A Drive-By at Uluru

Days 6, 7 & 8 – Ayer’s Rock to Melbourne

Day 6 – Ayer’s Rock Arrival
We were there less than 18 hours. The shortest stop on our Australian adventure was also the most touristy.

Leo and I left Perth Tuesday morning, standing in a cold rain to catch the bus to the airport. When we disembarked, we walked, squinting, into the desert sun, bright and 90+ degrees.

We also discovered the time zone change wasn’t one hour ahead, but 90 minutes – the first I’d heard of a time zone switching by anything other than one hour.

From then on it was like a packaged deal. We were all herded onto the free airport shuttle, which takes you to the Ayer’s Rock resort. It is the middle of the desert, and there’s not much there. The shuttle stopped at each of the four hotels and the campground to drop us all off.

The thing no one mentions about visiting Uluru is that there is really no way to get out to the rock from the resort. You can walk the 20km in the searing sun, rent a bicycle, or shell out the dough for a shuttle. Leo and I had taken the only flight from Perth, which meant we checked in at about 3 p.m. local time. So our only chance to really see the rock up close was to hire one of these shuttles to haul us out there at 4 p.m.

The base walk around the rock is 10km. Leo and I had hoped to walk it, but we didn’t have time. Instead, we traversed the 2km Mala Walk to Kantju Gorge.

Uluru is a sacred rock to the native Aborigines. The path was pleasant and surprisingly green, with leafy trees and plenty of green shrubs along the way. (I believe these all die off later in the year, or are claimed by wildfires.)

On the Mala Walk, we passed several significant sites, including a cave where the Aborigine men used to sit during ceremonies. The other thing you don’t realize about Uluru is just how big it is. Sure, you know it’s this gigantic red rock out in the desert, but that’s not quite the same as standing next to its immensity. It’s more rounded on the top and sides than we expected, with pockets of holes. We also saw bits of white peeking through – the true color of the rock, which rusts over time to create the famous orange color.

At the end of the path, we paused at Kantju Gorge, which was formed by a vertical crack in the rock face and provides a quiet place to sit and contemplate.  Many people were doing just that when we arrived. The silence was spectacular. I felt as if I should tiptoe through this sacred cathedral.

We walked back to the car park. The shuttle picked us up at 5:45 and took us over to the sunset viewing area. It’s basically one long parking lot, with car after car pulled into slanted spaces, lined up to watch the rock turn red, orange and purple in the setting sun. Unfortunately, our stop was anticlimactic; the sun took its farewell behind a cluster of clouds.

After that, Leo and I returned to our room to snack on pre-purchased food from “the grocery,” as they call it here. We tried local favorites, such as Tim Tam biscuits. YUM. But you can see what we thought of the famous Vegemite, a strange concoction Australians spread on their morning toast.

I’m not even sure what it is, but the sticker said something about yeast. The smell and taste are indescribably disgusting. Sort of a putrid sourness. BLECH!

Day 7 – Wednesday – Camel Ride
We were up at 5:15 a.m. to catch the ride to our camel tour, one of the best things we’ve done so far. The guides pick you up and drive you to the farm, where camels are lined up already waiting with saddles. It’s dark outside, but the friendly staff was wide awake and cracking jokes, even if it took the sleepy group a few beats to laugh at them.

The camels were all connected in a train by ropes, which led up to a ring in the camel’s noses. The guides said the nose pins were like an earring. Like cows, camels have four stomachs, and they regurgitate and chew their food again for each stomach to digest. Therefore, they cannot have a bit in their mouths like horses.

The camels urped and chewed cud casually (and odiferously) as we stood there listening to the guides explain the how-to of getting on and off. The saddles on the one-hump camels allowed for two riders per animal, so Leo and I stood next to Rasheed and waited our turn. Each couple got situated in the saddle before the guides encouraged — or cajoled, depending on the animal — each one to its feet. Then the next pair loaded up, stood and so on.

Camels stand by first lifting their hind legs and then their front legs. So once Leo and I sat down, as instructed, we leaned far back and held onto the saddle’s yellow metal bar. It felt like a fun ride to me, and I laughed as the camel got to its feet. Camels are taller than you think. I felt very high looking around me as we waiting for the last three camels in the train.

And then, we walked. Camels walk with both left legs moving forward first, then both right legs. You’ve seen elephants do this, too. In the saddle, it felt like a slight swaying, and I soon found a rhythm for sitting there. It was surprisingly comfortable. With our guide Candice riding up front, the camels followed a path out of the farm and out back to watch views of the rock as the sun rose.

Candice stopped us a few times to just sit and enjoy the views of Uluru and the sun rising. Leo and I were unlucky once more, as clouds again obstructed the sun on the horizon. But the sun’s rays streamed through, and the effect was lovely. My fingers were numb from the cold, but I had so much fun riding along, just looking around me.

The staff photographer came by a few times, asking us to smile for him from atop the camel. (Naturally, you could buy a CD of the photos as the end of it.) After about an hour, we headed back.

After some hot chocolate at the farm, they drove us back to our rooms, where Leo and I had about 20 minutes to grab our bags and catch the shuttle to the airport. When we arrived Tuesday we wondered if we’d given ourselves enough time at Uluru. But if we’d stayed one more night we really wouldn’t have much else to do.

So we looked at each other and shrugged. After all, it really is just a big red rock in the desert.

And off we headed to Melbourne.

Note: Time zone change again. We’re now 14 hours ahead of EDT and will continue to be that the rest of our journey.

Day 8 – Thursday – Melbourne
The thing about travel is you’re always moving. Buses, trams, trains, planes, etc. It can really wear you out. After getting up Wednesday at the crack of dawn (literally) for our camel ride, I was wiped out. We hit a lot of turbulence on the plane coming into Melbourne and the air pressure changes gave me a monster headache.

The turbulence was due to some major thunderstorms. We were welcomed to Melbourne by a large spring downpour, which continued as we caught a shuttle from the airport to our hotel in the CBD. By the time we got to our hotel, my major headache was turning into a migraine, and the rain was coming down in buckets. Leo ventured out for some quick eats while I basically went to bed at 7 p.m.

But today we woke up refreshed and ready to hit the city. Melbourne is the country’s second largest city and we were excited to check it out.

Mother Nature still isn’t cooperating; it’s cloudy and has been raining on and off all day. But vacation will not wait for good weather. So we wandered along Lonely Planet’s suggested walking tour, checking out Parliament, Federation Square, Chinatown and other cool buildings. Leo says Melbourne feels like New York except NYC has this same stuff for 100 blocks instead of the 30 or so here.

We visited the Queen Victoria Market just before lunch. If we lived here, we’d be there every week: Fresh produce, meats, cheeses and more – and tons of it! After a delicious lunch of dumplings, we wandered some more, ending up at the Eureka Skydeck 88, the southern hemisphere’s tallest observatory. Spectacular views of the city around us.

Now we’re taking a little break before heading out to an area called Fitzroy, which is supposed to have a bohemian flavor to it, along with many good bars and restaurants. Can you believe we’ve been here a week?