The Travelling Wilsons: The Red Centre

Wednesday 12/1/2011
We set off from Coober Pedy at 6 am, and made our way up the Stuart Highway. We noticed when we crossed the NT border the vast difference in the landscape. SA from Port Augusta to border was so Arid and once we crossed the border we immediately noticed the change because there has been rain recently it is very green. We decided to pull up and stay at Curtain Springs at Curtain Springs Cattle Station. The view in the distance was of Mount Connor; at first glance you could mistake it for Uluru. Mount Connor is a little shorter and flatter. I have taken both sunset and sunrise shots of the mountain.

Thursday 13/1/2011

Left Curtain Springs at 6.30 am and headed for Uluru (84 kms) The scenery once again is very lush. Colin wondered where the Red Centre was, I think it’s really unusual for it to be like this; mostly it would be drier only for the recent rain.

Again a magnificent day, the weather each day has been fantastic only a tad hot – well over 30 degrees up to high 30’s each day. Uluru is truly amazing and well worth the trip. Uluru looms 348 m above the desert floor, from a distance the surface seems smooth; but up close, the surface is grooved and indented, worn over time by water and wind. The Rock is composed of coarse – grained sandstone known as arkose, and as the iron in the sandstone oxidised it creates a rusty red surface. We decided after briefly driving around Uluru; we would save it for tomorrow and booked the caravan into Ayers Rock Resort. We are both very impressed with the resort; it has a shopping centre, 5 pubs, heaps of accommodation options ranging from 5 star to camping, its own medical centre and police station. We both would love to stay and work hear maybe in the future.

The Olgas (Kata Tjuta)

We travelled out to the Olgas in the afternoon; this is 48 km west of Uluru, still within the National Park. These strangely swollen red rock domes, reaching 546 mts, are intersected by canyons and passages, the rock is a mixture of granite and basalt which traps the heat of the day and reflects the many warm hues of the setting sun.

Tonight we plan to go out to the Sunset Platform and watch the sun set over Uluru. Keep posted for more pics and news on Sunset tonight and tomorrow Sunrise. We then we will walk around Uluru in the early hours of the morning (maybe 6.30 am) which is a 10 km walk.

From the Travelling Wilsons