The Road to Uluru (Part 1)

I’m back from my trip safe and sound! It’s amazing how just two weeks have had such a profound effect on me. My views have changed and my appreciation for my country has soared. Most importantly, some new true friends have been made. I did ALOT on this trip, so will fill you in through a few separate posts over the next week or so:) First up was my camping trip to Uluru (you may know it as Ayres Rock). Our journey begins on a sunny afternoon in a town located in Australia’s Red Centre: Alice Springs…

Alice Springs

Town centre. I want the windmill.

I arrived in Alice Springs with absolutely no idea of what to expect. I have been previously ‘warned’ of Alice’s safety (or lack thereof); the town has a pretty bad name for itself. I refused to enter it with such pre-conceived ideas so, when my foot hit the dusty tarmac, I stepped into the complete unknown. How exciting is that?

I was in and out of my hostel within ten minutes as I was ravenous and just NEEDED food. Alice is what you would expect I suppose – lots of dirt and bushes – really quite beautiful actually. The level of safety I felt was not what I was told to expect – I felt more than comfortable walking alone as the sun went down.

Anzac Hill in the late afternoon

After a day exploring the town, it was an early night for me as I had to wake up bright and early to depart for my camping trip! I woke to a dark and cold morning, but the excitement and anticipation spread warmth right through me. As I met my tour guide Josh, and my fellow travellers, I knew it would be an amazing trip; everyone was awesome! I clicked with everyone straight away.

Kings Canyon

We drove for a few hours – in which we watched a beautiful sunrise and got to know each other by writing stuff about ourselves on the windows – and eventually arrived at Kings Canyon. I was ready for some serious walking! We hiked the Canyon, which started with a section called ‘heart attack hill’ – and for very good reason. So. Many. Stairs. The view at the top was definitely worth it though! After a short break to get our breath back and take in the view, we commenced the rest of our 6km walk, with Josh giving us some really interesting info along the way.

We had to write our name , where we’re from, our favourite place (Margaret River and the ocean), animal (drop bears), desired superpower (I wanna be a mermaid) and favourite Australian adventure (everyday is an adventure). Excuse my lack of controlled writing.

I sat next to the beautiful Christie. She became a true friend!

The bottom of heart attack hill…

…and the top.

Josh tells us about the Ghost Gum. Such a smart tree – when it’s dehydrated it cuts off circulation to a limb or two to survive (that’s the black bits). It also gives a white powder like substance that can be used to protect from the sun.

Two members of the back seat crew – Malenka and Christie :)

Arghhhh we’re falling!!!! (Kind of. But not really).

The Garden of Eden in particular was just a stunning part of the walk; a beautiful oasis tucked in between the red, sandstone cliffs. The contrasts are so striking.

Shaped like Australia!

It rained and it was beautiful.

The best group EVER. Yeah I made everyone fist pump.

After 3 or 4 hours our walk was done, and it was time to head to camp (not before pulling over on the side of the road to collect wood for our fire, and stopping by the bottle shop to collect beer for our bellies).

Going bush in Curtin Springs

For our camp that night, we really went bush. AND IT WAS AWESOME. We arrived in the dark and made our fire with the wood we had collected and started preparing dinner – which would be cooked on the fire, of course. There’s something beautiful about standing over a fire with a cider in hand, watching the coal embers sizzle on your pot of wholesome, homemade food. After some damper, chille con carne and vegetables, it was time for bed. We rolled out our swags, said our good nights and fell into a happy slumber. The next day would be a big one, as we would make our way to Uluru- Kata Tjuta National Park and experience Uluru for the first time….