NanOnTheRun: FROM ALICE TO ULURU...and return.

the Domes of the Olgas

Firstly many, many thanks to all of you who have sent me feedback from this blog, via email, and via "comments".I am glad you are enjoying it as much as I am writing my adventures.

I got back last night from my camping trip through Kings Canyon, to the Olgas and Uluru. I will leave reporting the Kings Canyon part of the trip until later in the week.

View through the Olgas.

Our group consisted of mainly young people-2 Poms, 7 Germans, 1 Portuguese,5 Aussies, a Dutch couple, a middle aged German couple, and a mature Kiwi Grandmother!! moi!! I really had forgotten the fun when many different cultures live together.Even if just for 3 days. Our mighty leader- (Hi Kate) was a great driver, tour guide, exquisite chef and a lot of fun to be with. We slept 2 nights under the stars, in swags, in the middle of nowhere one night, and in the Ayers Rock camping ground the other night. The camping ground has been shifted from the infamous one of dingo and baby fame.No Tony, there were no dingoes....and no babies.... The stars were so clear and bright- we do forget to look up so often eh!! I could relate stories for pages, but I will put some of my interpretation of images of the Olgas and Uluru.

Both the Olgas and Uluru are in the Kata Tjuta National Park, as the crow flies about 20km apart. The Olgas are a collection of domes, and as you know Uluru is one single rock.

This was my first view of the Olgas....from our lunch site.

Walking up through the Domes- I really enjoyed the Reds of the rocks and the dull greens of the surrounding scrub,(spinifex mostly).

By the way, the rocks etc are red because the limestone has high iron content, and when iron oxidises it turns red- voila red everything.

Sunset over the Olgas.

Beause of the time of year, the sun set behind the Olgas and I think maybe stopped some of the wonderful colours famous on Uluru at sunset. We waited for the sunset but it did not colour as spectacularly as I have seen images of. Where we waited there were at least 20 large tour buses, plus assorted smaller groups such as ours.The tourists on the big buses were served bubbly and had little stools to sit on..and were told exactly where to sit...it was very amusing to see.

My sunset over Uluru (not bad huh!!??)

Sunrise nearly didn't happen for us any way....we slept in....but we managed to pack swags, get up and dressed, and onto bus in about 14 mins....We joined hundreds of others for sunrise, and I was not disappointed.