Let's go Outback!
No. I don't mean the restaurant. (Which by the way I don't think I've eaten there since New Year's Eve 2012 when I ended up puking afterwards and not because I had one too many celebratory drinks...sorry gross I know and I just ruined the restaurant for you...)
Lucky for me, I got to experience Uluru with my Aussie friend, Jono, whom I had met earlier in the year while celebrating the New Year in the Philippines. We met at the Melbourne airport and took our flight to the outback. This land really is remote. It is one resort that caters to tourist of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and there is literally nothing else there. Nothing. The next closest town of Alice Springs is about a 6 hour drive away. Check out the map below for a bit of perspective...
And for a little help in understanding just how massive this rock actually is...
The resort (which you can check out here - Ayer's Rock Resort) offers a few different options from luxury to mid range to the plot of grass where Jono and I set up camp for the next 3 days. But I'll just bet that those staying in the luxury rooms didn't enjoy the same views of the stars as we did.
Our 3 day adventure in the outback included breathtaking sunrise and sunset views as the rock changed colors with each passing hour of the day. We also completed the walk around the base of Uluru. Three hours of the sun and the heat were easily bearable in exchange for the views. What would almost not have been bearable, however, were the pesky Australian flies. Do yourself a favor and spend the five extra dollars on a fly net if you ever find yourself there. I don't know what it is about Australian flies but they are the most persistent on the planet and they enjoy sitting on your eyelids, up your nose, and on your lips. With the great exception of our fun-filled camel ride courtesy of Louie the Camel, the fly net was the best purchase I made the whole trip!
As you can see from just these few photos, Uluru had no end to amazing views. Like so many times, I'm failing to find the words to accurately describe the atmosphere of actually being there. The air was 100x better than the China smog I had been inhaling for the past year, the sun was bright, the colors of the ground we walked, the grass and trees surrounding us and the different angles that Uluru presented with each step collectively made the experience spectacular. (Minus the flies!)
I mean let's go outback...to THE Outback!
I had heard varying accounts of trips out to Australia's famed Ayer's Rock, known by it's aboriginal name of Uluru. Some claimed that it is simply a big ass rock in the middle of no where Australia. Others claimed it was a magical and spiritual sight that should be a must on anyone's bucket list of the land down under. Having now experienced this profound land firsthand, I strongly agree with the latter. Plus, while you're there you can ride a camel and who wouldn't want to do that?!
Lucky for me, I got to experience Uluru with my Aussie friend, Jono, whom I had met earlier in the year while celebrating the New Year in the Philippines. We met at the Melbourne airport and took our flight to the outback. This land really is remote. It is one resort that caters to tourist of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and there is literally nothing else there. Nothing. The next closest town of Alice Springs is about a 6 hour drive away. Check out the map below for a bit of perspective...
And for a little help in understanding just how massive this rock actually is...
The resort (which you can check out here - Ayer's Rock Resort) offers a few different options from luxury to mid range to the plot of grass where Jono and I set up camp for the next 3 days. But I'll just bet that those staying in the luxury rooms didn't enjoy the same views of the stars as we did.
Our 3 day adventure in the outback included breathtaking sunrise and sunset views as the rock changed colors with each passing hour of the day. We also completed the walk around the base of Uluru. Three hours of the sun and the heat were easily bearable in exchange for the views. What would almost not have been bearable, however, were the pesky Australian flies. Do yourself a favor and spend the five extra dollars on a fly net if you ever find yourself there. I don't know what it is about Australian flies but they are the most persistent on the planet and they enjoy sitting on your eyelids, up your nose, and on your lips. With the great exception of our fun-filled camel ride courtesy of Louie the Camel, the fly net was the best purchase I made the whole trip!
The sun is coming up...
And we have our fly nets on so we are ready for the day!
(I had to take my fly net off for a picture real quick!)
At the beginning of the base walk!
(You can see the trail on the rock on the right hand side of this photo where many people attempt to climb Uluru each year. It is the only place on the rock where climbing is permitted and even though it is allowed it is considered very offensive to the aboriginal people that call this land home as the rock holds a great spiritual significance for them. Aside from offending the locals, the climb is also dangerous and several have been injured or died in an attempt to make it to the top. The climb was closed the day we did the base walk due to high winds.)
Here we go! Check out the sky!
As you can see from just these few photos, Uluru had no end to amazing views. Like so many times, I'm failing to find the words to accurately describe the atmosphere of actually being there. The air was 100x better than the China smog I had been inhaling for the past year, the sun was bright, the colors of the ground we walked, the grass and trees surrounding us and the different angles that Uluru presented with each step collectively made the experience spectacular. (Minus the flies!)
And then there were the sunsets.
We were excited for the sunset!...Wouldn't you be?!...
And, of course, Louie the Camel.
Jono, Me, and Louie out for our sunset camel cruise!
Aren't they just the most obedient camels you've ever seen?!
I forgot the name of the camel behind us...but he was smiling! :)
Obligatory selfie with the camel squad in the background!
You can see in the left of this photo that it came a refreshing little rain shower while we were on our camel cruise.
Thanks for the ride, Louie!
If you ever find yourself outback, make sure you go visit Louie and all of his camel friends for a fantastic camel sunset tour! >>> http://ulurucameltours.com.au/ Complimentary drinks afterwards, too, and that's always a plus!
Last but not least we had one last early morning to visit the rocks and valleys of Kata Tjuta that sit about a half hour from Uluru. This awarded us amazing sunrise views over Uluru and a nice morning stroll through the Walpa Gorge. So really it was more of a super brisk walk as we were really pressed for time - see we were supposed to visit Kata Tjuta the day before with more time but missed the bus because we were given the wrong time from the lady at the visitor's center but thank goodness for Roger the bus driver who was looking out for the "Indian boy and Spanish girl" and managed to make other arrangements for us. Thanks, Roger!
If I was a professional photographer this one would have turned out better but the views in person were brilliant.
The Walpa Gorge at Kata Tjuta
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