Old Update #6 - Ayers Rock (Uluru), Olgas (Kata Tjuta)

7th-9th MAY 2008

I don't care who you are - Nothing ever really prepares you for your first view of Ayers Rock. It really is breathtaking.

I was last here with my lovely Mum & Dad (they read this you know) back in 1977 when I was ... errr. 3 ... I mean errr... 11 (Do the math).

I remember being astounded then - certainly no different now. Surprisingly - It doesn't really just creep up you slowly - It's just suddenly........ THERE.

As far as the walks etc at the base of 'The Rock' go - well there's better, more interesting walks to do at other spots (Kings Canyon, Olgas and definitely The Bungle Bungles for instance) - But the sight of this thing is awe-inspiring.

Typical sunset shot.

Just 'casually' driving past...

Filling up - ouch ! This was the most we had paid up till then.

We later saw unleaded for $2.50 at Kalumburu.

Notice the 'Opal Unleaded' - Stops the petrol sniffing bizzo.

Driving to "The Olga's" - now called "Kata Tjuta" as-per current P.C. (ie Ayers Rock-vs-Uluru stuff).

Part of the "Valley of the Winds" walk at "The Olga's". Far more interesting walk than the walks at the 'Rock' itself.

More sunset shots of Ayers Rock:

Here's a Sunrise shot - Imagine what it was like in real-life.

?? - How'm I doing with my Photografffyy Deb???
Not too baaaad for a painter?

One more job to prepare for 'The Dirt'

Install a 'curtain' at the rear of the car to reduce amount of stones flying up into van.

This is not just for the vans sake - stones have been known (on many occasions) to bounce from the Van and take out the rear window of the car ! !

Now - let's see if we can climb this sucker...

Old Update #5 Coober Pedy to Ayers Rock

New Driving Format:

Because of the Big km's we were doing - the kids were keen (not really - I'd just like to think they were) to do some schooling while 'on the road'. So with Heidi in the back - it helped quite a bit.

We've done this a few times now - when we know there's going to be lot's of km's and not much to see.

"Yeah Dad - This is a great - I'm really getting into it !"

15 MINUTES Later - "Dad - could you mix me a cocktail? - It's happy hour"
Not our photo - but gives you some idea of the space out here. The trains are LONG out here.

I'm sure you know what this is.

Now THAT'S a speed-limit. Common on most 'open' roads though-out the Northern Territory.

It was unlimited for many years- but changed recently (perhaps, in part, due to the 'Cannonball Run' fatality in 1994 - can't believe it's THAT long ago)

We sit on about 90-100 though because of the van and the masses of extra fuel we consume of we go much faster.

Ayers Rock.. here we come.

Here's our track through South Australia...

Old Update # 4 - Coober Pedy

We had heard about a camping area - 15kms out of Coober Pedy - along the Oodnadatta Track. So away we went -The camp was hopeless - so we ended up coming back through town and camping just outside the town with a few others - on the side of the highway.

Signs at start of Oodnadatta Track



Great stuff

Part of the Oodnadatta - rougher than it looks.

Van repairs. Nothing serious. I had been concerned about the strength of the rear bar and spare-wheel carrier - Particularly with some of the stuff we were going to go over in the coming couple of months (In particular the Gibb River Rd etc).

So - now that I had filled the 'Gap' between the van and the rear-bar with the firewood carrier, there was no sense just leaving all that stuff hanging on just a few 'U-Bolts'. So I found a welder-dude and told him to weld whatever he could get to.

Of course - as I write this, it is now 4 months later - and all the Gibb Riv Rd etc is behind us. And it all hanged together NO WORRIES - so I'm glad we got this kind of thing done. There's plenty of other flimsy things to worry about without having an unnecessary one that we can resolve.








Air hockey UNDERGROUND.



Whilst Heidi and I has a drink in the Underground Bar...

Coober Pedy can go and Jump in the lake as far as we're concerned. Glad we went - don't have to go back.

Heidi and Emma saw one of our Indigenous 'Friends' beating up his wife out front of IGA. I mean really laying in to her.

It upset both of them quite a bit. So once we did the whole 'mine' thing (later that afternoon), we were out-a-there the next morning.

There were drunks all over town. Many have moved from Alice Springs because Alice has clamped down on liquor sales etc. Good for 'The Alice' - bad for where they move to.

This is where we camped on our second (and last) night in Coober Pedy. IT IS SO DUSTY HERE ! !

Underground Mine Tour.

Underground CAMPING - Yes Camping !

So- Farewell Coober Pedy. Don't call us....... We'll call you ... (or not)

NOW -Off in the Ayers Rock (Or Uluru if you wanna be P.C. about it) direction.

Old Update # 3 - Barossa,Clare Valley to Coober Pedy (what a hole)

After Barossa we drove through the Clare Valley (Home of the lovely Annies Lane & Taylors)

We were 'on the move' so this is where we stayed one night - it was dark - we had no idea there was a cemetery nearby.

Emma out the front of 'Annies Lane'. Can't believe THAT'S OUR daughter !.

Taylor's Wines - they are huge ! ! .

They were having festival that started the day after - so we scored some free hats and towels. Awesome.

This is Hancocks Lookout - Just South-East of Port Augusta

Awesome view here. I MEAN BRILLIANT! ! ! ! Couldn't get enough of it.

We ended up staying for 2 night and did a day of 'schooling' in-between. We were overlooking 100's of km's of stuff. We could see Port Augusta, Wyalla, and a fair bit if Yorke Peninsula.

The sunsets were spectacular - not to mention the stars at night

Another fire....

How's THIS for a classroom ! ! ! ! ! ! !

On the way to Port Augusta - looks like we were towing a BOAT ! !

Between Port Augusta and Coober Pedy - we popped in to Roxby Downs and Woomera.

This is part of a museum with lots of the Rocket Thingo's that had been used and tested over the years.

Not much of town though.

We spent one night on the highway - at a free-camp at Pimba Roadhouse (Just near Woomera)

Next stop ......Coober Pedy....

Old Update #2 - HEY ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

HEY ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

Sorry.

This is an on-going family joke.

One of us will see some HAY somewhere and, if the others haven't seen it, will call out "HEY ! ! !".

Of course we all normally spark to full attention - "What !? What??". ."Oh..... it's just hay."

I suppose you've gotta be there.

Surprisingly, we still get caught out. Stupid huh?


"H.M.A.B.F.B.M.A.C.F."

Old Update#1 Barossa- Van Improvements

OK - Here we go. Let's get this thing up to date.

Probably not much writing - just lots of photos. Debbie just looks at the photos anyway - don't you Deb???
(If there's no message from her - I'll assume I'm right) he he he.

View from the Cottage to the vineyard.

James wanted to make dinner for everyone while we were in the cottage.

Heading home after witnessing - Lovely -IT WAS SO COLD ! ! ! !

Whilst we were in the Cottage in the Barossa, I made a couple of improvements to the van.'

Namely:

Rear firewood (and general puss) carrier. This has been invaluable. We LOVE our campfires.

Front firewood carrier - not very big - but I had some gal mesh left over. This has been far more useful than I thought it would be.

James helping to 'fabricate' the front firewood carrier.

150mm PVC tube - This is for the framing that goes with the Awning that we ordered in Melbourne.

This is a VERY UGLY and very practical hanging cupboard. We put 3 of these in whilst we were Tassie.

One thing we would definitely do different (if we has our time over again) is NOT GET A POP-TOP. Just not enough storage for 4 of us. Particularly with suits, book-bags, schooling packs, etc. So - these 'cupboards' have helped a lot.

Heres the route we took through Vic and part of S.A. to the Barossa.

Getting ready to update

No quite ready yet to fill in the big gap between Barossa and Broome - but just about.

As Mark Twain said "Never do tomorrow what you can do the day AFTER tomorrow"

Just quickly where we are at the moment.

After our little 'Splash-out' in Derby - ie Horizontal Waterfall - we headed straight to Broome.
and....
We've just left Broome after 4 weeks in the area.

We spent 6 nights there initially before going up the 'Cape Leveque' direction for a few days. It was nice there camping on the beach overlooking the Indian Ocean. Bit windy but nice. We also had to move camp at 6:30 in the morning one day because a fire threatened to engulf our campsite !!!. YEAH ! ! !

This part (at least) of the coastline was very surprising. I expected SURF. BUT- it's like a big Broadwater. Very calm most of the time. Sometimes you may get a 1-2ft wave. That's about it.
Beautiful colours though.
Because of the HUGE tides - the ocean can get quite 'silty' and therefore very 'Turquoise-ey' - IS THAT A WORD? So- not super -clear - but beautiful nonetheless.

We returned to Broome for 2.5 weeks, where I (Rob) worked for a couple of weeks. YES - Painting. Ugh
And - yes Bunties - I managed not to spill anything for the WHOLE 2 WEEKS ! ! . A record I think.

Emma and James wene to normal school for 2 weeks. Emma even got to sing in a choir at a local festival. James got a priciples award after a few days. Don't know HOW he GOT THAT ??? Maybe that's where all his pocket money went?????
The kids picked up the 'flu' though (whole new germ 'pool' to deal with) and gave it to Heidi. So poor 'ole Heid's was back in the van most of the time in Broome trying to get over it - while doing the 'Taxi' thing. Dropping me off at work, kids @ school etc. (I don't think she has EVER had to drop me at work before).

I also managed to get the caravan and car washed. THEY WERE SO ORANGE - it was unbelievable.

Found some more broken stuff on the car also - I suppose from the Gibb River Rd etc. Mainly 'Bashplates' from underneath. Nothing that Zip Ties, Wire, Sikaflex, Gal-Iron and rivets didn't fix though. Good 'ole Zip Ties - I love 'em.

So we left Broome this morning (03/09/08) bound for the District Convention in Darwin (12-14 Sept). A 4,000km round trip. So we'll be back here in Broome (just passing though) in about 2.5 - 3 weeks.

We are looking forward to seeing people we met earlier- including those we were on the Kalumburu Witnessing trip with.

And (I know I shouldn't start a sentence with "And" - but this is email - anything goes) guess where we get to stay ??
It turns out that a couple that we were on the witnessing trip with, are the Caretakers for the venue of the Convention. So..... they have invited us to park our caravan NEXT TO THEIRS, on the Venue's grounds SWEET ! ! Just like the Circuit Assembly we had back in Melbourne.

Anyways - that's a little update.... Now... for that big one.......

Rob & Co.