It always goes, if I'm on rough roads, I look forward to bitumen. If I'm riding bitumen, I look forward to dirt.
After riding all the rough corrugated roads and sand traps and rim busting roads, we come out at the Stuart Highway and pull in to a roadhouse at Kulgera to camp for the night. Looks a bit rough, but we have been 3 days without a shower, so we'll stay.
The following morning is just a boring ride on the Stuart Highway up to where we turn off to head west to Uluru (AKA Ayres Rock). I think the most famous rock in Australia if not the World. We arrive around lunch time and I'm not set on the plan yet. I thought we might set up camp so we can leave our gear and go walk around the Uluru site. But when I enquired at the only camping area around, they want $42 for an unpowered site!! I don't think so..
Suzanne agreed to have a simple look. It's too hot to go for a hike anyway, so we drove around the perimeter of the rock instead.
Well, it turned out perfectly to drive instead of walk because it was a lovely close-up-view drive all the way around and we didn't miss anything at all!
I have been here a couple years ago with my nephews, which we walked, so it wasn't all new to me. But it is all new to Suzanne, so I wanted to make sure she was happy with the experience. It's also a culturally sensitive area for the Aboriginal people here, so we respect their request not to climb the rock.
They intend to officially close down the Rock to anyone climbing it from November 2019. Actually, around 35 people have died climbing Uluru. Mostly from heart attacks. That means it's steep... and hot!! (OR, it was a result of the karma for being disrespectful to the Aboriginal Spiritual site) ;-/
Suzanne and I watched some very scared Asian people scooting along on their bums trying to get down, which gave us a chuckle.
And I think the best photo came from my new Samsung phone below.
This is Uluru.. one Big Red Rock
So there you go, a quick trip around Uluru. We went to the designated Sunrise and Sunset viewing points, and took more photos. I won't bore you with the many shots, I just picked a couple of my favorites.
Instead of camping at Uluru we head back down the road where I saw camping at Curtin Springs. The sun is getting low, and hopefully they don't cost as much.
At the reception I asked how much for a non-powered campsite. The young German backpacker who worked there said it is FREE.. What??? From $42 to free sounds good to me! But wait, is there a catch? He said no, they do this to avoid tourists from bush camping instead (because nobody wants to pay $42 for a campsite so they would all go bush!). It's a good deal, because we do end up buying food, fuel and water there. They certainly made their profit in the long run.
And look at my morning view!
From here we intend to move on to Alice Springs. Suzanne has some motorcycle repairs scheduled, and it's a nice break to civilization. (AKA, a hotel with real bed and shower).
I haven't done it before, but there is a dirt road to take from Uluru to Alice. From Kings Canyon you can obtain a permit, and pay $5.50 to travel this dirt road. Ok then! We like dirt!
This road had really bad corrugations as well.. what a shock! It was a really dark red sandy corrugated road that took a lot of concentration. And for the first time in my life, I had to dodge a Camel! He was laying beside the road and when he jumped up as best as a Camel can do, he started across the road and then turned back. Phew!
Once we get past the super rough stuff, the road becomes quite beautiful. The Mereenie Track takes us to the West McDonnell Ranges near Alice Springs. And we see bitumen again!
As per the norm, the photos don't indicate just how gorgeous the landscape is around us. What a treat and a much better choice to the tourist highway into Alice. Not a soul on the road and beauty to boot!
How's it going, Suzanne!?
We enjoyed a couple of days in Alice Springs. A small kitchenette to make our own food, laundry, internet, a good power bike wash, etc etc. The luxuries in life!
There are plenty of gorges to see along the MacDonnell ranges. If I was here to stay for a few days, I would love to hike in all of them. But we just picked one, the Simpson Gap.
Alice Springs is done, the laundry is done and we can start heading up the road again. The next goal destination in Kakadu up near Darwin. There is no fun way to get there other than the hot paved road, and it's about 1500 kms to boot!
So we set for approximately 500 k's per day and see how we go.
Marathon run.. begin!
We come across the Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu) and pull in for a look.
That was fun.. I've heard about Devils Marbles for many years so it's good to finally see the place. A very impressive work of Natures Magic!
Continuing North, we stop at a roadside camp called Bunka Bunka. And then more hot highway the next day up to Katherine. The temperature is well in to the 30's and we are both adjusting to the heat. I'm coming up from cold Adelaide and Suzanne is over from cold Sweden (albeit a summer Swedish cold). Hot water is all we have to drink from the camelbacks and a bite of melting lunch foods from the panniers. We search for ways of inventing a plan to stay cool. Wetting the neck buff for a start was a good idea. And that just turned in to pouring water all over the shirt AND buff any time we could find extra water. It's helps for about 10 minutes anyway. ;-)
The Peacock collects the fuel money in these parts. We are WAY outback..
And there are aliens out here!! We are at a Roadhouse, not a town or village and there is much of nothing around here, so it's not a huge surprise that things get a bit strange in these parts. Ha!
On the road again! One very long straight road.....
Lunch time at the historic Daly Waters Pub! I love lunch breaks.........
Checking out a WWII airstrip near Daly Waters. There is a lot of American history around here from the war.
Suzanne made a comment about me being in a No Entry zone of the old American WWII airport.. but the road I took in to that spot didn't have a sign! ;-)
We pass so much of the landscape that is burnt. I wonder if it is a controlled burn or they are accidents.. Well I found out at least the answer to one of those fires... Big truck crash.. Looks like it was carrying hay, and I'm hoping it wasn't for the Farm Army Rescue.
Other than Uluru and Devils Marbles, the road is a long HOT straight and mostly boring route. I don't hate long and boring though. I'm happy to be on the road, no matter where I am or what the conditions (for the most part!). I just love being somewhere different. Somewhere I have never been before. Compared to other countries, it is a long time before you come to any sort of town. There is something to be said about that. Sometimes I feel the world is so overpopulated and congested, and it's nice to have something to compare that to. I also love watching and very happy to see the landscape change, the termite mounds. I love the smells of nature, where that be a burnt landscape, hot leaves and grasses and sometimes, really sweet flora smells! Every now and then there is a dead animal smell.. and even a little hill..
Next up will be Kakadu (one of the most beautiful places on Earth), Darwin and Litchfield...
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