Hello Northern Territory

 

Saturday 23 July 2022 – Hello Northern Territory

                                                    

The plan was for an early start so that we made it into Yulara before the queue to check in at the caravan park got too long – it’s a notoriously slow process apparently.  Hence we were up just as the sun was peering over the ranges and on the road at dawn which maintained that half light for longer than you would expect.  In fact the sun was still just creeping up as we got to the border and stopped for the obligatory ‘We made it!’ photo.  The Northern Territory government obviously wants to make a good first impression by providing a lovely smooth piece of tarmac and a bit welcome sign. Slightly embarrassing to turn 180 degrees where the WA sign says ‘Quarantine Warning!’ in large letters with a tiny ‘Oh yeah, and by the way, welcome of WA’ underneath with gravel stretching as far as the eye can see.

                                                  

The tarmac lasted as far as the Docker River community turn-off and then the road turned back into the worst corrugations we have so far encountered on this trip.  Right up there with the Kalumburu Road.  We slowed down so much that we were finally able to see a real live camel and he trotted along the road in front of us for quite a while before finally veering off into the bush.  He was just heading for the hills as we drew level but we did some of our best cameleer calling and he stopped and looked around long enough for us to get photographic evidence.

                                                    

We continued on past a broken down car with a guy camping out of the back of it and stopped to see if he needed any help.  He reckoned he would get it fixed today and the only real help we may have been able to provide would have been the provision of a smoke or two but not being able to even do that, we drove on.

Next stop was Lasseter’s cave which was a lovely picnic stop with a water tank with lots of little finches darting around trying to get drops of water from the tap.  We obligingly filled up the little trough for them and made their morning.   We made the short walk up to the cave where Lewis Lasseter hung out for a while (25 days) in January 1931.  He’d been back in the area trying to find the gold reef he reckoned was nearby.  Unfortunately his camels had bolted and so he was without food and only about a litre and a half of water.  He finally set out to try and walk to the Olgas to meet up with his relief party but died of starvation along the way.  The cave he sheltered in wouldn’t be a bad place to be it you had sufficient food and water as it is right on the Hull River with shady trees and lots of bird life but probably a vastly less attractive place in the heat of summer and no food.

                                                    

Back in the cars and we drove and drove east across the plains with the Petermann Ranges in view and the corrugations never ending (although not quite as bad as before Lasseter’s Cave).  We drove until both H&L needed a break so pulled over on a little lay-by just after a floodway.  There are no P stops or any other places to get right off the road on this stretch so we stretched our legs, had a snack and did some running repairs to H&M’s car fridge (the connection having jiggled loose on the bumpy roads) right on the edge of the road.  No passing traffic at all whilst we were there though so all good. 

                                                     

Another good hour or so of driving and we were more than ready to catch our first glimpse of Kata Tjuta (Mt Olga) which we finally spotted and then watched loom up larger and larger in the windscreen.  The beginning of the National Park also meant the beginning of the bitumen and we were all relieved after the last few days of bumping to be back on it.  The road curled around the southern side of the Olgas so we saw how vast the range actually is and then we started looking forwards through the windscreen again for our first sighting of Uluru.  And then there it was.  Just as large and magnificent as everyone tells you it is.  A great, looming presence over the desert plains.  As we turned away from it and north for the final few kilometres into Yulara it filled up the entire side mirror and rear vision mirror and reminded you of its presence.

                                                    

The queue into the caravan park was as expected to the point where they had traffic control guiding caravans into holding patterns of fenced off waiting areas.  Of course there was one boomer who couldn’t follow logical directions and parked the opposite way to everyone else and when the traffic control guy asked him to move replied with ‘Why?’.  Honestly, we all just remembered why we had enjoyed the last few days so much – no being surrounded by stupid people.  We will have to get used to being back amongst them – sigh!

Checked in and parked up in our nice sites which are on the small lead in road to the big caravan park area and hence we only have neighbours either side with the laundry opposite and bush behind and trees/shrubs between the vans so not in the area where they are all jammed on top of each other – score!  We had a quick late lunch in the van and then spent the afternoon doing chores including laundry, car and van cleans and tidies, a quick shop at the IGA to top up supplies and then relaxing under the awning with a cold drink or two.

Larry was so settled in that he ‘minded the vans’ with a beer of two while the other three of us walked up the hill behind the CP to watch the sunset over Uluru.  Very pretty and changing colours and then it was time to head back to the vans where Miranda cooked up garlicky chicken parcels and rice and our toes were attacked by a small hopping spinifex mouse who was particularly keen on the Moroccan flavoured couscous in the salad.  Much warmer today so we had to run the air conditioner in the van before bed.