I guess its been about a month since I last posted. Schools been good, and I've had the chance to do lots of climbing during my 4 day weekends. This past week (and the next one) Australian schools have a two week break for Easter. Originally I was planning on going to find somewhere to climb, but then my friend Cameron invited me to go on a road trip with him and his friend Robbie through the desert to Uluru (Ayers Rock).
We left on Friday morning at around 9:30. Cameron and I were on a field trip to Mt Buffalo the Wednesday and Thursday before, so we had little time to get organized. I went shopping for all the food on Thursday night and got it all ready for the trip.
The first day was a good push day driving. We saw 3 Emus on the road which was pretty cool, I hadn't seen any wild ones yet. I got to have my first opportunity driving in Australia. First time driving on the oposite side of the road, first time driving manual, and in a mini dust storm. All in all it worked out very well.
When we got to the boarder, there were people checking cars for fresh fruits and veggies. Apparently theres a movement to stop fruit flies so they don't allow fruits and veggies to go between states. I did a real good job packing all of the fruit and veggies together in the Esky, so the boarder guards took everything. We had dinner on the side of the road that night. Rice and bean burritos... with no veggies. Still was delicious and the boys thanked me for bringing good food. They said otherwise they would have been eating two-minute noodles every night. (If theres one thing to do right on a trip, its food!)
We drove until about midnight. Cam and Robbie rolled out their "Swags" (Kind of like a Bivvy Sac) and I slept in the truck because I couldn't be bothered to pitch my tent. Woke up in the morning to a sweet sunrise.
I made eggs for breakfast, and then after a little mountain boarding we hit the road. As we drove past different towns I realized that Departures did this trip in their last episode of Season 3. Awesome.
We stopped in a mining town called Coober Pedy to shop for veggies. Coober Pedy is the Opal mining capital of the world. We said that we would stop here and explore on the way back.
Made it to Uluru for sunset. What a wild feeling to actually be standing there. The rock lit up reflecting the suns light. I didn't think I'd ever actually make it to Uluru, but I'm so happy that I did. We (along with the other masses of people) took all of our touristy pictures of the rock and the sunset behind Kata Tjuta (which is equally as awesome).
When the sun finally set we went off to find a camping spot nearby. We found a sweet spot where free camping is permitted, had a stir fry dinner, and slept out under the stars. Desert stars are crazy cool. The moon came out and was bright enough to read by the light of it. It didn't go away either until the sun came out with a breathtaking sunrise.
That day we hiked the 11km around the base of Uluru (plus all the detours to check out specific areas). The interpretation in the area is very well done, and they do a very good job managing the masses of people that come through. We did not climb Uluru as requested by the aboriginal peoples in the area. The Monolith is of sacred importance to their culture. There are signs everywhere that say "We do not climb Uluru", however it seems like many people disregard that message entirely. A chain staircase has also been erected on one of the faces for people to climb. I read that there is a movement to make it illegal to climb Uluru, but its not the case yet. I had no desire to climb the rock once I learned about the aboriginal requests. The base walk was absolutely spectacular. We stopped by the culture centre and looked at some very cool but very expensive aboriginal art. There were some wood carvings that I thought I might like, but then I remembered I was a student with no money.
We said goodbye to Uluru, and headed to Kata Tjuta. It was still early in the day, so we decided to do another hike (9km). The hike was much more physically intensive than the base walk of Uluru, and I enjoyed it very much. We walked the track in reverse to avoid the masses of people only doing the short walk to the lookout. The views were incredible. We found a flowing stream and washed up a bit and had a much needed drink. The sun was baking that day and it was about 30 degrees. We made pasta and watched the sunset at Kata Tjuta, then drove towards Kings Canyon. En route, we almost ran into a pack of wild Brumbies (Horses) and said goodbye to a little owl via the truck's bumper. We camped in a dried up creek bed under a big red moon. Robbie asked "Is there a full moon every night in the desert?"
That day we hiked the 11km around the base of Uluru (plus all the detours to check out specific areas). The interpretation in the area is very well done, and they do a very good job managing the masses of people that come through. We did not climb Uluru as requested by the aboriginal peoples in the area. The Monolith is of sacred importance to their culture. There are signs everywhere that say "We do not climb Uluru", however it seems like many people disregard that message entirely. A chain staircase has also been erected on one of the faces for people to climb. I read that there is a movement to make it illegal to climb Uluru, but its not the case yet. I had no desire to climb the rock once I learned about the aboriginal requests. The base walk was absolutely spectacular. We stopped by the culture centre and looked at some very cool but very expensive aboriginal art. There were some wood carvings that I thought I might like, but then I remembered I was a student with no money.
We said goodbye to Uluru, and headed to Kata Tjuta. It was still early in the day, so we decided to do another hike (9km). The hike was much more physically intensive than the base walk of Uluru, and I enjoyed it very much. We walked the track in reverse to avoid the masses of people only doing the short walk to the lookout. The views were incredible. We found a flowing stream and washed up a bit and had a much needed drink. The sun was baking that day and it was about 30 degrees. We made pasta and watched the sunset at Kata Tjuta, then drove towards Kings Canyon. En route, we almost ran into a pack of wild Brumbies (Horses) and said goodbye to a little owl via the truck's bumper. We camped in a dried up creek bed under a big red moon. Robbie asked "Is there a full moon every night in the desert?"
The next day we did a 9km hike in Kings Canyon and took some really cool panoramic pictures. The first 10 minutes of the hike are spent climbing 150 meters in elevation on stairs cemented out of rocks. The first look out when you get to the top is pretty cool, but it just keeps getting better and better as you continue the hike. We got caught in some heavy rain while in the gorge, so we spent about 20 minutes hiding in a cave by a waterhole called "The Garden of Eden". On the way back to the parking lot I ran into an Israeli family and pretty successfully conversed in Hebrew until they started speaking English to me. We had lunch with some french backpackers, then drove to Alice Springs for dinner, and then on to camp at Devils Marbles. The stars were amazing that night and I had to pull over while driving to stargaze. I'm really getting better at driving stick.
In the morning, we hiked around the iconic Devils Marbles and took some pictures on some cool looking boulders. This was the farthest North we were going to be on the road trip. We started heading back to Alice Springs, stopping at Wycleff Well on the way because they did in Departures. Wycleff Well is the UFO capital of Australia and had a very "Alien" vibe going for it. In Alice, I mailed home a post card, and then went to the Reptile Centre to see some snakes, lizards, and a huge saltwater crocodile. I was taking pictures of a Goana when my camera finally died. I got to hold an Olive Python which was pretty cool, but then I got showed up by a 1 and a half year old who had the Python wrapped around him for some pictures.
From there we headed off to Rainbow Valley. To get there we needed to drive 25km off road down a red dirt rocky track. It was the kind of desert driving I was hoping for, and I had the honour of driving our Ute Poseidon down the road. We got to Rainbow Valley for a sweet sunset, then took the mountain board for a spin. Mountain boarding is like waterskiing, only behind a truck. I made another stir fry for dinner, and we had our first campfire on the trip. The night was a much needed chill night after so many days of driving in the dark.
In the morning, we hiked around the iconic Devils Marbles and took some pictures on some cool looking boulders. This was the farthest North we were going to be on the road trip. We started heading back to Alice Springs, stopping at Wycleff Well on the way because they did in Departures. Wycleff Well is the UFO capital of Australia and had a very "Alien" vibe going for it. In Alice, I mailed home a post card, and then went to the Reptile Centre to see some snakes, lizards, and a huge saltwater crocodile. I was taking pictures of a Goana when my camera finally died. I got to hold an Olive Python which was pretty cool, but then I got showed up by a 1 and a half year old who had the Python wrapped around him for some pictures.
From there we headed off to Rainbow Valley. To get there we needed to drive 25km off road down a red dirt rocky track. It was the kind of desert driving I was hoping for, and I had the honour of driving our Ute Poseidon down the road. We got to Rainbow Valley for a sweet sunset, then took the mountain board for a spin. Mountain boarding is like waterskiing, only behind a truck. I made another stir fry for dinner, and we had our first campfire on the trip. The night was a much needed chill night after so many days of driving in the dark.
In the morning, I woke up early and went for a hike around Rainbow Valley. I followed some dingo tracks for about 2km in the sand and then decided to hike up to the top of the cliff face. When I came back it was time to hit the road and on to Coober Pedy. In Coober Pedy, lots of the houses were built underground as protection from the sun. We checked out some of the underground houses and a mining museum, and then started the long drive home.
Around 10 pm I pulled over to pull a dead Kangaroo off the road so that no animals get hurt trying to eat it in the middle of the road. We should have taken this as a sign, because around midnight a 40 kilogram kangaroo jumped out infront of the truck and there was no way to stop in time. I'd never hit anything before and felt (and still do feel) really bad about the whole thing. To make matters worse, the truck took some good damage. Cam took over driving, and not 10 minutes later slalomed through 3 Kangaroos in the middle of the road narrowly missing them. We decided that it was time to stop and we'd worry about getting to a town to fix the Ute in the morning.
We took a better look at the truck in morning, and realized that the roo had done more damage than we originally thought. The push bar on the front of the truck had caved in and broken the turbo intake pipe line into the engine. The engine was sucking air (and dust and anything else) completely unfiltered. The first mechanic we showed it to said that we'd have to spend at least a week in town before he could get it fixed, and recommended we go to the crash centre. The crash centre said that the whole thing could blow if it overheated. We weren't getting good news from anyone. Finally a younger mechanic said that if we could get a pipe fitted to divert the turbo directly into the engine that we could make it home safely. They couldn't make the pipe there, but in the next town over in Barri they could.
We thanked them for their help, and limped the 40km to Barri. When we got to the mechanic there, there was a sign that said "Be back at 1:15". It was 10:30 in the morning, so we waited about an hour, then got hungry. The town centre was pretty close so we went to grab a feed. While walking into the strip plaza, the craziest thing happened. I ran directly into my friend Lina who I worked with last summer at Project Canoe. She had been backpacking by herself in Australia and after her car broke down in Adelaide had no plans. In this little tiny town called Barri, Lina and I caught up on 8 months of adventure stories while the truck was being fixed. Lina was headed to Melbourne to fly home the following week, so I asked if she wanted a lift back to Albury. So Lina joined our road trip for the last day and a half.
The stars were beautiful again that last night, and we camped about a 4 hour drive from home. 2 minute noodles for dinner were greatly appreciated by all after a hard day. The patch job on the truck works great. There isn't as much power behind it as usual, but thats expected with no turbo intake. Everybody is safe and happy.
We made it to Albury around lunch time, unpacked the truck, and took a much needed shower. Lina's going to stay a few days here and then head off to Melbourne. Crazy how things work. I get to go on another school hiking and whitewater rafting trip leaving on the 19th I cant wait. My pictures got wiped off my card when Cameron uploaded them to his computer, so I'll have to get them from him soon.
I just finished reading The Game of Thrones. You all should read it. The show is good, but the book is fantastic. I'll catch you guys soon!
Around 10 pm I pulled over to pull a dead Kangaroo off the road so that no animals get hurt trying to eat it in the middle of the road. We should have taken this as a sign, because around midnight a 40 kilogram kangaroo jumped out infront of the truck and there was no way to stop in time. I'd never hit anything before and felt (and still do feel) really bad about the whole thing. To make matters worse, the truck took some good damage. Cam took over driving, and not 10 minutes later slalomed through 3 Kangaroos in the middle of the road narrowly missing them. We decided that it was time to stop and we'd worry about getting to a town to fix the Ute in the morning.
We took a better look at the truck in morning, and realized that the roo had done more damage than we originally thought. The push bar on the front of the truck had caved in and broken the turbo intake pipe line into the engine. The engine was sucking air (and dust and anything else) completely unfiltered. The first mechanic we showed it to said that we'd have to spend at least a week in town before he could get it fixed, and recommended we go to the crash centre. The crash centre said that the whole thing could blow if it overheated. We weren't getting good news from anyone. Finally a younger mechanic said that if we could get a pipe fitted to divert the turbo directly into the engine that we could make it home safely. They couldn't make the pipe there, but in the next town over in Barri they could.
We thanked them for their help, and limped the 40km to Barri. When we got to the mechanic there, there was a sign that said "Be back at 1:15". It was 10:30 in the morning, so we waited about an hour, then got hungry. The town centre was pretty close so we went to grab a feed. While walking into the strip plaza, the craziest thing happened. I ran directly into my friend Lina who I worked with last summer at Project Canoe. She had been backpacking by herself in Australia and after her car broke down in Adelaide had no plans. In this little tiny town called Barri, Lina and I caught up on 8 months of adventure stories while the truck was being fixed. Lina was headed to Melbourne to fly home the following week, so I asked if she wanted a lift back to Albury. So Lina joined our road trip for the last day and a half.
The stars were beautiful again that last night, and we camped about a 4 hour drive from home. 2 minute noodles for dinner were greatly appreciated by all after a hard day. The patch job on the truck works great. There isn't as much power behind it as usual, but thats expected with no turbo intake. Everybody is safe and happy.
We made it to Albury around lunch time, unpacked the truck, and took a much needed shower. Lina's going to stay a few days here and then head off to Melbourne. Crazy how things work. I get to go on another school hiking and whitewater rafting trip leaving on the 19th I cant wait. My pictures got wiped off my card when Cameron uploaded them to his computer, so I'll have to get them from him soon.
I just finished reading The Game of Thrones. You all should read it. The show is good, but the book is fantastic. I'll catch you guys soon!
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