Thursday 9th June
Woke up to a finer day. Still very overcast with a cold wind, but at least it wasn’t raining.
We had been watching the forecast on the laptop and they were predicting that the weather would gradually improve. Wanting to save the best day possible for our walk around ULURU, we decided that today we would drive down to the OLGAS, which are about 45 km west of ULURU, and do the walk tomorrow.
The OLGAS are a range of huge rounded hills, which are actually about 200 meters higher than ULURU. Their outline against the skyline can be seen for miles.
They are not as striking as ULURU but well worth a visit never the less. It was freezing cold but we took a walk into a gorge between two of the rock formations. A bit like going into Simpsons Gap with huge towering walls of rock either side of us.
On the way to the OLGAS, we passed the intersection of the road leading out to the border with Western Australia, and the Aborigine Settlement of DOCKER RIVER, about 260km away. It is a dirt road, and after the recent rain looked like this. It would be interesting driving 260 km over a road like this.
A bit past the intersection we saw this wild camel. As soon as we stopped the car to take a photo, it moved off into the scrub.
After we got back to ULURU we had another drive around it, and were surprised at how different it looked when it wasn’t raining, so naturally more photos had to be taken.
We called in at one view point, which was a water hole at the base of the rock which had been used by the Aborigines for thousands of years.
There was large overhang of rock nearby which they had used for a shelter, and of course drawings on the walls.
On our return to the caravan we got talking to our neighbours and found out they were fellow kiwis from Auckland.
Friday 10th June
Today was the big day for our walk around the rock. It was a beautiful clear day but with a cold wind blowing. On the way from YULARA down to ULURU, we saw the same herd of wild camels we had seen yesterday, only this time they were a lot closer to the road and we got some better photos.
The walking track around ULURU is a flat wide path, at times running right against the base, and at other times about 100 meters out. This was usually to avoid ‘Sacred Areas’, and were well signposted requesting you not to enter the area or take photos. The walk is 10.6km long.
With the sun shining on it, it was a lot redder in colour than the previous two days. We started at the car park beside the summit climbing track, and immediately ran into busloads of tourists with their guides.
We weren’t looking forward to fighting our way through them for the whole 10km walk, but luckily they were only on about the first kilometre. Probably as far as they were allowed from their buses.
For the rest of the walk we basically had the track to our selves, only meeting about 20 other people over the whole walk. There were several places where the rock was over hung forming partial caves and many of them showed signs of early Aboriginal habitation and rock drawings.
The summit climb itself was closed for the whole three days we were there. Firstly due to the rain, and then due to high winds. It is a bit peculiar with signs at the start of the summit climb asking you not to climb the rock out of respect for the Aborigines, as they consider it to be sacred, and right beside these signs, are other signs telling you what precautions, etc you should take when climbing it. Apparently about 76% of visitors to the rock used to climb it, but now it is down to about 34%.
Seems a bit strange to me. Either it is sacred and nobody should climb it, or it isn’t sacred, and anybody who wants to, can climb it. But then of course throw in the $25 that each tourist is paying for a three day pass to enter the park, and the situation becomes a bit more confusing. We had decided before we arrived that we wouldn’t climb it, so the fact that the climb was closed anyhow made no difference to us.
On the road leading up towards ULURU, there was a large off road car park that was sign posted ‘Sunset Viewing ‘, and we decided we would come back to catch the sunset which was due at about 6.00 pm. We decided that to ensure we got a good spot, we should get their early, and duly arrived at 5.00pm, only to find just about every possible viewing place already taken.
Several groups were set up with picnic tables and chairs, crackers, cheese and wine, really getting into a party mood. Obviously it was the thing to do. Luckily we got a good spot at the extreme far end of the car park, and by quarter to six there were literally thousands of people lined up along the fence with their cameras at the ready.
As the sun sank lower and lower, and the rock gradually changed from one colour to the next, cameras started clicking, and a hush gradually settled over the whole place, as everyone became spellbound at the spectacle that was happening in front of us. What an amazing event to witness. No wonder this place attracts thousands of tourists every year.
It was with very mixed emotions that we turned our back on ULURU and headed back to our camping ground. Tomorrow, Saturday, we would head back along the Lasseter Highway towards the ERLDUNDA turnoff, for about 140km, and then head north to KINGS CANYON.
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