. OnHiatus.com > Journal 1 > Day Index > Journal Entry: April 26, 2000

Wednesday, April 26, 2000
Marla, SA to Yulara, NT, Australia
Australia's FlagSouth Australia's FlagNorthern Territory's Flag

Map
Yulara, NT, Australia:
Latitude: 25° 14' 10" South
Longitude: 130° 59' 25" East
Altitude: 1605 feet
From Seattle: 9190 miles
Lodging: Camp - Ayer's Rock Resort

Map
Today's Travel:
Country: Australia
Regions: South Australia, Northern Territory
Route: Car: Stuart Highway (A87), Lasseter Highway (A4)
Start: Marla, SA
Stop 1. Erldunda
End:Yulara, NT, Australia
Road Miles:391 miles
Linear:304 miles
Weather: Rain / Partial Sun

Available Photos:

Mt. Conner Stuart Highway, 125 km east of Ayer's Rock, NT, Australia

First view of Ayer's Rock Stuart Highway, 50 km east of Ayer's Rock, NT, Australia

First view of Ayer's Rock Stuart Highway, 50 km east of Ayer's Rock, NT, Australia

Uluru Yulara, NT, Australia

Uluru Uluru - Keta Tjuta National Park, NT, Australia

Uluru Uluru - Keta Tjuta National Park, NT, Australia

Uluru Uluru - Keta Tjuta National Park, NT, Australia

Trail up Uluru Uluru - Keta Tjuta National Park, NT, Australia

Uluru Uluru - Keta Tjuta National Park, NT, Australia

Uluru Uluru - Keta Tjuta National Park, NT, Australia

Uluru Uluru - Keta Tjuta National Park, NT, Australia

Uluru Uluru - Keta Tjuta National Park, NT, Australia

Uluru Uluru - Keta Tjuta National Park, NT, Australia

Uluru Uluru - Keta Tjuta National Park, NT, Australia

Uluru Uluru - Keta Tjuta National Park, NT, Australia

Uluru Uluru - Keta Tjuta National Park, NT, Australia

Uluru Uluru - Keta Tjuta National Park, NT, Australia

Uluru Uluru - Keta Tjuta National Park, NT, Australia

Uluru Uluru - Keta Tjuta National Park, NT, Australia

Uluru Uluru - Keta TjutaNational Park, NT, Australia

All photo images © 1997-2000 Anthony Jones - Images may not be used without prior written approval.

Click on map to Zoom in...
Map
Trip Stats to Date:
Day: 1112
Miles Driven:180422
Linear Dist: 214306
Countries Visited: 68
Regions Visited: 258
More stats...
Hotels: 363
Friends / Family: 293
Camping: 124
Hostels: 248
Transit: 70
Other Lodging: 13
Beers: 3925
Hide...

Journal Entry:
In the morning we wasted an hour getting diesel, checking oil / fluids, and scrounging breakfast - ended up settling for Saos & Sara Lee carrot cake. At the turn off to the Lasseter Highway (to Ayer's Rock) there was a pen full of emus. I tried to take pictures, but everytime I stuck the lens of my camera through the fence one of the birds would attack. Even with a barbwire topped fence between us, an agresive six foot bird is still scarey!

As we got closer to the national park I was a little surprised to find myself getting excited. Waiting for my first view of the rock it felt a little like Christmas when I was a kid. The first sight was a good seventy-five miles away, and sadly it just wasn't that impressive - an unhealthy blister of a rock on an otherwise perfectly featureless plane. However as the car got closer and it continued to grow for the next hour and a half so did my opinion of it.

At Yulara, the location of the Ayer's Rock Resort - the only accomodation anywhere near Uluru (Ayer's Rock), and still a good 30 miles away from the famous rock - got a camp site. Quickly set up camp, then headed for the rock.

The closer you get to Uluru the more impressive it is. Nearly twenty miles away it seems to dominate the sky. In some ways it is quite eerie - it's presence seems so comfortingly familiar, while at the same time its bulk bewilders your sense of proportion.

There was hardly anyone around. We stopped at the base of the climbing trail (closed due to the weather conditions) and took some photos. Then slowly drove around the rock stopping frequently. It's amazing how many colors the monochrome rock can appear to have. As we drove from the sunlit west side to the shadowy east side the color went from nearly neon orange to a dark ash gray.

Found a parking spot in the sunset viewing lot (this is where everyone is) and climbed on top of the car to watch the light show. As the sun started to set the colors got even brighter - the rock seemed to be glowing. As the sun slipped behind the horizon the fire quickly faded through an uncountable number of distinct colors before settling on black.

Drove back to the campground and then into the resort village for a decent dinner.


Related Sites:
US State Department Consular Information Sheets: Australia
CIA World Fact Book: Australia

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