Sunday, 11 May 2014

11th May - Erldunda RH to Yulara Sunday - 372 kms Total 3,158 km

I must have eaten something strange last night because I had three vivid dreams and a dose of the runs this morning!  We got up at 7 and were on the road by 8.  First stop was Mt Ebenezer Roadhouse for breakfast and a good one it was.  A couple of busload of backpackers arrived at the same time as us and they were full of nice sorts in tight shorts (NSITS for short).  We crossed paths a few times during the day.  I called Morag and she had just finished the Mother's Day Fun Run and Lachlan and Catherine were doing brunch for her followed by painting of the hall doors.

I was even more concerned about the health of the DR650 when it made louder clicking noises when I started up this morning.  Every time I stopped I checked the oil level and I kept the speed down to about 100 kph.  I'm now getting confused between normal noises of a big single and bearing failure noises.  I will ring Mick Hone in the morning and get his advice.  It may come to me taking the motor back to Melbourne for repair.

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
We rode back to Uluru and had time to visit the Cultural Centre which had very well presented displays and films on the Aboriginal history of the area.  There was an art gallery, cafe, performance space and shop all well integrated into the landscape beside the rock.  We then went back to the sunset viewing area to watch Uluru change colour, but unfortunately clouds blocked the sun at the critical moment.  The sky however was bathed in glorious pink and white light and there was even a small rainbow under one of the thunderstorms.  So I was satisfied with that.





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