08/05/2012
Camp 10, Stuart Ranges caravan park, Coober Pedy.
OK I've fallen a few camps behind so its catch up time, I'm in Alice Springs, with I/N coverage again.
The camp at Coober Pedy was a caravan park, so not really a camp, once out of the Nat parks, the bush parks disappear, to a certain extent. I stayed for the nights of 24,25 and 26 April.
Coober Pedy is an interesting town, or should I say the people are interesting, the town itself is a tad run down. Apparently there are about 60 different nationalities in the area. Its all about opals.
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| These signs are on the roads in |
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| Typical landscape |
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| it goes for miles in all directions |
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| Part of the main street |
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| Ditto.. |
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| This tells you a house is below |
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| A bright part of the main street |
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| "Fayes House" she dug it herself in the 60's |
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| Hi Jacqui |
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| "Old Timers Mine" in the middle of town...the old way of entering a mine |
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| An opal seam, discovered when creating the public entry to the mine, left intact. |
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| The pick marks.. |
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| Dodgy wiring |
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| Carved into the sandstone |
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| It was ANZAC day |
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| Twas called a trap door spider hole in my day |
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| This is a working mine that has been smoothed over for the public.. |
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| This is what pumps the waste soil to the ground level, the operator is meant to see the opal seams as he hits them, it is this waste you see on the surface in piles |
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| Not sure....but the builder knew what he wanted to do with it, the town is littered with old and redundant equipment. |
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| White dog, Brown dog in Aboriginal dreaming, at The Breakaways. |
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| The Breakaways...at sunset |
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| I met the author of this book at The Breakaways...its a great read...about Will, who's mother dies when he is 17. |
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| Coober Pedy to NT along the Stuart Hwy, no towns, as such from CP to Alice Springs, just Service points with petrol and basic supplies...about 700 k's of zero towns |
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Camp 11. Ayers Rock Resort, Yulara.
Another caravan park, the only permitted camping within the Uluru-Kata Tjuta park. I traveled along the Stuart hwy via the service centers of Marla, Kulgera and Erldunda, and turned left onto the Lasseter Hwy. I stopped over for one night at a rest area, as my chosen rest spot was closed down. About 600k's for the day. All bitumen. Next morning traveled to Yulara, via Curtin Springs. I stayed at Yulara for 3 nights.
The Uluru climb is still available, although the elders request you dont climb, I didnt climb and did the base walk instead, ie circumnavigated Uluru, about 12-13k's, I think.
The rocks base is where the spiritual value lies and if people did the base walk first I dont think they would do the climb. About 35 people have died doing the climb over the years, so perhaps the spirits are getting their way.
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| The approaching sunset.... |
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| ...suns gone |
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| These are pics taken at the base of Uluru.. |
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| The black apparently in an algae from the water flow |
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| The rock is the red colour due to the iron content in the rock.. |
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| ..its basically rusting away |
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| Beneath the rust, compare with Kata-Tjuta later. |
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| "The Climb", it had just been closed for the day, many people still do it. |
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| Kata-Tjuta.... |
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| Uluru and Kata-Tjuta both have permanent water holes |
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| A river gum growing in water in the middle of the desert |
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| The structure of Kata-Tjuta, compared to Uluru |
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| Kata-Tjuta at sunset |
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| I think this guy is a Rabbit Rat or something.. |
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| The Desert Oak, immature on the left and maturing on the right. The little guy ( called a hotdog ) sends down his tap root to find water and does not branch out until the water is found. |
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| Yulara has its own power plant...derrrr |
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| Mount Conner, just off the Lasseter Hwy, 5 times the size of Uluru |
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| Accessible only by paid tours. |
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Ooroo, off to Kings Canyon
Bill(y)
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