waiting for sunset at Uluru
Despite having lived in Australia almost my entire life, I had never been to the Northern Territory prior to 2008. My family, as English immigrants, had spent every school holiday for my entire childhood driving about the countryside visiting almost everywhere except the Northern Territory and Tasmania. So when my then-workplace sent me to Alice Springs for a conference, I was thrilled!
I took the opportunity to visit Uluru (formerly called Ayres Rock) and Kata-Tjuta (formerly the Olgas), as well as attending the conference. Uluru-Kata-Tjuta National Park is 461km from Alice Springs – you can get there by flight, bus or driving – I opted for bus, which was a whole-day experience, leaving very early in the morning and getting back about midnight (because of course you have to stay and see the sunset over Uluru).
The Centre lived up to its reputation. In Alice Springs, don’t forget to pop into the bar Bojangles which is a tourist icon – every spare piece of wall or ceiling has something nailed to it – old farming implements, hats, horse-shoes, whips, animal skulls, skins etc. I suggest going early in the evening as it has a reputation for getting a bit rough later at night. And there are many galleries selling original Aboriginal artworks ranging from about $40 to $40,000 – a price for every pocket! Make sure you get authentication papers with whatever you buy.
Enjoy!
Table-top mountain on the way to Uluru - flat horizon
Singing (and piano-playing) Dingo at a road-house on the way to Uluru
first sighting of Uluru from the bus
rock formations that look like faces in profile, carved into Uluru
The following photographs are of Kata Tjuta – a rock formation consisting of 36 “forms”, approximately 50km from Uluru.
Kata-Tjuta on the horizon (from the bus)
the flat horizon from a gorge in Kata-Tjuta
from the bus - farewelling Kata-Tjuta
Then we headed back to Uluru to wait for sunset. The rock is reputed to change colour several times during sunset. The postcards you can buy display these changes very effectively. The colours were not so strong when I was there (no bright rose-red or blood-red). No filters or effects have been used on this photographs.
waiting for sunset at Uluru
"not alone" waiting for sunset at Uluru. We were in fact parked at a bus carpark and lookout, surrounded by other buses and barbecues as we all enjoyed a couple of glasses of wine and a sausage, while setting up our camera shots.
the horizon glows...
almost dark
The conference dinner was set up at a venue slightly outside Alice Springs as a venue called Ooraminna Station Homestead (thanks to Shelley for reminding me of the name). The venue had buildings around the edge built like farm out-houses but were actually the kitchen, bar, shelter for the band and the toilets. It was surrounded by some high-land which protected it from the wind, but it was still freezing cold at night, as deserts are. However, set up for a silver service dinner setting and with candles and fairy-lights, it was an amazing venue.
Conference dinner venue - near Alice Springs, under the stars
Comedian Anh Do, his brother and former Young Australian of the Year (2005) Khoa Do and my friend Shelley. The Do brothers talked about their journey from Vietnam to Australia as refugees and making their lives here.
Like some more photos of Australia? Try…
At the Edge of the Ocean
Mudmap
