Day 16-23
Tuesday 26/2/13 – Monday 4/3
Yulara (Uluru)
Top temp: 40 (5 days of high 20s, how cold!)
Distance travelled: 450 km (Alice-Yulara)
Time taken: 6 hrs (8.00am – 3.00pm)
Breaks: 1, Erldanda
Ayers Rock resort camping ground
Cost: $ 180 powered (6 nights, Pay for 2 Stay for 3, deal
Score: Vry good value
Value: 8
Cleanliness: 8
Friendliness: 7
Quality: 7
Whinging score: 7, average over 6 nights
Children fight & annoy score will now be replaced with the ‘Whinging score’
Highlights: Uluru Cultural centre, Uluru rains & waterfalls, Sunset, Sunrise, Kata Tjutu (Olgas)
Lowlights: WHINGING, Do we have to walk there?, I am tired, I am hungry, It’s to early, My legs are sore, Too many flies/ants/air/water………..etc.
Rundown…
Tuesday
Arrived 2 ish, pretty cool at 30.
We set up and decided to have a bit of a looksy around the resort, shops, free stuff, IGA, lookout.
Wednesday
We decided to have a bit of a looksy at the big rock.
At the entrance to the National park we had the choice of 3 days (of which tonight was almost over) for $25 or Annual ticket for $32.50 (Adults, kids under 15 free). We decided that we will stay at least 3 nights so the annual one was the go.
The cultural centre is well set up, self guided with a movie (of very poor quality). It would have been nice if there was a guided tour, perhaps one or two hourly, there were definitely enough tourists.
A few dreamtime stories. And some pretty indeginous artwork. It was nice, but it was pretty much a guide to the souvenir shops.
In the shops you have traditional tourist crap as well as quite a few paintings by local artists. Prices range from about $39 for a 6×4″ canvas to $1000s. There were 3 local ‘Elders’ women painting in the store. It looked like a production line, as soon as they finished one canvas, the ‘pretty blonde 50 something curator, with a gold earring’, very promptly placed another canvas to be promptly started.
Honestly I can’t say that is how it truly is, but it definitely looked a bit like that. The local Anangu people get a share of rayalties, but this was definitely a ‘white fellas’ business model.
Back to the ‘Resort’, dinner, whinge, bed etc.
Thursday
Waterhole walk, 1km.
Liru walk 4 km.
Drive around Uluru
Friday
Environmental walk with ‘Sarah the Ranger’, around 1.5 km
Walk around Uluru, 10km….whinge score: 10 Brazzilon!
Sunset
Saturday
Kata tjuta (Olgas)
Valley of the winds
Lookout walk, 2 km return. I went to the second lookout which was another 4 km return. It was incredible hearing the wind through the rocks, so majestic and eery (especially without the Whinning!)
Gorge walk 2.6 km return
Sunset at Uluru with a scrumptious
Sunday
Sunrise at Uluru and back to the Resort. Straight in the pool and slowly plant the Exit strategy for tomorrow
The sunrise was really beautiful and worth the 5.30 wake. I especially appreciated the 2 or 3 hundred tourists walking up to the viewing platform like sheep. The Americans were the best, cliche to the checker pants and high pulled up white socks, and once again heaps of Germans. There quite a few Italians and quite a few French.
I honestly felt that we were the only Aussie tourists here [sic].
