What's really impressive is there's still 2/3 of it underground.
For whatever reason, Alice Springs and Ayers Rock (or Uluru*) are pegged together so that most people think they’re right next to each other, like Cairo and the Pyramids of Giza. Alas, it’s nearly 500km down the same dusty highway we already spent the last few days on. As if they’re trying to say “you thought Alice was remote? Check THIS out!” Yay! More flat, empty road.
After 200km along the Stuart Highway, named for the explorer who found a practical way to get to the Timor Sea from colonized Australia, we turned right to head down the Lasseter Highway. Along the way is Mt Connor, the Uluru lookalike that causes people in tour buses to wake up frantically looking for their cameras before they realize it’s not the place they’re after. Actually, Mt Connor** is the third wonder of the area and totally ignored. Kind of a shame really.
When we arrived at the Ayers Rock Resort campground, we payed the princely sum of $33 for an unpowered site and then set off to the Rock wherein we paid another ambitiously priced $50 (btw for $25 a person they could put a second lane into the entry gate so that people who have tickets don’t have to wait behind Mr Credit Card And A Million Questions) and drove in.
As far as rocks go, this one is really first class. It looks smooth from a distance but the closer you get the more you can see the pits and holes and lines and crevasses. At every angle it’s different. We drove around it a bit and every 200 meters we pulled over and took pictures, every time completely amazed as if seeing it for the first time. We stayed around for the sunset photos and then followed the procession of cars back to the resort since it’s the only place you’re allowed to stay anywhere near the park.
The next morning we got up before dawn and followed the same procession back to the park for sunrise photos. If you ever decide to do this, for the love of God, don’t go to the official sunrise viewing area. It’s terrible. Either drive through it to the other side and park down the road a couple of kilometers or just go somewhere else altogether. The park authority should be ashamed that they picked such a miserable place for their official viewing area.
There’s a big discussion about whether you should be able to climb the Rock or not. Basically, you’re allowed but you’re asked not to in order to respect the wishes of the local natives. We didn’t climb it only because it was closed due to high winds. You know those dust clouds that blanketed the whole east coast of Australia? Yep, those winds. Instead, we drove around the rock again and then moved down the road to the next incredible place.
*the do-gooder long hair hippy feel good types insist on calling Ayers Rock and The Olgas by their traditional Aborigine names since they were returned to the traditional owners. Personally, I don’t see the point in that since for some reason they only do it here.
**quick! Do-gooder long hair hippy feel good types! What’s Mt Connor’s Aboriginal name? See, you don’t know. So why the insistence on the whole “Uluru” thing or worse “Kata-Tjuta” (for the Olgas) which no one can pronounce? Incidentally, Mt Connor’s Aboriginal name is Atila.
…so brachen wir also zum Ayers Rock auf, voll motiviert und mit neuem Reifen. 200km später platzt und das Ding schon wieder! Unglaublich! Justin war diesmal so richtig angepisst. Unsere Entscheidung für den nächsten Reifenwechsel lag also auf der Hand. Aber dazu später…
Angekommen am Ayers Rock wurden wir empfangen von einer Art kleinem Resortdorf. Es bestand aus einem hotelähnlichen Flachbau mit Blick auf den Ayers Rock und dahinter gab’s den Campingplatz mit Bungalows und Campseiten mit viel zu überteuerten Preisen. Naja, ich sag mal so, sie sind halt auch der einzige Campingplatz da und da kann man die Preise halt selber gestalten.
Wir sind am späten Nachmittag angekommen und erstmal kurz ins Infobüro wo es wie immer ein paar sehr interessante Informationen gab, z.B. Entstehung des Ayers Rock, Tiere um den Stein etc. und ganz wichtig, Sonnenuntergangs- und Sonnenaufgangszeiten. Pünktlich zum Sonnenuntergang sind wir dann an den entsprechenden Parkplatz mit dem besten Blick gefahren und haben es uns auf dem Dach von Biggie gemütlich gemacht um paar sehr schöne Sonnenuntergangsfotos zu machen.
Die darauffolgende Nacht war verdammt kalt. Naja, zumindest für die sonst gewohnten Temparaturen. Aber wir habens überlebt und sind sowieso megafrüh aufgestanden um den Sonnenaufgang anzuschauen. 5 Uhr klingelte also das Handy und wir quälten uns aus dem warmen Zelt in die kalte und noch immer dunkle Wüste. Doch natürlich wurden wir dafür mit einem Sonnenaufgang am Ayers Rock belohnt. -mk
Gallery: http://gallery.me.com/the_np_bat_man/100959
Ayers Rock is way out here.
