Tuesday 26.04.11 Yulara - Redbank Waterhole

We got away from Yulara about 10.30am and headed for Redbank Waterhole in Owen's Springs Reserve about 60km south of Alice Springs. Rather than going on the Stuart Highway where we had already been, we planned on going up towards King's Canyon on Luritja Rd, and then east along the Ernest Giles Highway. We had a roadside stop for lunch, then onto the wide dirt road of the Ernest Giles that had a few ditches and corrugations along the way but was otherwise a good dirt road. It's a little bit more picturesque than the Stuart Highway as well, and provided the opportunity to see some countryside we hadn't seen before, and may not get a chance to see again, even if it is more of the same!

We then turned off this and back onto the blacktop of the Stuart Highway heading north, with just a short stretch before the turnoff to Owen's Springs Reserve. Redbank Waterhole was only about 6km from the turnoff on an easy but sandy 4WD track, and there were numerous choices for setting up camp along the waterhole. 

We set up, had a hunt for timber to set up a fire, and settled down with a couple of wee drinkies and bikes and cheese watching the sun go down through the gum trees - a very picturesque and peaceful setting.

Paul got to play with the new camera some more, and tested out some night time star shots. We didn't get to see any shooting stars or satellites, but we weren't disappointed.

Despite being the last day of an unusually long 5 day long weekend (Easter and Anzac Day back to back) there was little evidence of intensive recent use in the area and we only saw two other cars parked nearby. One car followed us in just after dark and continued along past us and camped at least another 500m away, so they may as well not have been there. We had dinner and watched the bush tv for a while, then headed for bed. The mice were friendly here too and kept Steve awake all night; they scrabbled on the canvas of the camper a few times but not enough to bother us too much.

Sunday 24.04.11 Rainbow Valley - Yulara

We awoke to the temperature inside the camper being slightly colder than the fridge! 4.8 degrees compared to the fridge temperature of 5. Once up just after dawn, the temperature slowly came up. Bacon, eggs and baked beans was the way to refuel, and we did another walk towards Mushroom Rock and more photo opportunities. We packed up and were away at 11am and stopped about 1pm for a quick lunch at Mt Ebenezer Roadhouse after the turnoff to Yulara at Erldunda.

We also did a quick stop further on at the viewing area to get some photos of Mt Connor, which is an impressive monolith in its own right. The expected desert ochre colours are actually hard to find right now - we were surprised that this stretch of road has many trees looking a bit like pines - tallish skinny ones (desert oaks, I think) and then shorter squat trees as well, and plenty of pale green/cream grass.

We continued on to Yulara, arriving after 4pm, quite amazed at the size of the resort and campgrounds and the number of people already here so early in the season. We did a slight choke on the camping fees - $72 for two people for two nights! And the advertised "Sounds of Silence" dinner excursion prompted an even bigger sound of choking at $165 per person.

We went to the viewing area at the campground to see the sun go down over Uluru - unfortunately it is impossible to get photos of it without resort buildings in the foreground. Some judicious cropping will be required. Once back to our camp, we were met with a sense of foreboding of the raucous sound of our immediate neighbours with no volume control. Rachel had a quiet but friendly word with them to tone it down a bit, however their half volume was still intrusive, and became even more so with the addition of further alcohol.

With no letup to the noise at 11pm, an hour after the campground's 10pm noise curfew, another more sterner visit was required in preference to Paul going over there with his axe. That option is still available to us, and may well still be required. We shall claim justifiable homicide.

Dinner was very tender vacuum packed scotch fillet and salad, washed down with a De Bortoli shiraz or three to keep the chill away.

Monday 25.04.11 Yulara - Uluru - Kata Juta - Yulara

5am seemed to be the start of stirrings for people to go to The Rock for sunrise, plus the fact that it is Anzac Day prompted Paul and I to get going too. Might as well, we were awake, and a sense of duty and national pride helped us along on this special day. We managed to get to the viewing area just in time for the first rays to hit The Rock, along with hundreds of others. It really is a magnificent sight, and photos just don't do justice to its size. Albert Namatjira also got his palette amazingly right, especially in his sunset paintings, the varied hues of purples, violets and blues don't sound right for rock, but they are.

The walk back to the car saw Rachel blow out her second pair of boots - the sole came apart from the upper on one shoe as it did on the Katherine Gorge to Edith Falls walk. What a place for it, looks like I have to walk everywhere now in Crocs, otherwise Yulara is no doubt the most expensive place in the universe to get a replacement pair. I'm too frightened to check.

But check we did at the Yulara IGA, where a pair of sneakers went for $60. Oh damn, not in my size. Paul and I did the Mala walk at the base of Uluru as the climb up the top was closed and I didn't trust my boots not to fall apart, then we went back to the campground for lunch.

Afterwards, Steve, Lucy and Sophie went to climb Uluru while Paul and I went to see Kata Juta and went to the first lookout. By this stage, we were fairly jaded about the commercialisation of both places - the outrageous camping fees, the requirement to get a three day pass minimum to get into the National Park, and the fact that there are no other options in the area to camp. Even the walk to the first lookout at Kata Juta is like a four lane highway for the bus loads of tourists.

We got back to the campground to find our noisy neighbours quite subdued, no doubt from a busy day, and for which we were supremely thankful. We had previously seen the Hema Navigator Patrol with an older model Aussie Swag, and an even older one about 4 campsites away, and had also seen another couple with an Aussie Swag setting up. "Wendy's husband" (we forgot the niceties of introductions) came over to check out our set up, and was impressed with the new stainless kitchen splashback, as we were with their soft and supple canvas that allowed them to keep their side awning attached to the camper, which we haven't been able to fit in as yet.

We managed an early bedtime, and had a good night's sleep with few disruptions.

Sat 23.04.11 Alice Springs - Rainbow Valley

We didn't have to rush on Saturday morning as we had until 10am to put the boys in the kennel, and Steve, Lucy and Sophie were leaving the Devil's Marbles for Alice Springs, and weren't due in until lunch time. We dropped the boys off at Paws n Claws, refuelled, went to do our final shop, until Rachel realised she had left her credit card there, so back to pick it up. We then went back into town to park up, whereupon Rachel couldn't find the keys for the trailer. So we re-traced our steps back to the kennel again, but we couldn't see them en-route, nor were they at the kennels. It would have helped if we checked the centre console, which was where they were all along. Hmmmm.

Back into town was where Paul had a chicken burger and Rachel had the best kangaroo burger ever. By the time we had shopped, Steve and Lucy were in town, so we caught up with them before arranging for us to go on ahead to Rainbow Valley, in the hope we would secure two of only seven camps sites. We got there at about 3pm, found only one camp set up and 2 other vehicles, and the perfect site for two vehicles.

Steve and Lucy arrived shortly after and we got all set up at the only section on the grounds that permitted two vehicles side by side.

A steady stream of vehicles and tour groups turned up in time to get photos of the rocks at sunset, all of which disappeared soon enough once the sun went down. And this is what they were after, as were we.

We also found this little fella, who was quite inquisitive and not at all fearful.

One the sun went down the temperature dropped quite quickly. We put some warmer clothes on, reheated some pre-cooked chicken curry and cracked open a couple of beers. Perfect. Apart from multiple and fearless mice benefitting from the recent rains and abundant food supplies. With no ambient light, the stargazing was amazing, and we went to bed to single digit temperatures.

Friday 22.04.11 Attack Creek - Devil's Marbles - Alice Springs

Friday morning gave us a beautiful sunrise, and without rushing we were away at about 9am. We were delayed somewhat by the mother of all spiders sitting in wait to get inside the car - it didn't (as far as we know), but after a bit of a chase we never did find out where it went to.

Another fuel stop at Tennant Creek, then lunch at the Devil's Marbles where a few people had already called it a day. We took a few shots of the rocks - they are not as spectacular in the midday sun as they are at sunrise or sunset, but still they are pretty impressive.

From there it was all the way to Alice Springs, stopping briefly to stretch the legs. We were slightly bemused by one of the GPS's wanting to send us to Alice Springs via Ali Kurang, and then the Plenty Highway, not getting us in to Alice Springs until at least after 11pm! We ignored that one, and the other GPS was pretty accurate, getting us into the Heritage Caravan Park at about 5.30pm.

The Caravan park was surprisingly not fully booked, and we got 4 sites to ourselves. It was quiet, and the amenities were very good too, and pet friendly as well. We had a fennel, chestnut and truffle oil risotto for dinner (as you do), hot showers, and an overnight temperature inside the tent of 8 degrees.