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Other entries in Alice Springs

Alice Springs

Another early start to get to Alice Springs and I was obviously still asleep when I got to the airport. I tried to go through the metal detector whilst still carrying my backpack! It caused much amusement amongst the staff - the guy the other side just said "I think that might just be the backpack that's setting off the alarm?!"
The landscape in Alice is pretty much as I had expected - red sandy soil and scant vegetation, although more trees and bushes than I had thought. I arrived around lunchtime and headed straight for the small town. Centred around a couple of main streets and a pedestrian shopping area, I quite liked it. I was struck by the number of aborigines hanging around - they didn't look particularly well off and also had a sad look about them. Over the coming days I would learn why that was the case. I spent the afternoon stocking up on supplies and calling home. It was my friend Julia's birthday so I gave her a call and she seemed really pleased to hear from me.
At 6am the next morning, myself and another girl (Charlotte Bolland - quite spooky meeting someone with such a similar name!) were the last of 8 to be picked up in a 4 wheel drive vehicle and taken to a vantage point over looking Alice Springs. We were given tea, along with time to introduce ourselves whilst final administration tasks were sorted out. I would be spending the next 5 days with Charlotte from London, Paulien from Utrecht, Carissa from Edmonton and a couple (John and Meredith) and their 2 sons (Jake 16 and Ian 14)  from Guam (A tiny American territory off the coast of Australia). Our guide was a young guy by the name of Scott.
We drove for a couple of hours before stopping at a camel farm. I had not realised but Australia has the largest wild camel population in the World. They were brought in from desert climates many years ago and then released into the wild. There are now so many that they are being exported back to the countries where they originated. Camel burgers were on sale but I thought it was a bit too early in the morning for that! There are also camel rides available and quite a sad looking, tethered dingo alongside a pair of Galahs in a large aviary.
We set off again and spotted some wild camels almost immediately. We also saw some Wedge-tailed Eagles (Australia's largest bird of prey), devouring a road kill victim and a kangaroo darted across our path. We stopped twice more at road stations and also to collect fire wood for our evening campfire, the road stretching out in a straight line in front of us for what seemed like forever. We passed Mount Conor, the 2^nd largest table-top mountain in the World. It looks pretty impressive, although some of us thought at first that it was Uluru (Ayres Rock)! We finally arrived at Yulara, a campsite right next to Uluru, at lunchtime.  
The other girls and I, having been on group tours before, immediately pitched in to help Scot take equipment and provisions off the trailer, and start to prepare lunch. The family (soon to be known as Team America!) didn't help at all. In fact the boys wandered off a short distance and just paced around - it was really strange. We put it down to shyness and thought after a day or so they would relax and settle in to the group. We did find it odd though that Meredith even made the boys sandwiches for them.
After lunch we visited the Cultural Centre. It is a fascinating place and explains Aboriginal history and their culture. Aborigines believe that at the beginning of time the sun came up, releasing their ancestors from the centre of the earth. These ancestors then travelled the earth creating its many features, such as mountains, rivers and watering holes. When they had finished their work they re-entered the earth. In English this time is know as the Dreamtime and it is very important to the Aborigines. Each one of them can trace their ancestry back to one of the original creators and their territory is reflected by the path that ancestor travelled and the place where they re-entered the earth. This place is particularly sacred.
As Aborigines have no written language, their history and culture is passed on through various stories and laws. There are specific laws for men and for women which are passed on to children. As they grow up they will be given more and more stories to help them understand and also to give them the skills to survive in the bush. Knowledge of the land - where to find food, what can be used as medicine etc - is held by the women. Both boys and girls will spend time with the women so they can learn these skills.  At the age of around 10, however, the boys will join the men and go through a series of initiation ceremonies where more and more knowledge will be released to them - specifically how to hunt.
The Cultural Centre also explains, through Aboriginal stories, how Uluru was created and how its various features came about. There is a watering hole around the perimeter, for example, which is where one of the creators re-entered the earth. This makes the rock sacred and in Aboriginal law means that only a few elders have the right to climb the rock. Unfortunately, one of the conditions set down by the Government when they gave the land back to the Aborigines (as well as granting the Government a 99 year lease), was that climbing of the rock should still be allowed. Having read all of the information I decided not to climb the rock but walk its 9km perimeter instead.
It's an enjoyable walk and much more than ‘just' a rock. The many points of interest are marked (it is prohibited for photographs to be taken of the sacred spots) - my one disappointment was that the story as to how the feature was created is not repeated next to it and it's quite difficult to match the feature to the many stories I had read in the Cultural Centre. We also came across some rock paintings. They are in the area of an overhang and it is thought that they were probably a tool used to help explain the many stories to groups of young children. Meredith and Jake decided to go ahead with the climb and Meredith commented that in hindsight she thought she would have probably enjoyed the walk around the perimeter more.
The day had been a real eye-opener and certainly made me want to learn more about the Aborigines. Unfortunately, after being taken advantage of by many others, the Aborigines are very protective of their stories and although much has been divulged, there is much more that remains secret and can only be revealed to new generations of Aborigines. We ended the day by visiting a viewing spot and watching the sun set over Uluru and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas).
Back at camp Scott cooked some great pasta and garlic bread on an open fire. We girls helped prepare vegetables and clear up afterwards but Team America was nowhere to be seen again. The 2 boys were pacing and as yet, Ian hadn't said a word.
We spent the night sleeping out under the thousands of bright stars that twinkle in the night sky here. We slept in swags, a kind of oversized, coarse canvas sleeping bag with a mattress and a pillow inside. We added a normal sleeping bag and a blanket and slept fully clothed. The temperatures drop to single figures once the sun goes down but with the many layers and a camp fire I managed to keep pretty warm. The entertainment was provided by Meredith who insisted on making up the beds for the 2 boys and their father and then tucking the 2 boys in afterwards. The girls and I found it pretty amusing!
We had an early start the next day so that we could watch the sun rise over Kata Tjuta. It was worth it though as we watched Kata Tjuta change colour with the rising sun and could also see Uluru in silhouette. What a great start to the day.
Uluru and Kata Tjuta are both types of sedimentary rock formed millions of years ago by erosion from the Peterman ranges. A huge river brought debris from the mountains and deposited it in 2 low spots on the plain below. Larger rocks were dumped in the nearest hollow and finer silt and stones in the further. Over millions of years this debris was compacted to form 2 areas of sedimentary rock. A conflict of tectonic plates several million years ago then created the McDonnell Ranges and also tilted the first area of sedimentary rock on a 20 degree angle, producing the Kata Tjuta. The second area of rock, now known as Uluru, was titled on a 90 degree angle. I must admit I much prefer the Aboriginal explanation of events!
We followed the Valley of the Winds walk and it was really pleasant with some good lookout points. We had only been walking for about 20 minutes when we spotted a Wallaroo - a cross between a Wallaby and a Kangaroo. Scott explained there are actually over 20 species of Kangaroo. One is even called the Euro, which I thought was quite funny. Maybe that explains why the currency is a bit up and down!? As we were heading back I spotted a pair of Mulga Parrots - a really brightly coloured blue and green bird with a small amount of pink. Unfortunately they flew away before I could take a photo.
After a spot of lunch we drove to our next campsite. We did the obligatory fire wood stop and also spotted 3 more Wedge-tailed eagles, perched in a tree, and a whole flock of Galahs.  Our final stop was to search for some bush tucker - Witchetty Grubs! The moth of the Witchetty Grub lays its eggs at the base of the Witchetty Bush. When they hatch they eat their way down the stem and into the root system. Scott found a bush and dug down to the roots, exposing a couple that had large bulges in them. He cut them out and inside them were 2 large white larvae. We held them, took photographs and then returned them to the root in order to carry them back to camp.
The campsite is a lot more basic than before with a three sided, tin toilet and a separate, three sided, tin shower. The views from both are, however, stunning! To get hot water in the shower you have to light a small fire under a water tank. It looked a little strange but actually worked brilliantly, so we all took advantage of our last hot shower until our return to Alice Springs! 
Scott cooked the Witchetty Grubs (minus their heads!) and we all tried a piece. They were actually quite nice - full of protein, they taste a bit like egg with a nutty after taste. Dinner was again excellent - this time a chicken stir fry with traditional damper bread which Scott made himself. He put the dough into a cooking pot and then buried it under the campfire. It rose beautifully and tasted delicious (it's a fairly heavy, doughy bread), the secret ingredient we discovered was beer!
The girls and I had grown a bit tired of doing all the preparation and clearing up at meal times so Paulien decided to rectify matters and said she thought it was Team America's turn to do the clearing up after dinner! Herself and Carissa then had to show the boys how to wash and dry up - they hadn't a clue. Eventually Meredith admitted that during a cyclone some months before, they had lost all power and hence hot water. They resorted to using paper plates and chop sticks but as no-one likes doing chores they have continued even after power was restored. We were all gob-smacked! Whilst the parents were finishing off we had time to talk to the boys around the camp fire. We decided Jake was going to become a serial killer (all he talked about was knives, guns and big axes!) and Ian definitely has some sort of communication problem as he could hardly string a sentence together. They are both addicted to computer games!
The sky was again littered with thousands of stars and we were visited by a couple of wild horses. I was really enjoying the outdoors even though I had to visit the toilet a couple of times in the night without the aid of a torch!
I was the first one up the following morning and decided to try and re-light the camp fire. I only succeeded in smoking everyone out! Day three and we were off to Kings Canyon. The canyon was formed by layers of sandstone - a hard layer on top and softer layers underneath. The lower layers tend to erode first and the upper levels then collapse. There are some amazing colours as the rock oxidises and some great textures including ripples and trilobite tracks from when the whole area was under water. There are also places where cracks have appeared in a grid shape and as the rocks erode further, small beehive shapes are created.
In the centre of the canyon is the Garden of Eden. It's a large watering hole where the canyon walls are perfectly reflected in the water. We saw Fairy Martins and a Crested Pigeon as well as a pair of Black Ducks. This area was once very important to the Aborigines as a water source. Towards the end of the walk there is a great spot where you can look right over the edge of the canyon. You do have to lie down and inch your way to the edge though. We all lay down in a line and peered down gingerly. Jake spotted a Rock Wallaby hopping amongst the rocky debris below. It looked pretty small at first but then we realised how far down it was.
One of the great things about Australia (and New Zealand) is the outdoor facilities. There are picnic areas everywhere and they generally tend to include a gas appliance with a couple of rings and hot plate for using as a barbeque. Anyone can use them and there's no charge. When we returned from our walk, Scott took us to such a spot and we made toasted sandwiches. Encouraged by the response the previous evening, Carissa and Paulien encouraged the boys to help prepare lunch. They did have to show them both how to make a sandwich though!
After lunch we made the 200km trip to Hermannsburg on a dirt road. It was extremely bumpy and pretty uncomfortable in the back of the 4WD. Hermannsburg is a well known mission town settled by German Lutherans in the late nineteenth century. The famous water-colourist Albert Namatjira was born there. We made a short stop to drop of the American family as they had only booked a 3 day tour. It was almost a relief to say goodbye, they were certainly an unusual family and quite hard work!  We were heading deep into the Outback and needed to pick up additional supplies. 
We drove to our next camp site which was just a short distance away. It was right next to the Finke River (which was dry) and is the oldest river course in the World. It was a beautiful spot and extremely basic - the camp comprised a ring of stones representing the camp fire! Scott cooked a great barbeque dinner of steak and snags (Australian for sausages!) We spent the evening listening to Aboriginal fairy tales from a book that Paulien had bought. Scott also told us about the stars. It was a really enjoyable evening.
I spotted a pair of ring necked parrots in a perfect photo opportunity the next morning - unfortunately my camera decided it was too cold again and wouldn't operate! They were very pretty though - predominantly green and yellow with a black ring around their necks. We left the trailer behind and headed really off road. We followed the dry river bed to the Finke Gorge National Park and then travelled 4km over rocks, boulders, rutted stony track and at one point a small fjord. It was a bit of a bone shaking ride but great fun.
Today's walk was to be through Palm Valley. The palms in the valley are unique and do not grow anywhere else in the World. Known as red cabbage palms, they survive in the valley due to the deep water table in the area and the protection offered by the high gorge walls. We walked along a ridge to the end of the valley and Scott pointed out the very last row of palm trees - it coincides exactly with the end of the gorge, past which the trees would not be protected. We walked back along the valley floor and it was really pleasant. There had been some rain about 3 weeks previously and it had left lots of small pools reflecting the palms and the high walls of the valley in them.
After our walk we returned to Hermannsburg for a picnic lunch and a walk around the small museum there. It was fairly interesting reading about the various attempts to convert the local Aborigines. Fortunately the land has now been returned to the Aborigines and there is now a thriving community there.
Our second walk of the day was a short one along Redbank Gorge. Along a dry river bed, the walk starts off quite sandy but soon graduates through pebbles, rocks and then a scramble over boulders. It was worth the effort though - at the end is a fair sized watering hole that reflects the beautiful blue sky and towering red walls of the gorge. We also saw lots of Rock Wallabies - Scott managed to get a great picture for me by scrambling over the rocks. There were many gum trees too, their white trunks making a great contrast against the bright blue of the sky and red of the soil and surrounding valley walls.
We made a quick stop at Glen Helen Gorge for a beer and then headed for our final camp. It's on a vast flat plain, surrounded by distant hills, it felt like the most remote yet. Once again, the only sign that it's a camping spot are the ring of stones surrounding a spent fire. Paulien made us all laugh with her story of the arrogant emu. We spent the rest of the evening learning more about the stars and the Aborigines from Scott.
Our last day and we awoke to a frost - it had reached minus 3 during the night! I had ice on the inside of my swag and I later discovered that the baby wipes I had bought to freshen up with were frozen solid! None of us wanted to get out of bed but Scott managed to tempt us with fried eggs, bacon and tomato. As soon as the sun began to rise, it started to warm up.
We made a quick stop at Glen Helen Gorge again and took the 10 minute walk down to the watering hole. It was really pretty with lots of bulrushes on the banks of the creek leading to the pool.
Today's walk would be our longest - approximately 3 hours through Ormiston Gorge. It begins with quite a steep climb and on the way we spotted a Rock Wallaby sunning itself on a rocky overhang. The climb is well worth the effort though, as you reach an amazing viewing point overlooking Ormiston Pond. It's a huge flat area, enclosed by high cliffs and with a splash of water in the middle. We sat for a while taking in the view and then descended into the Pond and crossed its full width. The walls of rock rising up around us were pretty amazing - the same bright orange as before. We sat in the shade of a huge gum tree for a while and Scott told us more about the Aborigines and how they survived.
We reached the edge of the Pond and entered the gorge itself. It is stunning! Its fairly wide with orange cliffs rising high on either side. In places the bottom of the gorge is littered with fallen rocks and debris of various shades of purple and blue. There are also sandy areas and a number of small pools that appeared in the recent rains. Plenty of gum trees provide a great contrast with their white trunks and blue green foliage. They also appear as reflections in the freezing cold watering hole at the very end of the gorge. Carissa attempted to cool of in it but only managed to creep in up to her waist before jumping out!
After a quick lunch stop - we were put off by the large number of flies encouraged by the rising temperature - we headed for our final walk to Simpsons Gap. Another short walk, that finishes at yet another watering hole, its best known for its sizeable Wallaby population. Unfortunately, we only managed to spot the odd one or two as we were leaving. It took a couple of hours to drive back to Alice where Scott dropped us at our respective hostels. We agreed to meet later for an end of tour dinner.
Dinner wasn't that special. We ate in a place called The Lane and I ordered Red Snapper as I hadn't tried it before. I was told that this was no longer available and had been replaced by Whiting. I agreed to the change only to be told minutes later that the Whiting was also sold out and they were now selling Garfish! It was OK but a bit slender and bony. We continued on to Bojangles, the local pub/disco that is a little strange. It has a glass tank in one corner that is home to a couple of large snakes as well as a skeleton on an old motorbike! There is also a huge barrel of monkey nuts near the entrance that customers can help themselves to. They're great to snack on but you are encouraged to drop the shells straight on the floor. When I walked in I thought I'd stepped back in time and I thought the floor was covered in sawdust!
The evening ended with a bang when Carissa got into a fight with a girl behind the bar in the second pub we went to! It later transpired that Carissa had been sacked the previous week for being rude to customers. She thought it was the bar maid that had complained about her but it was actually a customer. Of course she hadn't told us any of this when she encouraged us to go to the second bar!
My last day in Alice was spent mooching around the shops looking at souvenir boomerangs, didgeridoos and Aboriginal art. I bought a few things and then headed back to the hostel. That evening we met up at Paulien's hostel for an all you can eat roast - it was delicious.  We went to a bar where they were showing the cricket. It was a bit strange too - all the customers looked as though they should have been in ZZ Top! There was also an area in the centre full of slot machines, a bit like a mini casino. After last night's excitement, it was a bit of a tame evening.
I was really sad to be leaving Alice Springs the following day. I enjoyed my time in the Outback immensely and resolved to uncover more information about the Aborigines and their culture. I had made a small start by investing in a copy of The Songlines by Bruce Chatwin, as recommended by Scott our guide. I left feeling almost a little embarrassed about the way they were treated by the first settlers.
Australia hadn't been at the top of my list of countries to visit but after my small taster I would love to go back and discover more, particularly around Darwin and down the West coast. It has so much to offer in terms of stunning scenery and fascinating culture.

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