Yulara to Marlo - 345km

Yulara to Kernot Range Rest Area  -  151km
Kernot Range Rest Area to Kulgera Pub  -  174km
Kulgera Pub to Marla  180km

I left Yulara late Saturday morning and headed for Kernot Range rest area which is about 100km West of the Stuart Highway.  Since leaving Alice Springs the flies have hit with such a vengeance it is too unpleasant to sit outside.   I seem to remember reading once that the flies are very bad in Central Australia.   I even resorted to buying a fly net to wear over my face for when I am walking Oscar.

One thing that does surprise me is that I have hardly seen a kangaroo, emu or camel.  If you believe the media, the Australian outback is supposedly over run with hundreds of thousands of kangaroos, camels and emus, yet apart from dozens of wild goats and pigs and wandering cattle, since I have been on the road I have only seen about 5 kangaroos, 2 emus and 3 dingos.  On Saturday I had to slow down for a herd of about 20 wild horses trotting across the highway.

Yesterday (Sunday) I stayed overnight at the Kulgera Pub camp ground.  When booking in I noticed their special for the night - roast lamb!  It was too hard to resist so I came back later and had the roast for my dinner with a nice glass of wine.  They gave me such a huge plate full that I couldn't eat it all, so I took what I couldn't eat back to the van and Oscar enjoyed some roast lamb as well.

Even though it is still Winter, the wild flowers are slowly starting to come to life.  After leaving Kulgera there were vast patches of white, yellow, pink and red flowers blooming along the highway.  In another month it should look spectacular.

Oscar's new identical friend at Yulara  -  a miniature chocolate brown poodle called Chester.

Kernot Range Rest Area.

Shoe tree at Kulgera Pub.

Paper daisies along the highway as far as the eye could see.

These colourful wildflowers were growing in clumps everywhere.

Uluru

I have been a bit disappointed with my stay here at Yulara (Uluru) because of the strict laws restricting dogs in national parks.  Oscar has free run at the resort but I can't take him any closer to the rock so  I have to be content looking at it from a distance, and even from a distance it looks amazing.   I would love to return one day and do a proper tour as well as visit the Olgas which also look amazing from a distance.   I would probably have to leave Oscar in a kennel at Alice Springs.

I am really looking forward to seeing my family in two weeks and I am struggling to stay motivated.  There is still such a lot to see but after six months on the road all I can focus on is getting home.

I will definitely be doing this trip again, but will try to limit future trips away to no more than three months at a time.

Shopping Centre at Yulara.

Various views of Uluru from Yulara resort.

Alice Springs to Uluru - 448km

Alice Springs to Stuarts Well Road House  -  92km
Stuarts Well to Desert Oaks  -  75km
Desert Oaks to Curtain Springs East  -  168km
Curtain Springs East to Uluru  -  113km

After nearly four days on the road I arrived at Uluru about lunchtime today.  I have booked in for two nights at only $23 per night for a powered site which was a pleasant surprise.  The Ayres Rock resort is a huge complex and consists of a shopping centre, hotels, apartments and several camp grounds.  A free shuttle bus runs every day to carry people around the resort.

After experiencing weeks of beautiful clear blue skies I woke up yesterday to discover that clouds had gathered overnight.  Fortunately they were not rain clouds and the sun still shone for most of the day.  The clouds have continued to move in today so I don't think there will be much sun tomorrow.  I don't mind because I'm plugged into power and don't have to rely on my solar panels while I am staying here at Uluru.

I was parked at the Curtain Springs East rest stop last night, and the sunset was spectacular with the sun shining on the clouds as it went down.

Uluru is a 250km drive along the Lasseter Highway after turning West off the Stuart Highway.  After the first 100km the highway begins to thread its way through amazing red sand dunes dotted with unusual looking trees that have black trunks and foliage that looks like long pine needles.  Once again I've travelled through a terrain different to anything I have seen before - what an amazing country this is.

Being a national park I can't drive close to the Rock with Oscar, so tomorrow I will enquire about any tours that I might be able to take for a couple of hours while I leave Oscar in the van at the camp ground.

My dusty free camp at Stuarts Well Road House.

Desert Oaks Camp.

Curtain Springs East Camp.

Sunset at Curtain Springs East Camp.

View of Mt Connor - about 100km before Uluru.

Red sand dunes along the Lasseter Highway

View of Uluru from resort camp ground.

Alice Springs

After four nights parked on the lawn at Heritage Caravan Park I am now about to head South to my next stop.  It won't be far - about 60km I think to the next rest stop.

I drove into town to buy a couple of last minute things and as I will be out of phone range for the next few days decided to find a parking spot in the shade and write an update.

The weather has been perfect here in Alice Springs.  Beautiful cloudless skies with temperatures in the mid to high twenties and cool nights for sleeping.   I really like Alice Springs.  Never having been here before I didn't know what to expect and was pleasantly surprised.   There is a good atmosphere about the place and with shopping malls and outdoor cafes it has everything one would want if a permanent resident.

Government Offices.

Looking South from Anzac Hill over business precinct.  Alice Springs sits North of and at the base of the McDonnell Ranges.  This photo shows the main street (Stuart Highway) and where it cuts through the ranges at the edge of town.

Another view from Anzac Hill.

Monument to fallen soldiers on Anzac Hill.

Alice Springs

I had a good sleep last night.  Woke up at 8.30am to another beautiful day.  I'm going to drive back into town and buy some groceries and more camel and date sausages.  I bought two yesterday and cooked one for my dinner last night.  It was every bit as delicious as I had been told.   The butcher proudly showed me an award certificate hanging on the wall for his sausages.

I was sitting outside yesterday when a journalist from a caravan and motorhome magazine approached me and asked if she could interview me for upcoming articles for their magazine.  She was writing articles on free camping and travelling with pets, and as I have plenty of experience with both she was interested in any advice I could pass on.  It was a lot of fun and she took plenty of photos.  She asked me for hints for prospective travellers and was impressed when I showed her my supply of water which I keep in 5 litre bottles on the floor in front of the passenger seat.  I realised early on that lifting 10 litre containers up to chest height to fill my water tank was bad for my back, so I replaced them with 5 litre containers which are so much easier to handle.  She thought that was a great idea and took photos of all my containers stored in front of the seat.  She was talking to other travellers as well so I'm not sure if my interview will make it into the magazine, but I will keep my eyes open in the coming months.

Oscar is in for a surprise later.  The caravan park has a coin operated doggie wash, so he is going to have a lovely bath.  Although he doesn't look dirty, I am sure his coat is full of all the red dirt and dust we have been travelling though.  I won't need to dry him.  I'll just take him for a walk and he will dry off in the sun in no time.

The Pebbles to Alice Springs - 530km

The Pebbles to Devils Marbles  -  123km

Devils Marbles to Taylors Creek rest stop  -  85km

Taylors Creek to Prowse Gap  -  176km

Prowse Gap to Tropic of Capricorn rest stop  -  116km

Capricorn rest stop to Alice Springs  -  30km

I spent Saturday and Sunday night at Devils Marbles  - so fascinating.   Huge granite boulders balanced one on top of the other.  The scientific theory is that over thousands of years the soil has eroded away exposing the granite and the weather has worn the boulders down forming them into the various round shapes.

It is hard to see how the scientists come up with that theory.   I spent some timing wandering on and around the rocks, and although they have been there for thousands of years, I felt a little uneasy at times because some of the boulders looked as if they were about to roll off.

After leaving the Devils Marbles late Monday morning I only drove 85km and stayed overnight at Taylor Creek rest stop.  It was a bit windy and exposed, but feeling a bit off colour  I decided to stay put.  I think I spent too much time in the sun walking around the Marbles the day before.

I travelled 176km on Tuesday and stopped at Prowse Gap for the night and on Wednesday I continued on my way to the Tropic of Capricorn rest stop which is about 30km North of Alice Springs.

The surrounding country side travelling South from Katherine along the Stuart Highway is mainly dry grass and bush with trees and a few rocky outcrops - more like the Australian bush one expects to see when travelling.  Compared to the Pilbarra, which has amazing scenery, since leaving Katherine the drive has been a bit monotonous at times.   I love the Aussie country side, but having experienced the Pilbarra and its rugged beauty, for me, nothing else compares as I travel around.

I find it very frustrating not being able to get phone signal.  With the Stuart Highway being the main route between Darwin and the South, it surprises me that, apart from a couple of hot spots, there is no coverage.  I’m looking forward to reaching Alice Springs so I can catch up with my family.  

I had an entertaining morning at the Tropic of Capricorn rest stop before I left today.  Two English couples aged in their sixties and travelling together in a hired Winnebago were standing outside their van arguing in very loud voices.  I seems they couldn't agree on who should be driving and they were also arguing over the sleeping arrangements.   Then they couldn't agree on which tourists attractions to visit.  When I drove off they were still at it.  As a bystander it was hilarious, but to them it will probably turn out to be the holiday from hell.   

I only had to travel 30km down the road to Alice Springs.  I was pleasantly surprised.  A really nice town with lots of shops and shady malls to stroll along and outdoor cafes to sit and watch the world go by.   I have booked into a caravan park for the next three nights on an unpowered site, so it is only costing $13.50 per night compared to $40 for power.

Dingo at Devil's Marbles

Rock formations at Devils Marbles.

Camp site at Devils Marbles.

        

Tropic of Capricorn Rest Stop.

Approaching Alice Springs.

     

Daly Waters to Kunjarra - 384

Daly Waters to Newcastle Waters  - 121km

Newcastle Waters to Banka Banka Station  - 173km

Banka Banka to Kunjarra  -  90km

I left late Wednesday morning from Daly Waters and stopped for the night at the next rest stop, Newcastle Waters, which was on a hilltop overlooking a valley.   A young couple from Belgium was camped nearby, and they mentioned that they hadn’t seen any kangaroos.  I was standing looking out over the valley when I heard the thump, thump of approaching kangaroos.  I called out to the couple to come quickly, but the kangaroos disappeared into the bush before they had the chance to see them.  They then spent the rest of the afternoon watching out for them, but unfortunately there were no more to be seen, so they are still disappointed.

On Thursday I travelled  173km to the Banka Banka Station.   With a constant supply of natural spring water and nice grassy areas to camp on I found myself a nice spot and then sat in the shade for the afternoon.   With the temperature hovering around 26 degrees it was a beautiful day, much more bearable than the constant 30 plus temperatures further North.  Later in the afternoon I took Oscar for a walk up the hill behind the station so I could take some photos.  

Today - Friday.  It was so nice at Banka Banka that I was tempted to stay another night, but the thought of home and the urge to move on was too strong.  I did a load of washing before I left, so I pulled up at a rest stop which was about 40km down the road and hung it out to dry.   With the sun and strong warm breeze blowing it was dry within half an hour and I continued on to my stop for the night - Kunjarra.

Kunjarra, or "The Pebbles" is a sacred site about 6 km off the highway where, in their dream time, Warumungu Aboriginal women danced the Munga Munga Dreaming around the granite boulders.  Apparently it is a very special place to be at dusk.  

Old overland telegraph pole circa 1870.

View across valley from Newcastle Waters rest stop.

An old out building and one of many pieces of old farm equipment laying around at Banka Banka Station.

An restored outbuilding at Banka Banka Station - over 100 years old.

Looking over Banka Banka Station campground from hilltop.

Monument beside the highway commemorating Constable John Shirley who died whilst performing his duties in 1883.

 Kunjarra - The Pebbles.

Kunjarra - The Pebbles

My very dusty camp spot for the night at Kunjarra.