Going for a Drive

Each night for the rest of the week we went for a drive. North, south, east and west, we covered each point of the compass. Heading out of Alice before sunset then driving down the road until we decided that there wasn’t much out, and we turned around. It was a shame that there wasn’t much out. The days had been hot but the nights were relatively cool. For whatever the reason, there wasn’t as much out as should have been. Even so, we did get to see quite a few cool things.

Stimpsons Python (Antaresia stimpsoni).

Me illegally interfering with a gecko (by picking it up).

Southern Spiney-tailed Gecko (Strophurus intermedius).

Marbled Velvet Gecko (Odura marmarata).

An angry Mulga Snake (Pseudechis australis) that I suprised (and suprised me) while walking down a dry river bed.

A House Mouse (Mus musculus domesticus) eating grass seed near Glen Helen.

Australian Owlet Nightjar (Aegotheles cristatus) that didn't want to get off the road.

Centralian Carpet Python (Morelia spilota bredli).

A fly on a tree.

Bynoes Gecko (Heteronotia binoei).

Rocking the Rock!

Stewart was here for two weeks and in that time we saw quite a bit. The next weekend we drove down to Ayers Rock. Even though I’d been down there twice before it was still as impressive as the first time. The massive red rock comes looming out of the desert. It starts its looming when you’re still quite a way off and gets even bigger and more loomier the closer you get. We arrived late after stopping to take a couple of photos of critters that we saw along the drive. Despite the lateness of our arrival we were up early before the sun. We drove out to the new viewing platform that was recently built at a cost of over 3 million dollars. Unfortunately they must have ran out of money for the signs. There was one in the local indigenous language but not one in English. I can only guess that more aboriginal people visit the sunrise viewing platform than those who understand English. We drove half way around the rock before I decided to turn around. I don’t know why they only decided to put the indigenous language on the signpost. Is this politically correctness gone overboard or just a stupid mistake? I’m hoping it was the latter. The sunrise was impressive but as there were about eight tour busses that were there as well as a few cars and campervans, (I can only assume they either followed someone in or can speak the local dialect), the view was more of the crowds instead of the rock. One thing that amused me was that they built the viewing platform spending all that money but didn’t bother to take out the two or three trees that were in front between the platform and the rock and blocked a portion of the view from most angles. Even the ones on the very top of the dune!

After the sunrise we went to the base of the rock and waited a while to see if they would open the climb. Unfortunately they didn’t because of apparent high winds (even though there wasn’t even a breeze on the ground), and so in the end, with much wailing and gnashing of teeth, we decided to do the base walk instead. As someone who has both climbed the rock and done the base walk I would have to say that the climb is much more impressive. Hopefully there will be a next time. The Aboriginal Land Corporation has just purchased Voyages Ayers Rock Resort and so it looks like they’ll be closing the climb pretty soon no matter what the weather. It was a hot rock on the day we walked around. Ten kilometers under the blazing sun but by the end we (or at least I), felt we’d achieved something. After that we went to the cultural centre before heading over to the Olgas. Stewart wanted to find a little dragon (a lizard not the mythical kind) in the area so we decided to do the Valley of the Winds walk. It turned out that the little dragons were quite common. We walked to the first lookout (about one kilometer return) and we saw five of the little things. I’m going to have to go back when it’s cooler and do the rest of the walk.
The weekend seemed to go very quickly and before we knew it we were back in the car and driving back to Alice Springs.

Pale Knob-tailed Gecko (Nephrurus laevissimus)


A tourist photographing Ayers Rock.

Western Brown Snake (Pseudonja mengdeni).

Driving back to Alice Springs

I’ve been back in Alice Springs for two days now and today is my first day back at work. Stewart and I set off on the 4th of January driving south through Broken Hill and Port Augusta back to Alice Springs. The drive took around five days to complete and all up we drove over 3500 kilometers. There were a few long days and some even longer drives. Time wasn’t against us but I did have to be back by Monday. In the end we drove straight through. We could have stopped in Dubbo. We could have stopped at Ayers Rock. In the end, we drove straight through and arrived in Central Australia with two days to spare. It was only the second time that Stewart had been to Alice Springs. He drove out with me when I first brought my car out. Then he only stayed for a couple of days then so this time, he had to see a bit more of what Central Australia had to offer.

Stopping off in South Australia on the way back to Central Australia.

A sea gull flying away from Port Augusta in South Australia.