Uluru, or Ayers Rock, the huge sandstone monolith near the geographic centre of Australia
Uluru and dinner at sunset
As with many such things, memories from a quarter century ago are not easily retrieved, and although there are some things I do remember, I cannot for the life of me remember the name of the restaurant where we ate in Alice Springs. It was evening, and it felt like a roadhouse, and there was a band, and it was set near a crossroads, and it had Kangaroo steaks on the menu – the only Kangaroo I got to see, naked Kangaroo flesh, Roo-steak – and it actually tasted not bad. We were in Alice Springs for our visit to Uluru (Ayers Rock) by way of King’s Canyon. The flight had been an easy one, and this time my luggage did stay with me and arrive at the same time and on the same plane as I did. We explored the town for a bit before dinner, but after our repast it was time to relax and rest for the next day would be a long day with a lot driving.
Dinner at Uluru with TV program host and Tourism Australia
Uluru
Anyone who has ever looked at pictures from different countries will immediately recognize the iconic view that is Uluru (Ayers Rock). At 348 meters high (above ground), the sandstone rock is sacred to the Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara people, and although photographs are fine, climbing the monolith (although not prohibited) is not appreciated. The area around Uluru is part of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, and a walk around the base of Uluru is nearly 10 kilometers. What you see above ground is only part of the rock, the majority of it is buried below. There are plenty of things to do within the park and surrounding areas, from learning about Aboriginal culture to exploring canyons and water holes, and to something that we settled on, learning how to stay on a camel while trekking around the area. If anybody has ever ridden a horse and thought them ornery, try a camel. There is (apart from riding an ostrich perhaps) no meaner, nastier and smelly animal that I can think of than a camel, and the worst part is, you are seated rather high up, and there’s very little to hold on to and keep you seated properly (and I’m afraid of heights). Regardless, we had our introduction and short 20-minute trek from the camp to the location where we would be having dinner that evening (normal camel treks can take several hours, depending on the choices made, and the most popular times see to be early morning or late afternoon), a stunning knoll from where we had an amazing view.
Ready for dinner at sunset
Tables had been set, linen and silver, wine glasses, serviettes, the works, and just as we settled in for our dinner, the sun slowly set, and we had a magnificent show as Uluru slowly changed colours while the sun slipped below the horizon. The sight was spectacular, and if nothing else, I really do suggest that any visitor should find a spot near sunset and watch quietly, drink in the beauty, and reflect on how stunning nature really is.
Santa Claus in June
From our dinner we returned to our accommodation, prepared for the next day’s flight, and settled down for the night. Where it had been hot in Cairns and warm in the near geographic centre point of Australia, we were going to set out for somewhere colder, and perhaps, somewhere with snow.
For many of us living in the Northern Hemisphere it is only natural that we should expect there to be snow around the new year, and for many, a christmas without snow just doesn’t feel right – we all like to see that powdery white stuff for at least a day or three. Now consider that the christmas season has been arbitrarily foisted on us by a bunch of geriatrics from well over 2000 years ago. It so happens that the days correspond very closely with solstices and other usurped celebrations or commemorations, but what about the southern hemisphere? There the season is summer, and particularly in Australia, christmas is spent more on the beach than at home. To turn things totally on their heads, however, the land down under lays claim to having a ‘christmas’ in June, complete with snow and a Santa Claus, and it was for this reason that we traveled from Alice Springs to the Blue Mountains. Although there are generally only five or six days when it snows in the Blue Mountains, we were in luck. When we arrived at our chalet, a light dusting of snow covered the ground, and we could turn up the blaze in the fireplace and enjoy the taste of some mulled wine while listening to christmas music (in June). We didn’t see Santa, but that was fine, having to listen to Jingle Bells three times within a 12-month period was more than enough to make me grind my teeth. What was more interesting and fun, however, was the following day when we went to the ski slopes and spent an enjoyable afternoon skiing down the slopes – well, I call it skiing, but to anyone who is an actual skier, I could probably described more accurately as slithering down a mountainside on two pieces of wood forever entangled with me flailing about trying to stay upright (there were a few moments when I really did think the next thing I would see would be the inside of a tree trunk).
Sydney skyline – it’s all I got to see of the city; perhaps next time
Sydney in my future
Somehow I survived the slopes and broke nothing. Much as yuletide celebrations may seem interesting in June, I still find that December is the proper time, and coming from Canada, anything less than three feet of snow just simply is not wintry enough to properly enjoy the holidays. We moved on, from the ridges of the mountains to the skyline of Sydney, and a very short stop at the Tourism Australia offices before heading for the airport and the flight back to Bangkok. We had spent 7 days crossing the country from North to South-East, and had plenty of wonderful experiences, but somehow I am certain that several more month of exploration at a slower pace are called for – perhaps in a year or two when my 8-year schedule swings around again; who knows….
