We've arrived to Alice Springs in the mid afternoon. Feeling small change in the air. Hot and dry. Finally I wasn't sweating like a pig :) It is just nice and warm 35'C... in the shade. That night we were staying in Alice Lodge - a very nice and small backpacker place with old camping trailers parked around the back yard, converted into to rooms. They have a swimming pool and hammocks :) Brilliant place and not that far from the city center. Actually we weren't going anywhere that evening anyway, but if you fancy a small and dry town with the river of sand flowing in the middle, you can have a walk :)
I was preparing myself for driving trip to Uluru and Olgas. Unfortunately I didn't took into consideration big distances between Alice Springs and all those locations when I was booking flights, so we end up having just 2 full days to explore the area. That's about all what you need to explore Uluru only. If you want to see more ie Kings Canyon and MacDonnells Range you definitely need 3 or more full days.
We hired a car from local company Central Car Rental, the only company in the area which also offers camping gear. I had this idea to camp in the Australian way. I've hired some swags for us, so we will camp in the million star accommodation for next two nights :)
The distance from Alice Springs to Uluru is about 470km of nice road. I got very accurate directions from the rental company how to get there from city center. She said: "take that road and go straight at the roundabout, near the airport turn right, and go straight for 200km, take the first right and go straight 270km and there you go" :) You have to keep in mind that there are only 3 petrol stations on the way so you have to plan it wisely. Also fuel is more expensive here than in the city. The highest I've paid was $2.11 per liter! (in Sydney prices are floating around $1.40 per liter).
There are few rules on the outback roads. First, don't drive at night time - lots of animals are active during the night and it's very likely to hit something. Second, watch out for Road Trains. I overtook one of these and you need a good stretch of the road to overtake him. It's usually 3 times longer than normal truck. Thirdly, it gets very boring when you drive 200km on the straight road, so take a break every so often and wave to all oncoming vehicles (if you see any) :) Actually I've started talking to the road signs, they were asking me questions, so I've answered :)
We've safely arrived after little bit more than 4 hours, checked-in to the campsite and went to the park, explore those magnificent mountains. That day in the afternoon we were exploring base of Uluru and surroundings. Also we made trip to Olgas and went for a one walking track between the rocks before we went back to see sunset at the Uluru. Unfortunately overcast sky didn't gave us any spectacular colors that evening, but we had another chance. The next morning we got up at 5am, to see the sunrise at Uluru and we got what we came for here! Spectacular photos of the glowing rock, reflecting first rays of the sun:) what a view!
Later that day we explored more of the Olgas and Valley of the Winds. Then we went back to Uluru and took some long distance shots before we made our way back to Alice Springs. It is amazing place, strange big rocks in the middle of the dessert! Actually I found them very calming and peaceful. Well, it is a sacred place for the Aboriginal people.
The fact that it is a wet season here, we've found this dessert to be very green! There was very few places where you could see the red sand dunes. And second best thing about the wet season is, as I mentioned it in before in Darwin, almost no tourist around. We had all parks just for ourselves. No parking problems, no queues to the view points, nothing like that!
Now few words about sleeping under the sky in the swags. I must say I was sleeping like a baby! Apparently it was raining that night but I didn't get a drop of rain on me! Fellow campers were looking at me strangely when I was sleeping on the ground next to the car. I was the only one in that area! Brilliant experience!
Once we got back to Alice Springs where we spent our last night (actually Maggie slept here in the swag too!) in the campsite near the airport just preparing ourselves for next destination, Melbourne! Where we've planned to see Australian Open and few more attractions!
I know that you all are waiting for the pictures, but bear with me, they are coming!
I was preparing myself for driving trip to Uluru and Olgas. Unfortunately I didn't took into consideration big distances between Alice Springs and all those locations when I was booking flights, so we end up having just 2 full days to explore the area. That's about all what you need to explore Uluru only. If you want to see more ie Kings Canyon and MacDonnells Range you definitely need 3 or more full days.
We hired a car from local company Central Car Rental, the only company in the area which also offers camping gear. I had this idea to camp in the Australian way. I've hired some swags for us, so we will camp in the million star accommodation for next two nights :)
The distance from Alice Springs to Uluru is about 470km of nice road. I got very accurate directions from the rental company how to get there from city center. She said: "take that road and go straight at the roundabout, near the airport turn right, and go straight for 200km, take the first right and go straight 270km and there you go" :) You have to keep in mind that there are only 3 petrol stations on the way so you have to plan it wisely. Also fuel is more expensive here than in the city. The highest I've paid was $2.11 per liter! (in Sydney prices are floating around $1.40 per liter).
There are few rules on the outback roads. First, don't drive at night time - lots of animals are active during the night and it's very likely to hit something. Second, watch out for Road Trains. I overtook one of these and you need a good stretch of the road to overtake him. It's usually 3 times longer than normal truck. Thirdly, it gets very boring when you drive 200km on the straight road, so take a break every so often and wave to all oncoming vehicles (if you see any) :) Actually I've started talking to the road signs, they were asking me questions, so I've answered :)
We've safely arrived after little bit more than 4 hours, checked-in to the campsite and went to the park, explore those magnificent mountains. That day in the afternoon we were exploring base of Uluru and surroundings. Also we made trip to Olgas and went for a one walking track between the rocks before we went back to see sunset at the Uluru. Unfortunately overcast sky didn't gave us any spectacular colors that evening, but we had another chance. The next morning we got up at 5am, to see the sunrise at Uluru and we got what we came for here! Spectacular photos of the glowing rock, reflecting first rays of the sun:) what a view!
Later that day we explored more of the Olgas and Valley of the Winds. Then we went back to Uluru and took some long distance shots before we made our way back to Alice Springs. It is amazing place, strange big rocks in the middle of the dessert! Actually I found them very calming and peaceful. Well, it is a sacred place for the Aboriginal people.
The fact that it is a wet season here, we've found this dessert to be very green! There was very few places where you could see the red sand dunes. And second best thing about the wet season is, as I mentioned it in before in Darwin, almost no tourist around. We had all parks just for ourselves. No parking problems, no queues to the view points, nothing like that!
Now few words about sleeping under the sky in the swags. I must say I was sleeping like a baby! Apparently it was raining that night but I didn't get a drop of rain on me! Fellow campers were looking at me strangely when I was sleeping on the ground next to the car. I was the only one in that area! Brilliant experience!
Once we got back to Alice Springs where we spent our last night (actually Maggie slept here in the swag too!) in the campsite near the airport just preparing ourselves for next destination, Melbourne! Where we've planned to see Australian Open and few more attractions!
I know that you all are waiting for the pictures, but bear with me, they are coming!
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