HIGHWAY OF PLENTY

From Uluru I headed back to Alice Springs, then 100 kms north to turn east on the Plenty Highway. I stopped at a gem fossicking area, but I think there was more chance of winning Lotto, especially as I didn't know which gems I was looking for. The road was made of deep sand and was probably the worst road that I drove on during the trip. It was very isolated for a long distance. It was sandy and in places very loose and with very deep ruts. In the middle of the worst part of the road there was a road crew doing upgrades on the road, it was in the middle of nowhere. 

There were few places to stop and get diesel, one of them, Tobermorey, just before the Queensland border, was just a cattle station which sold diesel and cold drinks. The woman there talked about the roads. I had just driven on some poor road but her comment was: "I don't think the road are so good on the Queensland side, but you should make it through".

Another 250 kms and I reached Boulia where most of the town were at a talent quest held at the local school. Then 360 kms to Winton. Winton is the dinosaur capital of Australia. Dinosaur bones have been found all over the surrounding countryside. A centre had been build out of the town on top of a hill. I went here and did a tour of the bones which have been found and of the labs where they are processing the bones. Dinosaur bones have been found here from dinosaurs which have not been found anywhere else in the world. They also found the remains of a carnivore and a herbivore dinosaur in the same hole. It was interesting but could be better presented. For a fee, once a year the public can come here and join a dig. They are almost guaranteed to find bones.

The road then went on through Longreach, Barcaldine, Blackall, Tambo, Augathella (where I left my hat), Mitchell, St George and finally into NSW at Mungindi. The roads were full of kangaroos at night. I also saw wild pigs, eating road kill, as well as a fox and many birds of prey. My last stop was at Moree where I enjoyed a soak in the historic hot springs. These springs have been modernised since I was here last. Eventually I arrived in Sydney, the Harbour Bridge probably a fitting end for my trip. 

Technician cleaning dinosaur bones

The hot springs at Moree

ULURU

From King's Canyon I drove to Uluru. I spent one afternoon there and watched the sun setting on the rock. I camped at the resort and then set out early to watch the sun come up on the rock. I had thought about climbing the rock but I had twisted my ankle a day or two before so decided against this. I did go and look at the waterhole nestled into the side of the rock, though the water-level was down. I also had a look at Aboriginal paintings in a cliff overhang near the waterhole. There were large crowds there for the sunset and the sunrise. At the resort I also saw Aboriginal dancers and even joined them for the men's dance.

In 1993 a dual naming policy was adopted and Ayers Rock/Uluru became the first name change under this policy; it was later changed to Uluru/ Ayers Rock. Uluru is the name given the rock by the local Pitjantjatjara people. The surveyor, William Gross named it Ayers Rock in 1873 after the Chief Secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers. The rock is 348 metres high; 3.6 kms long; 1.9 kms wide and 9.4 kms around the base. It also extends for several kilometres underground.

one end of Uluru

An early morning view

OK, so the rock looked better than me in the morning

Afternoon view

Aboriginal rock paintings at the rock

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View, late in the afternoon

CAMELS

Wild camel

During the second half of the nineteenth century over 10,000 camels were brought into Australia. Most of these were dromedaries from India, brought in to transport goods through central Australia. With the advent of the motor vehicle the camels were no longer needed and many were released into the wild. Australia is now the only country in the world where there are herds of wild camels. Their population has been estimated between 300,000 and one million.

I had hoped to photograph wild camels on this trip. I was able to do that when crossing on the great Central Road into Northern territory. First there were a group of three and then a large camel by itself.  There were a few camel farms along the way but I didn't go into any of these. At King's Creek Station there was a young camel and a donkey who were playing with each other. The station also had a number of other camels there as well. I did eat a camel burger here but it was made from camel mince and really I couldn't taste any particularly strong 'camel' flavour.

At Uluru you could go on a camel ride out to view the rock, or a short ride around the camp, just so you could experience what a ride would be like. I took the short ride. 

To complete the cycle, when I reached Queensland I came across a road train carrying camels like cattle. I spoke to the drivers and found these were wild camels rounded up and they were on their way to the coast where they would be shipped to Belgium. They were being sent live, as meat.

Pet young camel and donkey

camels ready for tourists

Wild camels on the way to Belgium

KINGS CANYON

My final stop before Uluru was at King's canyon. I stopped the night before at King's Creek resort. Diesel was $2.47 a litre and there was a surcharge if you paid by credit card.....they didn't miss a trick. The camping facilities were good and I had a camp kitchen to myself. The free internet was the slowest I have ever experienced. There was a pet donkey and baby camel playing in the pen near the shop. A number of buses stopped while I was there.

I started early in the morning for King's Canyon because it does get very hot and over a certain temperature they stop people beginning the walk. The start of the 6km walk is up Heartbreak Hill, sometimes called Heart-attack Hill. It was steep but it was good to get the worst part over with at the beginning. From the top the views were magnificent. You could walk around the edge of the top of the canyon. The floor was 100 metres below.

Part of the way around there was a track down to the Garden of Eden, a waterhole near the end of the canyon. Then the trail wound around the top to the other side of the canyon. It passed through a maze of sandstone domes. There were a surprising number of tourists and bus tours visiting the canyon. I spoke to a number of them from different countries. Halfway down the other side there was also a team of workers building a stone path up the canyon. It was very hot and their cement and water was brought in by helicopter.

Views from the end of the canyon

Views from the top

The canyon walls from the other side of the canyon.

Tourists winding down through the sandstone domes

Sandstone domes

The workers half-way down the canyon

PALM VALLEY

From Hermannsburg I travelled out to Palm Valley to camp for the night. The police recommended it but warned about the road; other tourists had said the same sort of thing. There were 4WD signs along the way and one even described it as 'extreme 4WD'. The road was bumpy and full of pot-holes; at times it was along an empty creek bed and finally up over boulders. However the troopy handled it all well...and in 2WD.

Palm Valley is a dry place. It gets less than 200 mm of rain a year but there are pockets which are fed by hidden springs. Unique to the area are the Red Cabbage Palms. Although they are found in Northern Queensland, this is the only place they exist in the Northern Territory. The place is like an oasis of natural beauty. The drive in was interesting. The wildlife was interesting; I managed to get photographs of a Spinifex Pigeon (an aim I had had for many years) and the Splendid Wren. There were also wild horses on the road in and at the camping ground there were an abundance of birds drinking from the creek. There were also hot showers! While I was at the showers a dingo visited my van, examining my cooking gear. It was spotted by the campers next to me.

GERMAN TOURISTS

The trail down into Standley Chasm was about a kilometre and a half and a little 'scrambly'. You had to cross a creek and scramble over a few rocks. There were a number of tourists already in there, including a couple who must have been in their early 70s. The wife was also on crutches. I thought that was pretty good going.

I was to meet this couple a few times more at various gorges. The next time I met them was when I was admiring a Unimog vehicle in a carpark. It was a go anywhere vehicle and painted on the side was a map of the world with various trips marked in. I was surprised to find that it belonged to the couple I had met.

The pair were from Northern Germany and were travelling around the world in their vehicle. They had been away from home for two years and had travelled across Asia, Indonesia, East Timor, most states in the USA and the Sahara desert. They were still hoping to do all Australian states, Canada and Alaska before returning home in time for Christmas next year. they had flowed home once when her sister had become ill.

The vehicle seemed to have everything. Solar power, toilet, shower, TV, great views, sink, cupboard. They had researched it and found this was the right size to still be able to do four-wheel driving. They had only had a few minor mechanical problems. A minor switch was needed between petrol tanks. It took 6 weeks to get this part sent. It was now in Australia, but they weren't sure where.