15 years ago I was a rookie traveller, having been to only about three countries. Hitchhiking was only a distant dream, and I would buy stacks and stacks of postcards and trinkets to bring home. I was a tourist with a basic camera and no phone, just learning the basics of travelling and being overseas. Now I’m an intrepid nomad who has hitchhiked the Great Central Road and has travelled to all seven continents, with a goal of becoming the first person with autism to visit every country. Two very special places I visited on one of my earliest journeys are Uluru and Kata Tjuta. My plan for today was to do everything I did on the bus tour my own way, and then some more. By no means was the Rock Tour bad…it’s just that I’m a more experienced an adventurous traveller who has “graduated” from bus tours.
Up at 5:30 AM I was, ready to get on out to this magical rock for sunrise. It turned out the sunrise was magical even without the rock.
Three German girls who picked me up yesterday said they’d give me a lift but I couldn’t find them, so I made my morning coffee and then got on out there with my camera and thumb out. Unfortunately, hitchhiking was a little tricky this morning so I missed the sunrise but got to the lookout for a few photos. Uluru looks great from any angle and not just the prototypical.
I then wanted to do one of my favourite things I’ve ever done: walk around Uluru. On the bus tour so long ago I managed to convince everyone on the bus not to climb Uluru but now, it’s not even an option anymore. The chains and poles are gone and there’s a sign saying “permanently closed, October 2019.” One of the best things they’ve ever done at Uluru is ban the climb due to the sanctity of the rock by the Indigenous. Yes, the Indigenous have their issues but so do all other cultures. The scar from the poles and chains will sadly remain for a very long time. From there I started my walk around Uluru. I have a few grey hairs but I haven’t lost my fervour for a long walk and Uluru hasn’t lost is magic.
Uluru is an inselberg, meaning “island mountain” in German, and it's much bigger below ground than above. Relying on my GPS too much, I ended up on a disused road that’s very close to the rock. Many of the hotels and even an airstrip used to be very close to the Uluru itself but after the area became a national park, they were all moved out to Yulara. When you look at satellite images of Uluru, you can even see the old airstrip. After two hours I completed my second walk around Uluru. Perhaps in another 15 years I’ll be here for another walk…even though I’ll be 52! My back is still a bit sore and my camera battery was dead, and I said to myself “one walk a day is enough” as I hitched back toward Yulara. I was thinking of doing KataTjuta tomorrow but then thought if I did it today then I could set out early tomorrow for Alice Springs. I got a pie and charged up my camera battery, and decided I’m getting my ass out there. I don’t care if my back or feet are sore; all I need is my willpower.
Hitchhiking into the national park, Kata Tjuta in all its splendour, beckoned.
I should have remembered to bring my fly net! Due to being rather late in the day I didn't walk the full circuit, but I went to some of the most memorable places. Ahhh...this brought back memories!
The clouds were very much like this when I walked through the Valley of the Winds eons ago. Many people are content with going somewhere once and then never going back again, but some places for me demand a return. Norfolk Island, Uluru and Kata Tjuta, London, and Granada, Nicaragua are just a few examples. Other places, such as Antarctica, Istanbul, and Tokyo, I've only done one journey to but would love to return. A walk I didn't do on my first journey here was Walpa Gorge. A really nice (and insightful) park ranger stopped and asked "where's your car?" thinking I was broken down but I explained I was hitchhiking. He is Pitjantjatjara and taught me a few words in his language. "Palya" means "hello" and "thank you." He would drop me at the walk to Walpa Gorge and told me he was heading home at 7:30 PM, and would pick me up if he saw me. Walking into the gorge, the colours didn't disappoint...
It was another magical walk, and after today, I've done everything I did back then and then some! A couple of ladies would pick me up and then we'd drive to a lookout where we had views of both Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
It turned out there was no drama about being stuck in the park. Whilst I thought of getting something to eat for takeaway, I decided to pick up some burgers and have a barbecue at the campground.
Someday I would love to be at Uluru when there are waterfalls flowing down off of it, something that only about 1% of visitors ever witness. 15 years ago, I ended up in this magical place, and 15 years later, I've returned. Uluru and Kata Tjuta, I can all but say I'll see you 15 years from now, when I'm 52.
