During our flight from Adelaide to Alice Springs, we flew over Coober Pedy and the surrounding area, which was prominently featured in “Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.” I think we made the right decision not to drive through these vast dry plains, punctuated by salt pans and water holes. It was so much more fascinating (and scenic) to view the landscape from above than to drive for hours on end with the sun bearing down on your face and arms in a car, as we did when we traveled from Alice Springs to Yulara, home to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.
The only negative to air travel, aside from the constant juggling of luggage and carry-on restrictions (umbrellas must be removed from carry-on bags for inspection—that’s a new one), is the shock to the system when you come in contact with a different weather pattern after only a two-hour flight. We left Adelaide on a cool morning to arrive in Alice Springs to cold, arid conditions that dried out my nasal passages until they bled. I wasn’t too bothered by this, as I’ve had the same problem in Arizona and New Mexico, plus we were only going to be in the area for five days.
Our main destination was, of course, the national park, so the morning after we arrived in Alice Springs, we took off on the only sealed (paved) road across the outback for Yulara. Despite a camel sighting and some penned emus, wildlife sightings were few and far between, thus the five-hour drive left us with few distractions to break the monotony. By the time we arrived in Yulara, we were rather pie-eyed and numb, so when the hotel valet immediately opened my door upon Herman pulling the car up to the curb and started peppering me with questions about our luggage, I came very close to being an Ugly American. I fended him off for a few moments, but he was quite persistent, so Herman, sensing a pending volcano, wisely told me to check us in while he dealt with the valet.
Once we were finally settled in after a room change (we were given a room for a disabled person by mistake), we drove to Uluru (formerly Ayers Rock) to view the formation at sunset. It is truly a magnificent sight, this giant red rock, against a bright blue sky, in the middle of an arid plain filled with shrubs and low trees. As the sun sets, it turns into a deeper red, almost purple. Uluru has special significance to the Aborigine, and there are signs around its base, asking people not to climb the rock, but it is still an irresistible draw to nature lovers, including Herman, who hiked to the top the following day.
In our opinion, the lesser known Kata Tjuta rock formation emanated a more spiritual aura than Uluru, though perhaps part of that feeling comes from the quieter surroundings. It’s easy to envision earlier groups of Aborigine taking refuge around the rocks at some of the watering holes and foraging for food, whether plant or animal based.
Upon returning to Alice Springs along the same road (we saw black cockatoos!), I took a day off the following morning while Herman went exploring in the West MacDonnell Range, where he spotted his first wallaby.
Now, the time had come, much too soon, to board another airplane for our flight to Darwin. Many people told us we would love Darwin; that it was so pretty there. Well, as we stumbled off the plane, the hot air hit us in the face, and I can’t say I shared their enthusiasm. Perhaps the sudden change from near-freezing night to mid-90s day temperatures (and substantial humidity) had something to do with it, but I suddenly had flashbacks to summers in Texas when I was a teenager, an experience I didn’t enjoy back then, either. At least the restaurants offered some solace, and we finally had an opportunity to eat Greek food and drink Australian-style Sangria.
We made a brave attempt to walk around central Darwin the next day, but after just a few hours, the sun took its toll and we retreated to the indoors, including a visit to a museum that featured the history about the bombing of the Darwin harbor during WWII and the Royal Flying Doctor Service, which serves as an ambulance service for the populace that live in the Outback or other remote Australian locations. The day ended at a café along the water that offered a first-rate view of the sunset that evening.
The next morning, we drove to Kakadu National Park, where we would spend two nights in order to take advantage of a sunrise cruise on the Yellow River to view crocodiles. While the hotel room (complete with resident gecko) was fine, the lodge is set in the middle of a tropical area, thus humidity levels were even higher than in Darwin and bugs were in abundance. Much to our surprise (and my dismay) the restaurant was al fresco, even though there was an enclosed area set up for dining. When we asked if we could sit inside, we got quite the sullen look. Yeah, I know, Ugly American, here.
The two-hour cruise along the Yellow River was fascinating! Mobile patches of grass and marshland spread across the landscape as far as the eye could see, and I was surprised that feral pigs, cows and even one brave cat survived in such a perilous environment filled with crocodiles and snakes. Sadly, we only saw three crocodiles, but Herman did get some great shots of a kingfisher bird. We privately wondered if the guide’s nonstop commentary (we’re not sure he drew breath between sentences) scared off some of the wildlife.
Upon our drive back to Darwin, we saw the biggest crocodile of our trip, swimming in the water. Oh, another Australian “creature” worthy of note is a road train: an 18-wheeler in connected configurations of three or four trucks. Its wake, when passing you on the road, can knock you off your feet! We also saw several fires burning as we neared Darwin, and we weren’t sure if they were controlled burns or the result of fireworks celebrations from the day before (July 1, Northern Territory Day). Did I mention that the Northern Territory has a very libertarian vibe?
On July 3, we took our final leg of the flight that began in Whyalla on June 21 to Cairns. Fortunately, the temperature was a good 15 degrees cooler. Our first morning in the city, we picked up our car for the 32-day drive from Cairns to Melbourne. We immediately placed bets as to which might reach Melbourne first, us or the car’s motor after shedding its frame. It took us quite a while to note all the defects, though it was only after we drove off that we noted the odometer reading: 220,000+ kilometers! We used Jucy rentals in New Zealand, where, I must admit, we aged our much younger car during the three-month rental. Perhaps this is Jucy’s revenge on us, though I think it has more to do with this being a one-way rental.
Cairns is the closest land mass to the Great Barrier Reef, so we booked a day trip to the permanent platform set on the outer reef. The hour-and-a-half boat trip to the platform was choppy, and quite a few people took advantage of the seasickness medication provided. Once on the platform, there was plenty to do, from snorkeling and scuba diving to viewing the reef via a glass-bottom boat or semi-submersible. It was also possible to observe the coral and sea life from a glassed-in deck below the platform. Since I don’t have prescription goggles, snorkeling was out for me, but Herman joined a group in the water. He said that it’s the best way to see the coral and the fish. He had a giant fish swimming within inches of his face. We also saw turtles swimming languidly through the waters. The fish were so colorful and varied!
Our last day in Cairns was dedicated to a tour of the Daintree Rainforest. Along with another cruise, where we saw more crocodiles (and a python that the guide helpfully had stuffed into a cloth bag on board the boat before we left the dock), highlights included seeing cassowary birds (left over from the days of the dinosaurs) and eating ice cream made from wattle seeds and soursop, a fruit that grows on a type of evergreen tree. We also visited a couple of beaches, though the enticements to walk on the shores were sharply discouraged by signs announcing recent crocodile sightings. Another interesting sight was kilometers of sugar cane fields. Sugar cane is Australia’s third largest industry, and sodas are actually made with cane sugar instead of the horrible high fructose corn syrup used in the U.S. market.
Upon leaving Cairns, we drove south toward Townsville. An unplanned stop along the road to see a wetland finally provided Herman with photos of lorikeets and several wallabies. I can’t recommend the motel we booked for the night in Townsville: broken hinge on the window (we used a towel to keep it closed and to keep out the bugs), sparking electrical plugs, poor sink drainage, hard pillows, too soft mattress…need I say more? And, oh yes, the return of high humidity.
At this point, I was not thinking kind thoughts toward Australia, but then we drove to Airlie Beach the next day. Ah, what a lovely spot! Aquamarine water, cool breezes, low humidity, nice restaurants and a great hotel. Yesterday, we took a one-hour flight above the Whitsunday islands, which is the best way to see this part of the Great Barrier Reef.
Sadly, tomorrow, we leave for McKay (pronounced Mc-KI, for some odd reason), so I’ll leave you, fellow travelers, at this point in the story. Until the next update…whenever that may be.
Trambling 
Australia has most amazingly varied terrain, flora, and fauna! You are so lucky to get such an in-depth view.
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Wow, how beautiful is that sunset?!!!! Doesn’t it (almost) remind you both of the sunset in Rancho Palos Verdes? And love the pictures of the black cockatoos and the Kingfisher. To answer your question, yes, the Wallaby is cute! 🙂
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