Standley Chasm & Alice Springs

7 May

Standley Chasm

The distance we covered in the car today was not very far but very enjoyable nonetheless. We started the day with a trip to Standley Chasm - a feature on private property that has an entry fee. The short walk was well set out leading to a remarkable chasm that would only be about 2m wide at its narrowest. There are a number of other walks in the area but we decided to skip those and move on to the Alice Springs Desert Park.

Thorny Devil

Upon arriving at the Desert Park we were issued with a handset and headphones. There are numbered boards around the park and when you reach them you dial the number into the handset and receive information relating to what you are seeing. This kept Thomas and Declan interested as well as seeing many of the animals associated with the area. The displays are well set up and very well organised into environments in which you would see the plants and animals rather than having them out of context.

Sturts Desert Pea

It was fascinating especially as we ad already experienced many of these environments so could appreciate how they are interrelated and sustainable. We saw many birds, animals and plants and the Desert Park made us realise the noctural nature of the Australian desert environment.

After a much needed grocery shop we checked in at a caravan park and enjoyed hot showers and did many loads of washing! The boys loved seeing the bitumen and quickly pulled out their scooters for a ride.

8th May
Mother's Day!

I had nearly forgotten it was Mother's Day and was truly surprised to receive a lovely bracelet that reflects the Aussie outback. The caravan park had free pancake breakfast every Sunday so we enjoyed a hot (free) meal. Tom downed at least 6 before acknowledging he wasn't going to beat the record of 14 pancakes in one sitting.  Tom and Declan hired go-carts and sped around the park for the morning while we relaxed. They have made heaps of friends on this trip that we continue to run into. We seem to be doing the shortest trip of 10 weeks. Most families seem to have 14 weeks to 6 months off hence they are traveling much more slowly than us. Unfortunately we are leaving many behind in Alice as they all have to sit the Naplan test. If you are away from school for more than 12 working weeks you must be enrolled in distance education. It turns out that this costs over a thousand dollars to do and has a very prescribed course involving 3 to 4 hours work a day. Most families are not happy with this and make their own variations, yet all of them seem to think Naplan is important.

In the afternoon we visited the Royal Flying Doctors Service. What an amazing job they have! with 6 doctors, 10 nurses, 3 engineers and 8 pilots they service half the country (or so it seems). There are several bases around the country and they respond to emergencies, move patients from hospital to hospital and attend clinics.

9th May
After packing up we went past the School of the Air as we left Alice Springs. As they say, it is the worlds biggest classroom. It was their 60th birthday celebrations and the children had an 'In School' week. Once a term all the children come into town and meet up for classes and activities. This usually involves sports carnivals and swimming lessons and is a big part of their social interactions with other children. The School of the Air has made major changes over the last 10 years from the radio to the internet. this means faster, better and more interactive communications - although much more expensive. Upward of $13,000 to supply equipment, paid by the school, per family. School fees are only $100. Below is a picture of where the children are located in proximity to Alice Springs. One of the children lives 1225kms away and must make it into Alice 2-3 times every year!
Next: Devils Marbles!

Ormiston Gorge & Ellery Creek Big Hole

Glen Helen Gorge

6 May
We endured another night of mice running over the roof of our camper trailer but once again the nocturnal birds of prey plucked the annoying buggers off. Glen Helen Gorge was our first stop. This is right next to the Glen Helen Resort - they use the term 'resort' quite liberally. It used to be a mission and does not look like it has had any work done to it since then. The gorge itself was not accessible due to the water level being too high - usually you are able to walk through the gorge and see the Organ Pipe Rock formation as well.

Ormiston Gorge

From there it was a short drive to visit Ormiston Gorge. What a sight - beautiful red rock faces with a large amount of water at a sandy base. From the end of the short walk from the carpark we saw some people on the other side of the water. From there you could walk down further and take in more of the gorge. We walked back upstream and and crossed the dry creek bed and were confronted with magnificent views. We decided that the water was very cold and not particularly inviting but perfect for skimming stones.

Ochre Pits

After half an hour we packed up and headed off for the Ochre Pits. This area is used by the Aborigines for their various coloured paints they need for their ceremonies. The different coloured soft rocks have been exposed by a river eroding them. Beautiful contrasting colours in such a confined space.

Ellery Creek Big Hole

Ellery Creek Big Hole

We decided to have lunch at Ellery Creek Big Hole and after seeing it made the decision that this should be our campsite for the night. Having eaten we headed down to the water with Thomas and Declan's blow up surf mats in tow. Once again the water was extremely cold but the lure of drifting between the large cliff faces was too great. We all had a go and were pleased that we had endured the initial shock of the freezing water. The campsite was good with flushable toilets something we had not expected in a National Park.

Mereenie Loop

5 May
We packed up fairly quickly this morning - we are gradually getting quicker as we find a routine. Today was the first day when we are thankful for having a 4WD. The Mereenie Loop is, with a 4WD, no problem but it is not recommended for a 2WD. This means to travel from Kings Canyon to see the sights in the area you have to travel all the way back to Alice Springs if you only have a 2WD. With a 4WD you can take the short cut and travel the Mereenie Loop which is a fairly corrugated unsealed road. It is not particularly long (only about 160km) but in some sections you can only travel about 40km/hr.
We decided to stop for lunch at Gosse's Bluff the site of a clash between a meteorite and the earth about 100 million years ago. You can drive into the centre of the crater and there is a short walk which takes in some of the sights of the the secondary impact where huge slabs of rock (some 100m long) were driven into the ground and then thrust up into the air to rest 100's of meters away. The area is sacred to the Aboriginals so some of the places are off limit.

Gosses Bluff

Continuing along the Mereenie Loop we came across two Argentinian cyclists who were travelling from Kings Canyon to Alice Springs as we were. As a result of all the corrugations one of the bikes had pedals that no longer worked and they flagged us down because they had run out of water. The poor guys were in the middle of nowhere and were towing the second bike to Alice Springs on a severely corrugated unsealed road. All they wanted was some water to continue their journey - I would have been asking for a lift!
Finally we came across a sealed road again and our next stop was Redbank Gorge where we intended to stay the night. There are two campsites in the area - the woodland campsite and one closer to the gorge itself. We scouted both areas and decided on the woodland campsite but decided to see the gorge before we set up camp. The track to the gorge was overgrown and we lost it and started walking down the dry creek bed. Along the way we saw other groups of people who found the gorge but told us there was only a couple of small rock pools with a smelly dead kangaroo next to it, not terribly inspiring, so we decided to turn back and set up camp.
We found a lovely camp in the woodland area with a gas stove and hotplate provided and decided that a camp fire with toasted marshmellows would complete the campsite. Unfortunately we were in a National Park and it is illegal to remove fallen timber so we decided to search some of the other vacant campsites to see if there was any firewood left behind. Jackpot! One of the campers on a site near us had left plenty of wood - ah yes, what a great night!

Kings Canyon

3rd May
The drive from Yulara to Kings Canyon is a sealed road back along Lasseter Highway and turning off onto Luritja Road. We stopped off along the way and walked out to Kathleen Springs - only a short walk but providing plenty of information about the way in which Aborigines and Stockmen used the area. Kathleen Springs is a permanent waterhole with cliffs on three sides which stockmen used to trap their cattle after having let them roam free. The cattle had to go there to get water and the stockmen had set up a one way gate so they could get in but not out again. On the way back to the car we saw some processionary caterpillars - a strange variety which has hairs that are irritating to your skin. They walk in single file with each caterpillar holding on to one in front. If the connection breaks they all stop until they are all joined up again!

Processionary Caterpillars

From Kathleen Springs to Kings Canyon was only a short drive and we decided to fill up with fuel once there to avoid having to fill up in the morning. We now had a new leader for the most expensive fuel in Australia with 220 cents per litre (OMG). Setting up camp we bent a lot of heavy duty pegs on the rock hard ground but were organised in time to go and see the sun setting on the entrance to Kings Canyon from the sunset viewing area at the resort - beautiful colours changing as the sun went down.
Once again, as with wherever we go, we were inundated with mice that come out at night. It seems the whole of central Australia is in the midst of a mouse plague with all the extra food they have as a result of the plentiful rains. On this occasion the nocturnal birds of prey came from the trees and plucked the mice from the top of our camper trailer as we tried to sleep. Good on you fellas - now we can get some sleep!

4 May
Today we decided to start reasonably early and hike around the rim of the canyon - a fairly energetic 7km walk which took in some spectacular scenery. The first section was the most challenging with lots of stairs as we ascended to the top of the canyon. Once there the views were amazing. At every vantage point there was another awesome view and we were snapping photo after photo as we turned each corner.

Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon - The Garden of Eden

From the strange rock formations that make up The Lost City to the Gardens of Eden and the sheer walls of the canyon with their multi coloured sandstone.

We only saw a small number of animals as we happened to be walking at the same pace as some very noisy tourists who the animals could hear for a long time before they arrived. We did see a beautiful little gecko that can change his colour to match his surrounds - very clever and would not have seen him had he not moved when he did.
This is a truly amazing walk and probably my (Tim's) highlight so far. The effort taken in constructing the track is quite amazing with steps cemented in, bridges built and boardwalks constructed to make the walk possible.

Overlooking The Lost City - Kings Canyon

We had lunch and persuaded the now tired boys that a short walk up the Creek Walk that runs through the centre of Kings Canyon. While not a difficult walk it is very pretty as it meanders up the now dry creek bed shaded by River Red Gums and between massive boulders that have at some time crumbled from the canyon walls.

On returning to our campsite Declan and Thomas decided to go for a swim in the Resort's unheated pool and turned blue in the process. It was a very quick swim.

While we were cooking dinner Declan found his friend Declan again and we decided we would go to the Thirsty Dingo Bar with his family after dinner. Their was a comedy band playing there and they had the kids on stage playing instruments and adults up performing as well.

Ayres Rock and The Olgas

The Olgas - Valley of the Winds

We arrived at Yulara 'resort' on Saturday afternoon after traveling 750 km from Coober Pedy, well worth the long trip. We immediately set up camp and climbed the sand dune directly behind our tent and saw Uluru. What a magnificent sight! We grabbed a drink and watched the sun set, unfortunetly I think the changing colours of Uluru is a set up by the tourist board and photoshopped by photographers. For 3 mornings and nights we have watched sunrise and sunset with no surperb colour change. Each night the weather has been different. (We were very lucky to miss a big storm in Coober Pedy - the section of the Oodnadatta Track that we took was closed shortly after we travelled it due to too much rain). It was also cold! Top temperatures were only 20 degrees.

The Olgas - Walpa Gorge

1^st May

We spent the day at The Olgas. The first hike was to explore The Valley of the Winds. This was just over 7 km walk that scrambles over rocks and through a gorge. There were many wild flowers in bloom, which Tim stopped to take many photos of.  There were many insects about including a very large and colourful centipede that Declan thought he should take home. Back at the car the kids were exhausted but with a bit of encouragement (and lollies) they were ready to do a relatively short walk (2.6km) through Walpa Gorge. This gorge has plants that are endemic only to Walpa Gorge. (They can’t be found anywhere else in the world.)

Back at camp we spent more time getting to know the other campers. Declan met another Declan, which it seems we’ll be following each other around NT and WA. Thomas also met up with a boy from his class who has also take the term off to do pretty much the same trip as us, so looks like we’ll be seeing them again too.

Looking out from Ayres Rock to the Olgas

2^nd May

The sun was out but it was still quite windy so we resigned ourselves to not walking up the rock. Tom was particularly disappointed. We thought we’d head out and do the circuit (10km) walk around Ayres rock instead. As we were packing a picnic lunch Declan scootered back to camp in delight as they had opened Ayres Rock.

Once at the rock Declan was very nervous about the climb. He had overheard the neighbours discussing that if you slipped you would fall off and die. In actual fact 35 people have died climbing Ayres Rock. The indigenous people also prefer you not to climb it too.

Uluru - Up the chain

So with great excitement from Tom and nervousness from Declan we started the ascent. The climb begins with a chain and is very steep going up one of the spurs. Unfortunately a busload of tourists had just landed and it was very busy. We nick-named them the “White Glove Gang’ as they all wore white cotton gloves. Most of these people stopped at the top of the chain and then descended again, so the next two thirds of the climb was quiet but windy and cold. Declan was over his initial nerves by this stage so the rest of the climb went quickly. At one place we came over a bluff and onto the southern side of the rock when Tim’s hat blew off. We thought it was a goner when it landed in a stinking green puddle of water!

Ayres Rock is full of hollows and ridges carved out by the wind and the rain. There was still quite a bit of water and plants on top of it. It took us about an hour and fifteen minutes to go up and 45 minutes to come back down.

The views were stunning!

Base of Uluru - Mala Walk

We did two more short walks instead of walking the circumference of the rock. Both take you through culturally significant places of the Aboriginal people. In some areas you couldn’t take photos. We saw Aboriginal artwork and billabongs with the contrasting colours of the green gum trees against the red of Ayres Rock beautiful. Our photos don't do it justice.

Coober Pedy

Wow, what a surreal place!

We had a relatively short drive from William Creek to Coober Pedy - about 160 km down a track very similar to the Oodnadatta Track. When you arrive there are huge signs all over the place warning you not to run, warning of deep shafts and not to walk backwards or you may fall in a hole. This warning should not be taken lightly! There were so many mounds of dirt covering the landscape that it felt like the moon.  Its amazing what we do to the landscape to get a few pieces of coloured rock out of the ground. 

Declan with an explosive!

We went on a opal mine tour at Tom's Working Opal Mine. The guide was an authentic miner whose son just turned 14 and got a drill (with jack hammer attachment) for his birthday. They live in an underground house and he was in big trouble for digging behind his bed. Apparently he was trying to dig to his friends house next door! In a another case a resident in Coober Pedy was putting on an extension to his underground house an went a bit too far and ended up finding the neighbour's flat screen TV attached to the mining equipment he was using.

Thomas on the winch

We discovered opal mining can be as addictive as the pokies. We learnt about two different types of machinery, how it's used and how to make explosives - just what Declan needed to know! Since 9/11 the cost to make an explosive has risen 700% from 70 cents to $7.00. We tried out searching for levels in which opals can be discovered using divining rods (which will only work for about 60% of the population - it is the same way you can search for water). The boys had a turn on the winch that is used for getting the miners out of the mine through a narrow shaft. Declan loved 'noodling' for opals and we found heaps! I think he might become a geologist.  We also learnt that if you want to 'dig' a house and it stays up for seven days, the council will give you a housing permit and you can live in it. Great OHS standards.

Sunset over Coober Pedy

We lashed out and spent the night at an underground hotel. The temperature is very constant in these rooms and are cool after the hot 'upstairs' environment. On the downside the rooms seem warm at night when the air outside is much cooler. We went out for dinner and the place we ate at had the royal wedding on on a big flat screen TV. Most of the staff sat down and watched the wedding - obviously they didn't know the footy was on Channel 7! Declan lost his front tooth while having dinner.
We woke early the next morning and turned the TV on to watch the news while we were getting ready to go to Yulara. Declan saw that all they were talking about was the wedding and said "Is that wedding still going?" On the way out we stopped at the local water authority to pay for water to fill our camper trailer - it claims that it has the fifth best quality water in Australia! We knew it couldn't be any worse than the quality of water the rest of South Australia is drinking. So we are saving it for the dirt tracks.
On to Yulara, Ayres Rock and the Olgas! A big drive of 750 km. 

Oodnadatta Track

Oodnadatta Track

The Oodnadatta Track begins in a place called Marree in SA. On the way there we watch the worlds longest train go past from a great pub in Parachilina. Total population 8! (not the pub) The train was over 100 carriages long with 3 engines. In Marree, we stayed overnight in a caravan park the actually had grass. This town used to be one of the main stops for the Old Ghan railway. A man called Sydney Kidman owned the biggest cattle station in the world and used Marree to load his cattle. The cattle station is still the biggest although parts have been sold or given for conservation. Funnily enough the post man was named Tom Kruse.
The Oodnadatta Track now follows the old Ghan railway and has much history. This includes the dog fence built to keep the dingos from moving south, the remains of the overland telegraph and many historical sites used during the railways era.

Oodnadatta Tracks version of Henge

Mound Springs

On a more environment note, we stopped at Lake Eyre and (nearly) dipped our feet in the water. This was amazing to see. Lake Eyre has now been full for 2 years although it is expected to be dry again by soon as the lake is very shallow and has a huge amount a evaporation every day. The whole track had only just opened and patches of water could still be seen along the way. Declan was determined to collect some salt (and did).  Also along the way is the Mound Springs.  These are natural springs pushing throught the ground forming little hills. They are abundent with plants and are strange to see in the otherwise flat landscape.  We stopped at Curtain Springs and had a welcomed and refreshing spa. This was a mini oasis in the desert, with shade!
The actual track was surprising good having been graded not long ago. The whole area seems much greener than it should be and it does not feel isolated as it is. We would pass someone coming the other way every 15 minutes or so and often meet the same people at stops along the way.

Tom and Declan at Lake Eyre

We decided to cut onto the main road from Williams Creek to Coober Pedy as the northern end of the track is still quite wet. We may venture home via that way instead. The weather has been perfect., even the nights only dropping to a lovely 15 degrees. The whole area has been a fantastic experience, even if we have had a slightly skewed version, as it is so green and full of life.