Australia - Alice Springs, Uluru and Outback
No ‘Camel’ on Sunday (Uluru)
“No camel on Sunday. Check it again come Monday. Just a hopeless situation. Make the best of it's 'bout all you can do. Baby it's true.” ~ No Plane on Sunday (JB)
It seems the tropical rainforest (rains) from Cairns, Queensland have followed us to the Outback, Northern Territory. Our sunrise camel experience was canceled.
No worries mate, we soldiered on and enjoyed a unique experience of exploring (hiking) around the red sandstone monolith and boulders that comprise Uluru-Kata National Park which geologists estimate is roughly 550 million years old.
Enjoying the misting rain (and at times teeming rains) gleaming off the territory’s “Red Centre”, I was reminded of our family’s vacation to Sedona ~ 1999 which included a four hour road trip to Monument Valley. While enjoying a hot desert day, a freak 20 minute rainstorm swept in turning the normal orange/red topography into a bright spectrum of darker purple and blue hues.
At the Three Sisters, Lauren suddenly had a bloody nose. As her blood dripped onto the desert floor, we informed Lauren (age 7) that she would be forever linked to this sacred land of the Navajo Indians. (She/we thought that was pretty cool).
The ‘weather’ joins a long list of things we humans cannot control, let alone barely predict on an accurate level.
So you have a decision to make; accept and adjust or reject and remain frustrated.
For me, it’s always about the experience. The less than ‘perfect’ just adds to the storytelling.
And stories (or songlines) is what our guide taught us about the Aboriginal culture on this leg of the trip.
The songline (or “dreaming track”) captured in song, story, art and dance are vital links for these Aboriginals ultimately connecting the indigenous people to their lands in a similar manner as the Native Americans are to the United States back home.
Quite a few in our group privately bitched about the rain given the expense of this activity as well as the overall cost of this entire trip.
But if I was to guess, I would wager than probably less than 10% of humans have made it to the Australian Outback. Rain or shine!
That’s the takeaway here.
To quote the famous Tom Hanks baseball movie - “There’s no crying in the Outback”.
Much like our Fijian village experience, our Aboriginal Outback experience has left a lifelong impression on me. Marie and I have so much to be thankful for. You take the good with the bad and be thankful for both. Both outcomes teach valuable life lessons!
I guess the camel experience will be deferred to our planned Egypt/Jordan trip…..
“I bless the rains down in “Uluru”. Gonna take some time to do the things we never had (ooh, ooh) ~ Africa (Toto).
Dad & Daughter
At the Red Centre
January 7, 2023
#thisisus3060 #liveyourdash
Chasing the Sun
Alarm clock buzzed 3:45am.
Lauren and I grabbed our hikers, packed our water bottles and power bars climbed on the tour bus at 4:30am for our sunrise launch over the Australian Outback. Destination: Off road A87 overlooking the West and East “Macs” (McDonnell) Mountain Range.
In flight…..for 45 minutes, the world below seemed peaceful, serene and almost perfect at 1200 meters (4000 feet).
Late morning, we enjoyed brief Aboriginal Walkabout through Angkerle Atwatye (aka Standley Chasm) led by Aboriginal followed by tea and scones at the base camp.
In the afternoon, we visited the Royal Flying Doctor Service (medical flying EMTs started in 1928 to service the Outback and non-coastal communities). Followed by lunch in town at the Base Camp Cafe. Later we explored Old Telegraph Station a communications outpost from 1871.
We hiked the Botanical Gardens - Hill Walk. Spotted multiple kangaroos in the ‘Wild’ on the walking trail!
Dinner and drinks……then on Saturday we drive further into the Outback!
Stay tuned.
Scott & Lauren
Lost & Found in Central Australia
#thisisus3060 #liveyourdash
No ‘Camel’ on Sunday (Uluru)
“No camel on Sunday. Check it again come Monday. Just a hopeless situation. Make the best of it's 'bout all you can do. Baby it's true.” ~ No Plane on Sunday (JB)
It seems the tropical rainforest (rains) from Cairns, Queensland have followed us to the Outback, Northern Territory. Our sunrise camel experience was canceled.
No worries mate, we soldiered on and enjoyed a unique experience of exploring (hiking) around the red sandstone monolith and boulders that comprise Uluru-Kata National Park which geologists estimate is roughly 550 million years old.
Enjoying the misting rain (and at times teeming rains) gleaming off the territory’s “Red Centre”, I was reminded of our family’s vacation to Sedona ~ 1999 which included a four hour road trip to Monument Valley. While enjoying a hot desert day, a freak 20 minute rainstorm swept in turning the normal orange/red topography into a bright spectrum of darker purple and blue hues.
At the Three Sisters, Lauren suddenly had a bloody nose. As her blood dripped onto the desert floor, we informed Lauren (age 7) that she would be forever linked to this sacred land of the Navajo Indians. (She/we thought that was pretty cool).
The ‘weather’ joins a long list of things we humans cannot control, let alone barely predict on an accurate level.
So you have a decision to make; accept and adjust or reject and remain frustrated.
For me, it’s always about the experience. The less than ‘perfect’ just adds to the storytelling.
And stories (or songlines) is what our guide taught us about the Aboriginal culture on this leg of the trip.
The songline (or “dreaming track”) captured in song, story, art and dance are vital links for these Aboriginals ultimately connecting the indigenous people to their lands in a similar manner as the Native Americans are to the United States back home.
Quite a few in our group privately bitched about the rain given the expense of this activity as well as the overall cost of this entire trip.
But if I was to guess, I would wager than probably less than 10% of humans have made it to the Australian Outback. Rain or shine!
That’s the takeaway here.
To quote the famous Tom Hanks baseball movie - “There’s no crying in the Outback”.
Much like our Fijian village experience, our Aboriginal Outback experience has left a lifelong impression on me. Marie and I have so much to be thankful for. You take the good with the bad and be thankful for both. Both outcomes teach valuable life lessons!
I guess the camel experience will be deferred to our planned Egypt/Jordan trip…..
“I bless the rains down in “Uluru”. Gonna take some time to do the things we never had (ooh, ooh) ~ Africa (Toto).
Dad & Daughter
At the Red Centre
January 7, 2023
#thisisus3060 #liveyourdash
Chasing the Sun
Alarm clock buzzed 3:45am.
Lauren and I grabbed our hikers, packed our water bottles and power bars climbed on the tour bus at 4:30am for our sunrise launch over the Australian Outback. Destination: Off road A87 overlooking the West and East “Macs” (McDonnell) Mountain Range.
In flight…..for 45 minutes, the world below seemed peaceful, serene and almost perfect at 1200 meters (4000 feet).
Late morning, we enjoyed brief Aboriginal Walkabout through Angkerle Atwatye (aka Standley Chasm) led by Aboriginal followed by tea and scones at the base camp.
In the afternoon, we visited the Royal Flying Doctor Service (medical flying EMTs started in 1928 to service the Outback and non-coastal communities). Followed by lunch in town at the Base Camp Cafe. Later we explored Old Telegraph Station a communications outpost from 1871.
We hiked the Botanical Gardens - Hill Walk. Spotted multiple kangaroos in the ‘Wild’ on the walking trail!
Dinner and drinks……then on Saturday we drive further into the Outback!
Stay tuned.
Scott & Lauren
Lost & Found in Central Australia
#thisisus3060 #liveyourdash
© Scott Kern