Ozzie Road Trip - The prequel

[Bushcraft]

Thanks for this mith Some fascinating stuff

The emus look like a faulty ostrich

Vannie looks cool

[nan]

wow magnificent Eagle and I love the Emus too

thank you and "bonne route"

[Flutterby]

Vannie is just perfect!! Also got the same nickname as me!!

Free campsites??? Unheard of in SA!!!

[Toko]

Love the

[mouseinthehouse]

Welcome to the continuing sequel.

The landscape for miles around Coober Pedy.



After Coober Pedy as we passed onto the cattle stations the road kill stopped and we saw only the odd cow sheltering from the heat under the few trees that were here and there. Late afternoon we passed through the SA/NT border as the vegetation continued to change. The slightly higher rainfall was evident. It was much greener with more grasses and bigger and more numerous trees. Kulgera Roadhouse and camp site was only 20 minutes further up the road. After checking in and parking Vannie, a cold beer in the adjoining pub was in order - the first and last pub in the Territory!
For $20 we had a powered site and it was fairly quiet and uneventful. On leaving next morning this was the first two sights. The boot tree and the road sign to remind us how far we were from home.





It was about 370kms from Kulgera to Yulara and the monotonous landscape made it feel twice that distance. But nevertheless we made it by lunch time.

A view of Uluru.



It is certainly extraordinary. The size is immense but it is how it sits in the landscape that gives it a very powerful identity. With only relatively flat terrain surrounding the rock it is quite overwhelming. In the afternoon we drove the 15+kms there and paid the $25 pp (good for 3 days) to enter the National Park. We spent some time walking around the track at the base of the rock and viewed where people climb to the top. Since the land was handed back to the Aboriginal people in 1985 they have requested visitors not to climb although they don't prohibit it. The climb was closed on that day due to rain being forecast which makes it dangerous but we wouldn't have climbed it anyway. (SO climbed it in the early '90s and flew kites off the top. )





The facilities at the rock were underwhelming. The Cultural centre is interesting, it gives the Aboriginal take on the rock and it's significance in their culture. But there is no parallel information about the geology of the rock or the ecology of the park. As per usual there is lots of kitsch junk for sale at exhorbitent prices, like the food in the cafe too.

Tomorrow we visit Kata Juta (The Olgas) some 48kms away.

[Bushcraft]

Thanks for all this info mith

The shoe tree is fascinating

[Dewi]

Interesting and unusual scenery Mith.

Nice pic of Uluru.

[Lisbeth]

[Flutterby]

What is the significance of the boot tree? Is Alice Springs the same one that's in "A Town like Alice"?

Very interesting scenery.

[nan]

magnificent

so you are now in Spring... like us... in Central Europe -O