Back from the Outback

So Back in Adelaide after an absoloutly amazing 10 days. I cannot stress how much fun I've had on Desert Patrol! The tour left 10 days ago with our guides Steve and Rob (Rob being in training, his first time in the red centre, and Steve being the guy who started groovy grape and a damn fine guide!) First up was a very hungover bus (allot of them had been on the barossa trip the night before), we went through allot of small towns like Quorn and Hawker - old outpost towns - and to Yourambulla caves a nice warm climb up to the overhangs where we had Aboriginal Rock Drawings explained then drove to Angorichina, in the magnificent Parachilna Gorge where we stayed the night and ate a massiv BBQ with more Roo Mnmnm. Amazing place where the Kids to School of the Air as they are too remote too get to school (its all done on the internet nowadays of course but it used to be done on the radio hence school of the air).



Next day we came off the Oodnadatta Track and followed the Old Ghan Railway and its long abandoned railway settlements. Stopped at a crazy artists place called Talc Alf and at an eerie ghost town. We also stopped at a very strange sculpture park, made in protest to the uranium mining its next to. We ended up driving up to William Creek (South Australia's smallest town) where we set up camp under the desert stars. It is also a massive cattle station made up land about the size of holland...bonkers. After an uneventful night (except for the annoying irish leprecaun of a bloke and mel thinking a plastic bag was a dingo) we ate breakfast with the flies and headed off again. This time to Coober Pedy - Opal Capitol of the world. Its A Crazy place where the locals mostly live underground (due to the temperature extremems) and the water goes through so much filtration that its one of the most expensive tapwaters in the world. Theres a hell of a lot of tax evading going on here and its a really funny place full of colourful characters. That evening we watched the sunset over the breakaways where Mad Max 2 and Pitch Black were filmed, though the flys were a bit of a downer. We even had a pint that night in an underground bar, and slept inour underground hostel. Very odd time.
(Our bus and underground home)

We got up reasonably early the next day and drove up the Stuart Highway with several pitstops en route. We eventually arrived set up camp and went straight to Uluru (Ayres rock) for sunset.. The rock is amazing and it really does change with the light. The only problem was all the thousands of tourists we had to share it with...shocking. We went to bed early to awake to hit it again on the other side for sunrise. Then after walking around it (10k!!!) and learnig about it in the cultural center we finally got some chilled time next to the pool (we actually snuck into a posh resort and used their pool instead of the crappy one they give the campers...much nicer hehehe). Sunset that night we were taken to a secret spot our guide knew where there was no one else but us and watched the sun set again on Uluru and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) Much better on our own you could really appreciate the place and the stillness of it. A stunning moment as the sky lit up red and the whole group just sat there in silence staring at the beauty of the place.

(check out my added beer weight in this pic...mnmnmn too many new zealand pies too methinks)

That night in camp we had a little visitor...which sent 3 of our group to camp on the van . The visitor being a Snake. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending upon how you look at it) me and Me didnt awake to the hilarity of people falling out their swags trying to run for the bus...never mind

The next day we went up to Kata Tjuta, and hiked the valley of the winds...we had a bit of a lie in but it was still hot hot hot. Sweated buckets on the walk but at least the breeze cooled us down. We had Lunch and headed up to Kings Canyon and unbeleivably our last night in swags (they're suprisingly comfy if you can get over the feeling of being in a canvas bodybag). The night was great with us all sat round the camp fire telling stories, the group really came into its own on the last few days and we made some good mates. The next day we had an amazing walk through kings canyon...the most spectacular walk i think..you go through all these crazy rock formations on this big sandstone plateau then all of a sudden you hit this water hole called the garden of eden and it becomes really lush. We even got to swim in it its that big.



A perfect break in the middle of a very hot walk. The drive back wasnt as simple as we thought. after picking up some passengers off another tour bus (whose bus had broken down) we went up an old dirt road (allegedly part of the highway) when all of a sudden this storm hits us and the ground starts to turn into swamp...sowe turn round drive out to the edge of the storm and wait...whilst cracking out some beers of course. It soon passes and off we go again all the way to Alice springs...We all check into a cackhole of a hostel but it soon doesnt matter as we are all absolutely legless at 2:00 in the morning wondering where on earth we can get more beer from...it doesnt happen so we all pass out to super hangovers in the morning...although it was a very good way to catch up on some seriously needed sleep!