Wednesday, April 6, 2011
April 2
Today we met our new guide, Martin, for the last leg of our ten day tour. Destinations: Kata Tjunta, Uluru, and King's Canyon.
Still lots of driving and we had a full bus of 24 people, and Martin, mid-forties, has only been a tour guide for two months! Previously, he taught Aborigines in Kimberley. He definitely followed each and every rule on which he was trained.
One of our first stops was Stewart's Well Camel Farm. High estimates put 2,000,000 camels in Australia. Another stop was Erldunda, practically smack center in Australia. At Curtain Springs we were able to purchase wine and beer. Usually this can only be done after 2:00 to 4:00 in he afternoon to prevent Aborigines from purchasing too much alcohol and getting drunk.
This is a real problem in Australia. Later, we thought we spotted Uluru out the bus window but were informed it was "Foolaroo," otherwise known as Mt. Conner.
We stopped to gather firewood along the roadside and the flies were quite annoying so we had to don those attractive fly nets. However, we were so thankful to have them.
We arrived at Kata Tjuta and this area is comprised of 36 domes. It is 200 meters higher than Uluru which is 383 meters. Martin led a fast paced hike and the rocks on the ath were very loose. It was a very steep and exhausting climb, especially at the end of a day.
Finally, we headed to view the sunset at Uluru. We were treated to champagne (although it was sipped from plastic camp mugs!) Many folks came to view the sunset and it was spectacular, especially the sky. Hard to believe I was there!
Still lots of driving and we had a full bus of 24 people, and Martin, mid-forties, has only been a tour guide for two months! Previously, he taught Aborigines in Kimberley. He definitely followed each and every rule on which he was trained.
One of our first stops was Stewart's Well Camel Farm. High estimates put 2,000,000 camels in Australia. Another stop was Erldunda, practically smack center in Australia. At Curtain Springs we were able to purchase wine and beer. Usually this can only be done after 2:00 to 4:00 in he afternoon to prevent Aborigines from purchasing too much alcohol and getting drunk.
This is a real problem in Australia. Later, we thought we spotted Uluru out the bus window but were informed it was "Foolaroo," otherwise known as Mt. Conner.
We stopped to gather firewood along the roadside and the flies were quite annoying so we had to don those attractive fly nets. However, we were so thankful to have them.
We arrived at Kata Tjuta and this area is comprised of 36 domes. It is 200 meters higher than Uluru which is 383 meters. Martin led a fast paced hike and the rocks on the ath were very loose. It was a very steep and exhausting climb, especially at the end of a day.
Finally, we headed to view the sunset at Uluru. We were treated to champagne (although it was sipped from plastic camp mugs!) Many folks came to view the sunset and it was spectacular, especially the sky. Hard to believe I was there!
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
April 1
This was no April Fool's Day, or was a it? The day was damp, fray, and misty...what else was new on this part of the tour?
Finally the rain subsided as we approached Devils' Marbles. Juno chose an extremely difficult set of rocks to climb and I did it...hiking shoes were a definite assist. A dingo was sleeping nearby and he just moved when buses or cars pulled away. Did you know dingoes howl but not bark?
Along our various pull offs, our stops brought us to small towns where Aborigines would be wandering around or sitting in parks, at roadside tables, etc. They are a lost people and are caught between two worlds.
Juno finally got us to Alice Springs and we stayed at a backpackers' place called The Haven. Fortunately we had a room with three single beds and private bath. We joined the group for dinner and then Pat and I decided to return to the room. We got lost! We were in an arrea where we were not supposed to be. Fortunately, an Aborigine couple asked if we were lost
and they actually escorted us back to the hotel. Needless to say we were a bit nervous but arrived safely. He asked for $5 but we told him we had no money. We quickly put our key card in the gate and closed it. Whew! Take note: know the address of your accommodation!
Finally the rain subsided as we approached Devils' Marbles. Juno chose an extremely difficult set of rocks to climb and I did it...hiking shoes were a definite assist. A dingo was sleeping nearby and he just moved when buses or cars pulled away. Did you know dingoes howl but not bark?
Along our various pull offs, our stops brought us to small towns where Aborigines would be wandering around or sitting in parks, at roadside tables, etc. They are a lost people and are caught between two worlds.
Juno finally got us to Alice Springs and we stayed at a backpackers' place called The Haven. Fortunately we had a room with three single beds and private bath. We joined the group for dinner and then Pat and I decided to return to the room. We got lost! We were in an arrea where we were not supposed to be. Fortunately, an Aborigine couple asked if we were lost
and they actually escorted us back to the hotel. Needless to say we were a bit nervous but arrived safely. He asked for $5 but we told him we had no money. We quickly put our key card in the gate and closed it. Whew! Take note: know the address of your accommodation!
March 31 - Daly Waters Pub
Oh my gosh! What a pub! As Juno says, there are lots of "Knicks and knacks" in this place! What memorabilia adorning the walls! There are collections of baseball caps, bras, panties, business cards, license plates, worldwide currency, antique car parts, and much more.
Rain keeps following us-- part of another cyclone.
Due to the long bus ride, we played games. One was to see who could eat a "wheetabix" the fastest. (This is similar to zwieback.) Each person had a chance to be at the front of the bus while Juno played a song. I chose "Waltzing Matilda" while trying to chew and swallow this piece of sawdust. It made a paste in your mouth which made it difficult to swallow. I did mine in 2 minutes, 16 seconds. The fastest was 1 minute, 19 seconds.
We also divided ourselves into two groups and played trivia. We make up 12 questions based on anything and everything. Winners had the evening free of dinner clean up. My team won!
Still raining and the campsite was a muddy and full of holes and stumps...not easy to see those holes in the dark!
Rain keeps following us-- part of another cyclone.
Due to the long bus ride, we played games. One was to see who could eat a "wheetabix" the fastest. (This is similar to zwieback.) Each person had a chance to be at the front of the bus while Juno played a song. I chose "Waltzing Matilda" while trying to chew and swallow this piece of sawdust. It made a paste in your mouth which made it difficult to swallow. I did mine in 2 minutes, 16 seconds. The fastest was 1 minute, 19 seconds.
We also divided ourselves into two groups and played trivia. We make up 12 questions based on anything and everything. Winners had the evening free of dinner clean up. My team won!
Still raining and the campsite was a muddy and full of holes and stumps...not easy to see those holes in the dark!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)