coach loads of tourists that had joined us made it hard to fully relax.
We decided to head to a good spot to view sunset nice and early, partly to get a good spot and party because we all wanted to doze in the evening sun for a bit. We plonked ourselves down on some raised decking looking west towards the sunset. By the look of it the sun would set behind Kata Juta just to the left of Uluru, which should hopefully make for an interesting view. Luckily it never got too busy and we stood quietly watching the changing colours of the sky as Kata Juta slowly devoured the orange sun. Unlike the day before when the illuminated red rock stole the show, tonight it was the sky's turn.
Once again the two rocks combined with the sky beyond as we set off back to the resort for a quick evening beer. After witnessing a number of natural light shows it was time for a manmade one. We had bought tickets to 'The Field of Light' and were due to be picked up at 7:50pm. Due to being stuck behind a slow coach (car) we reached the lodge with minutes to spare but true to our word knocked back a quick beer before boarding the coach for the ten minute drive out into the dessert. Bruce Munro is an English artist who works with light and had recently opened his show 'The Field of Light' in Uluru. The coach dropped us at the end of a dusty corrugated strip of road out in the bush. There was a glow in the distance that grew in size but not in intensity as we approached. It was time for another speechless moment. Before us stretching out into the dark distance was 50,000 raised lightbulbs connected by a highway of glowing cable. They gave off a muted glow and slowly changed colour over the course of the evening.
We followed the illuminated pathway right out into the centre of the field. At first we decided it looked like a city from above, then an electric meadow, then the synapses firing in a brain. Finally when artistic visual metaphors were beyond us we amused ourselves with a surprisingly large amount of puns. "This is the highlight of the trip" "how much water do these bulbs need to grow this tall" "I'm going to give this a glowing review"... You get the picture. We finished off the night with a few beers back at the lodge.
The unwelcome beeping and buzzing brought us to our senses again at 5am. It was our last day and last sunrise. We decided to head for the same spot as the night before as from this angle Uluru faces the rising sun so we could watch it turn from dark purple to bright orange. We were a bit more sluggish this morning but again we were still in the national park before six and managed to bag our spot from the night before by 6:10. We had a brekkie of muesli bars and cookies while the sun got a wriggle on. This time both rock and sky had an equal part into this morning’s show with the sky going all sorts of crazy colours which was complimented by the rock slowly picking up the rays from the sun as it crept over the horizon. Again it was truly mesmerising. We felt a little sorry for the coach trippers. They were still arriving after a lot of the colour changes had happened and were too late to get a particularly good spot. At no point did we contemplate sharing ours though. You snooze you lose as they say.
It was at this point we gave Dan his belated birthday present. Tickets to a helicopter ride around Uluru. After a moment of realisation, his face lit up and he gave Helen and me a big hug. I think he was quite taken back by it.
This remarkably coincided with three small helicopters gliding towards the north face. We had already decided we weren't going to let him have all the fun and booked ourselves two tickets as well. Fry, the only living soul who we let in on the secret, had already decided to bow out due to not being too comfortable being off the floor. After a few final snaps we zipped back into the village for breakfast then swung by reception just in time to board the Ayres rock helicopters bus.
Fry hopped in for the ride and to take a few snaps of take-off. Within no time we were in a separate section of the airport parked next to a couple of brightly painted helicopters. The pilot said three of them convoyed it over to watch the sunrise at Uluru this morning. After a short safety briefing we hopped into the little glass cabin. It was surprisingly flimsy and we were told not to touch or stand on pretty much anything.
Helen was in her element as not only did she get the front seat we all got to wear headsets with attached mics. It was a weird experience taking off in a helicopter. None of us have experienced it before. We felt a very subtle pull upwards then suddenly lifted and hovered a foot or so off the ground. It was super smooth, not at all how I expected it would be. Then within seconds we were zooming low across the tarmac gently lifting up, it was so calm and graceful not like the bumpy jerky rush of an aeroplane take off.
The ground below us was a surprisingly green. However beneath the dusty scrub was a sea of red dust which stretched on and on into the horizon. We realised how far out in the middle of nowhere we were. Other than the airport, the resort and a small industrial estate that serviced the resort there was a whole lot of nothing in all directions. Uluru came into view pretty quick as it and Kata Juta were the only things sticking out the ground for miles around. It rose up out the dessert as if someone had just come along and plonked it there, other than its rich red colour it looked pretty out of place. The top of the rock was quite rugged as the vertical strata lines which were visible from the sides gave the top a sort of waves effect. I was a great site and an awesome thing to witness from above. Apparently Uluru is a section of sea bed which was forced upwards at a 90 degree angle when the world as we know it was forming back when the tectonic plates had a little wriggle. If you look closely you can see the vertical strata lines in the rock. Once again we were all pretty speechless, which was a good thing as the radios we were using to communicate were rubbish, but they looked pretty cool.
After hovering like a pesky fly around the north and west faces we tipped the nose in the direction of the airport and gracefully made our way back. We spotted Fry below as we cleared the airport fence and gradually descended to about one foot from the ground. The pilot held us there for a moment whilst I guess he did the equivalent of a parallel park as he manoeuvred the tail round 180 degrees, hovered sideways and gently touched down on the helipad. Helen and Dan were beaming and Fry who ran out to greet us was also excited, even after having been nearly blown off his feet taking pictures when we took off and landed. What an excellent morning.
After checking out of the lodge we had a few hours to kill so after a spot of souvenir shopping we headed back over to the rock for a final visit. Even after seeing it from almost every angle it was still magnificent. We parked up at the foot of the slopey western face where people climb up. There were a few little specks at the top and a couple more on their way up. Even though people have said you shouldn't climb it, I felt this tremendous urge to give it a go. I wish they would have taken the chain away so the decision would be easy and simple; not to climb. But the fact is that it was there winking at me twinkling in the afternoon sun. So I slapped on some sun block, filled a water bottle and grabbed the chain.
The climb was pretty steep at times, you really had to rely on the chain, one slip and it was a long way down with nothing to break the fall. In a fairly quick time I made it to the top and jogged to the middle of the rock. The views were breath taking. You could see for miles into the harsh outback. It was such an intense red colour, heightened by the sun light. I passed a few people on my way up and by the time I reached the middle I was all alone. It was like standing on another planet far away from anywhere familiar. I made it quite a quick adventure as we had a plane to catch so after a few snaps and the rest of my water I jogged back to find the top of the chain, and made my way down.
We made it back to the airport in good time and soon we were soaring our way over the outback. Within moments we were all bowing our heads in sequence and making abrupt snoring sounds all the way back to Sydney. What a trip!
