I bade farewell to Airlie Beach at 2.15am and spent the next 31 hours travelling to the red centre of Australia. The bus is perfectly comfy and all the drivers I've had have been great but 30+ hours on a bus is nowhere near as much fun as 30+ hours on a train. However, there are advantages to being short and one is that its far easier to get stretched out to sleep in a bus-seat and so after changes of services at Townsville, Mount Isa and Tenant Creek I finally arrived in Alice Springs. "Alice" was hot and the sun beat down relentlessly but I like the town. Its not fancy by any manner of means but despite the heat I feel quite at home there. I've decided its because its a similar size to Elgin and has the mixture of flat lands, mountains and river that makes it so familiar. Ok, so the Laich o' Moray isn't quite a sandy desert stretching miles into the distance and the MacDonnell ranges providing the backdrop to AS don't equate to the Cairngorms, and the Todd River is much drier than the Lossie (well completely dry v fast flowing), but I'm sure you get the gist! And if not you can just blame it on the heat getting to me!!
Anyway, I'd arranged a trip to Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock)and Kata-Tjuta (aka The Olgas) so got picked up from my hostel early in the morning. Heading down the road the sands began to get redder and redder as we got closer, the sky remained deep blue and the grasses became even more sun bleached. We passed a few camels - the one-humped dromodaries rather than the bacterian ones of Mongolia - and saw lots of wedge-tailed eagles but only one or two kangaroos. We stopped en route to view Mount Conner. Its a huge flat topped granite rock not quite as high or as long as Uluru but very impressive none-the-less. It looks so imposing rising from the desert plains. In complete contrast to it, just across the road from the viewpoint, is a massive salt lake. It stretched off white and flat into the distance and could scarcely have been more different, and was really offset by the deep red sands surrounding it. Leaving there we carried on to Kata-Tjuta. They are a series of domes, over 30 in all, made up of a conglomorate of stones and looking like massive mud-pies plonked into the landscape. We had a brief walk up the gorge between two of the largest hills (Walpa and Olga) before heading back to the star attraction of Uluru itself. It was too hot and windy for the rock climb to be open so we all went on a series of guided walks around the base of the monolith and were given some of the traditional explanations for the different scars and markings on the rock. (I don't know why people are still allowed to do the hill-climb: the aboriginal people find it offensive as to them its a sacred site, to date over 40 people have died on the climb resultant from exhaustion or heat-stroke as there is no shelter from the intense heat once you start, and there is plenty to see as you cirumnavigate it). Uluru itself is massive - it rises over 1000feet from the desert floor and is about 10km in circumference. Although from a distance it looks smooth sided its actually full of little fissures, caves and cut-aways, and there are a few areas which in the wet would become waterfalls and riverlets but which mostly are dry. There is one small waterhole which is hidden from sight until you are right upon it which will dry up only very occasionally - mostly the water can be up to 12 feet deep. It lies at the foot of an area where 3/4 of the water falling on the rock will drain into and because of the nature of the sandstone will continue to leach water for several days after it stops raining. Its only really as you stand at the foot of Uluru that you appreciate its size and bulk. Looking up from the base it stretches way above you making you feel very small in comparison.
Leaving the base of the rock we headed to the sunset viewing area and sat drinking champagne (well, fizzy wine) and enjoying a BBQ as we watched the sun go down and the rock change colour slowly at first then in a quick series of shaded of red and ochre until the sun disappears below it and it turns deep purpley-grey. It is just an awesome sight, but its really looking back at the photos afterwards that you appreciate how many different shades it turns. All too soon the drivers called us all back to the bus and we had to make the long trek back to Alice Springs dodging cattle, camels and Kangaroos on the troad as we went. A long but enjoyable day.
From Alice I went to Katherine, a town which serves as the crossroads for the roads travelling North to South and West to East across the "top end". I may have felt it hot in Alice but Katherine was even more so. It was at least 39 degrees during the day and only a little cooler at night. I went in search of shade and walked along the riverside path to the Katherine hot-springs. The water was lovely and clear and a pefect temperature for lazing around in. The stream cut down through the sloping banks of paper-bark gum trees and there was a lovely fresh, almost pepperminty, aroma permeating. With only a handful of other people around it was great because although the pools were reasonable deep and you could swim a little, it was narrow, so if it was busy you wouldn't be able to move much without bumping into someone else. Duly refreshed from my dip I walked on further to a little area billed as a nature reserve. It was really just a picturesque area of park by the riverside and seeing a couple of other people in the water I was about to join them. Then I saw the sign: "Beware - saltwater crocodiles are known to frequent this area". Well, I reckoned the others could take their chances but I thought that I'd more chance of outrunning them to make my escape if I stayed on dry land so found a shady spot under some trees to have my picnic instead! It was beautiful with the greeny water, orangey-red sand, lush white trunked gum trees with crisp green foliage and azure blue skies. The trilogy of red, green and blue is a bit of a trademark colourscheme for central Australia, I think. As I sat admiring the view and munching on a lovely crisp, sweet, juicy apple there was a sudden "whoop" as a great big hawk of some kind swooped down from behind me and pinched my apple straight out of my hand. I was heck of a glad it was accurate as I'm sure it could have done my hand some damage if it had got it and not my lunch. I just hope it appreciated the apple as much I was doing! With the threat of crocs appearing from the river and birds pinching my picnic and the sun beating ever hotter I decided to head back towards town along the opposite side of the river to my morning's walk. I had not long set off when a young kangaroo sprang up from the undergrowth beside me and bounded off at a rate of knots. It was certainly a day for the wildlife! It was a hot walk back and the fallen leaves underfoot really cracked when you trod on them rather than the gentle crunch you get at home. I guess they are baked hard by the heat rather than gently dried. With the trees thinning out and little shade overhead I was happy to reach town, but first had to cross an old railway bridge to get there. It was made of metal and wood and clunked and rattled as I walked, with the wooden supporting beams underneath looking a bit too worn and rotten for my liking, doing nothing to dispel the notion that it was deteriorating rapidly. I didn't linger, eager to get to the shade, but it seemed to get further away as I crossed the bridge. Needless to say I traversed safely as no doubt will numerous others behind me and I'm sure its just an illusion that it gets longer as you cross!
Katherine was a nice enough wee town, but very much an outback stopping point. I didn't have an awful lot else to offer so I started to turn to the west and caught the greyhound to the town of Kununurra. It was a much twistier and more undulating road that took me across the Western Australian border than the endless straight tracks I've become used to, but the scenery largely remained the same tri-coloured scrub land. There are strict restrictions on the movement of fruit and vegetables across large parts of Australia, so at the border quarrantine officials came on board to check our hand luggage before inspecting the freight and luggage holds below us. I half expected to get another stamp in my passport it was so thorough, but before too long we were cleared to progress and enter Western Australia and reached Kununurra just a half hour later.
If it was hot in Katherine, it was positively roasting in Kununurra - temperatures not falling below 39 degrees here. I decided to have a little wander round town and just about melted. If you can imagine a snail leaving a sticky trail behind it marking out it's path that was me, except that the trail I was leaving was of the melting sunscreen running down the backs of my legs and of ice-cream melting and dripping of the stick before I could enjoy the benefit of it! Cooler climes definitely have there plus points: icecream that's icy, and the ability to buy a bar of chocolate which won't be liquified by the time you've finished opening the wrapper! Despite that, there was a nice vibe to the town and I reckoned I'd like it so I organised a couple of jaunts (involving air-conditioned transport!)
The first one was a trip out to the Lake Argyle dam and a river trip back to town for sunset. The dam was built as part of a huge hydro-electric and irrigation scheme involving Lake Argyle and Lake Kununurra. The hydro scheme provides all the water and power for Kununurra, Wyndham and 90% of the power requirements of the nearby massive Diamond mine. (The Argyle mine apparently produces over 75% of the world's diamonds but try as I might I didn't see any stray ones lying around or being handed out to tourists as souvenirs of the area) The water is used on the Ord River Irrigation scheme: a gravity fed irrigation system to provide viable farming land. Excess water is pumped out to sea as its apparently cheaper to run desalination plants in the south to draw water than to pump down supplies from the top-end. It just seems a bit incongruous to me that part of the country is in drought conditions yet here excess water is pumped out to sea. There were far more facts and figures about the scheme, all of which I've now forgotten, but I thought you would have been fascinated by it all dad. The sheme is acknowledged as the most efficient in the world given the size of the operation. Even the huge dam wall was constructed without using concrete: its entirely built from locally blasted rock. Anyway, it was there that we transferred from the bus to the boat and what was a fantastic 4 hour, 55km trip back to Kununurra. Powered by three 200hp outboard engines it was fast, but smooth, and incredibly manouverable and with a flat hull needed only about 1m of water below it so we could stop in lots of little creeks and channels to look at the local wildlife, waterlife, birds, trees and anything else that caught the attention of our skipper, Jeff. The river was wonderfully scenic with the steep red rock cliffs, numerous shades of green foliage and the obligatory azure blue sky. As we raced along the draft/breeze took the sting out of the heat, but it was still warm. If you stuck you head into the breeze it was a bit like standing in front of a hair-dryer and blowing it in your face! Along the way we spotted lots of freshwater crocodiles, fish, white bellied sea eagles, osprey, somewhat smelly fruit-bats, ducks, geese, pelicans, Kookaburras, cockatoos, jesus birds, doves, cormorants and many more. You name it and we saw it. We even managed a stop for afternoon tea at a spot named Echo Point where we were treated to lovely pumpkin scones and a gorgeously moist carrot cake. It was juicy and flavoursome with lovely big chunks of pineapple and no coconut or walnuts in sight. I'm sorry to say mum it was even nicer than yours - and that's going some. There were scones left over that we got to take away in doggy-bags but there was no cake left! (and, no, before you make any comment I didn't eat it all!) Before leaving it was demonstrated to us just why the point is so named. I've never heard such a clear echo as that which came back a couple of seconds after the shout. It was incredible - not muffled or anything. As we continued our trip we passed a couple of rock formations, one looking just like a soldiers head and the other just like the face of an elephant, before arriving back to town as the sun was going down. It cast a wonderfully orange and pink hue over the water which created lovely calm and attractive silhouettes on the water. A beautiful picture to sign off our tour with.
My other tour took me out to the El Questra Wilderness Park. Originally a huge 1million acre cattle station, it has now diversified a little and also provides tours and accommodation across some of its grounds. The first stop of the day for us was at Emma Gorge. Part of the Cockburn ranges which are some of the oldest known in the world, the walk was only 1.5km or so but it was a hot, stoney and rocky path uneven path following the river's course. The river is one of the few in the area which doesn't dry up and is used as the water supply for the resort it is so pure. We were there early morning but with limited cover it was a hot trek and I wouldn't have fancied it much later in the day. Once we finally reached the head of the gorge however we were treated to a small turquiose coloured pool at the foot of a rock drop in the river before arriving at a wonderfully sheltered wayer hole behind. The red cliffs behind overhung the pool forming a bit of a sheltering enclosure and a gentle waterfall fell from the clifftop. In the wet its a raging torrent but just now it was like a gentle shower spray. Some ferns and the like clung to the cliff faces and drips created a raindrop effect into rthe water below. Swimming there was great and so cooling after the trek in with the water just slightly warmed by a small thermal spring trickling into one corner. Returning to the resort we were treated to morning tea of iced water and/or coffee, lemon cake, pineapple and watermelon slices. So refreshing and just what was required. it also gave us time to look at photos showing the devastating effects Cyclone ingrid had had when she'd struck the area in March 2005. Leaving Emma Gorge we drove along the extremely rutted, dusty and corrugated Gibb River Road (at least I can say I've done a bit of it) to the Zebedee Springs. These are hot thermal springs at the foot of high sandstone cliffs and surrounded by palm trees. While it was a nice stop the springs were small and the underwater terrain was rocky making it difficult to negotiate, but I did manage to find a little area at the foot of a cascade which created a mini jaccuzzi for me to lounge about in for a while. I'm telling you this travelling lark is hard work!! We stayed there until it was time to go to the township for our lunch: Steak, barramundi, mashed tatties and salad. (I've not been able - or wanted- to weigh myself since I left but I'm sure I must have put some of the weight I lost back on it's certainly not been a diet of rice and peas all the way!) The township is really the staff quarters, shop, bar and camping ground for El Questro and is nestled in a bend on the Pentecost river Pentecost river. With some of the station cattle wandering around the relatively lush grounds it was a lovely lunch spot. In the afternoon we were taken for a boat trip through the Chamberlain gorge. The 'cruise' was very slow and in the heat too slow but it was made up for by the Champagne (well, fizzy wine) and fruit we were given as we went! Also, at the head of the gorge there were loads of fish to be seen: cat-fish (or silver cobbler as its increasingly called for reasons of sounding more appealling on a dinner menu), barramundi, and the stars of the show- Archer Fish. Given tiny pieces of bread to hold in our fingertips over the edge of the boat we were spat at by them as they tried to knock it out our grip! Their usual method of feeding is to spit shots of water at flies and insects on little branches overhanging the river to knock them ito the water and hence onto their feeding table. the bread trick mimicked those flies. the fish were incredibly accurate with their water pistol impersonations and can apparently shoot water up to 2metres. with the force the water spout hit you I could well believe it. As we headed back to shore an old stockman, Bud Tyson, regaled us with tales of his working life. Unfortunately I couldn't hear all of his anecdotes, and, well fed and watered and in the heat on a slow boat I may have momentarily dozed!! Something I certainly couldn't do as we returned via the corrugations of the Gibb River Road again to Kununurra.
On my final day in Kununurra I walked to the Mirima (or Hidden Valley) National Park at the edge of town. It is known as the mini Bungle bungles with similar striped rock patterns but on a smaller scale. The usual trilogy of red rock, green vegetaion and blue sky was as abundant as ever with wedge-tailed eagles circling overhead. The noise was what struck me though. It became gradually louder and louder as I walked: crickets, birds and various other "beasties" chirrupped, croaked, buzzed and twittered called. I wish I could have taped it as I can't explain what it was like but it was a real wall of sound that I'd never heard like that before. It was fantastic and so exotic sounding but also slightly eerie. I was disappointed inside the park proper to find much of the area destroyed by relativly recent fires and so the walks to the areas I wanted to visit were closed off and I never did get to see the Bungle domes. I returned to the hostel and had just finished lunch when there was a huge peal of thunder, lightening flashed and the rain started to pour. It continued all afternoon, the temperarure dropping to 28 by tea-time. They say animals can foretell changes in weather, so whether that was what the racket was about in the morning when I was at the park I don't know, but if it is a mark of the start of the wet season then I am maybe moving on at the right time. My bus left town about 8pm and it was still pouring. There had been more rain in these last few hours I was there than there had been since before March! Meanwhile, I was heading further west again - a, hopefully, dry Broome will be the next port of call.
