There were hordes of motorcycles heading back towards us on their way to Alice Springs because the AGM starts on Monday. We had a toilet stop at Curtin Springs and the shower block had the same crazy figures painted on it as back in 1981.
We stopped at Mt Connor for a photo and met up with a German couple we had roomed beside back at Erldunda. Then on to Yulara. This is vastly different to the camp ground and motels in 1981. It has shops, restaurants, 5 Star hotel, lodge and a campground where we are staying in a cabin. All much more expensive of course. Our cabin wasn't ready so we went off for a snack and we met a young boy who gave us a handful of petrol discount vouchers because we rode bikes - very nice gesture.
Kata Tjuta |
After we dumped our stuff in our room we headed off for Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) to explore Walpa Gorge and see if we could find the two boulders jammed together between the gorge walls like I found in 1981. No-one we spoke to had seen them but we discovered that the path stopped in the lower part of the gorge and it was forbidden to go on. I think that was the case in 1981 too but I ignored it because it wasn't yet back under control of the local Aboriginal Anangu tribe. These days you are strongly discouraged from even climbing Uluru and going off the set paths is a no no.
The gorge was beautiful and in a way comparable to Yosemite but in red rock not white granite. There were a couple of thunderstorms off to the south and east of us and I hope they don't spoil the Mereenie Loop back to Alice Springs from Kings Canyon on Tuesday.
Uluru |
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