The red planet
Google maps view of the area where we’re staying/playing
Monday, December 9
Arrived at Uluru (Ayer Rock) today. The flight from Sydney was 3.5 hours. It’s hard to keep in mind the size of this country/continent. It’s approximately equal to the continental US, but 95+% of the population is around the coast, and most of that is on the East side.
We rented a vehicle and drove around the rock itself, which again is deceiving to look at. It’s almost 350 meters (1100 feet) high, and over 2 miles long. The mind just doesn’t work on that scale normally; you just keep adjusting and adjusting as you get closer.
Driving up from a couple miles out, “Oh, that’s big.”
A mile away “Wow, I didn’t realize it was that big.”
From a few hundred yards “It just doesn’t seem to adjust to the stuff around it, it’s so huge.”
Parking under a hundred yards away “Holy moly, it just never seems to get closer”
Standing next to it (as close as you can get: no touchie) “I didn’t realize how big it was, those are huge caves and shards, not what I thought.”
Tuesday, December 10
Did a walking tour (Mara walk) at Uluru, then visited the Olgas nearby. And by nearby I mean a 40 minute drive on a two lane road surrounded by lots of nothing. Very barren, yet full of all types of life.
The weather has been both really good and not so good. Temperatures are low for this time of year, about 75 degrees; but there have been clouds and intermittent bits of rain. The clouds are really dramatic in the photos, and the rain creates rivulets on the rock formations, as well as mud with all the red dirt. There is green foliage, and even a bunch of frogs in the uncommonly deep puddles and basins around the rock.
Also on holiday are flys. Not as many as there could be, but more than you want in your mouth. We’re frequently wearing nets over our heads to keep them from being too friendly.
The thunder Down Under
Few things I’ve learned in my brief stay so far:
Uggs is an Aussie brand; their stores are all over Sydney
2nd level of a structure is actually the 3rd floor
Look RIGHT for traffic, damnit!
Australians will make up silly words to avoid saying easy ones. “McDonalds” becomes “Mackies” or “Mackers”, “Breakfast” is “Brekkie”, and “Mate” means “Idiot”.
I did what is inaccurately called a “walk” the other day. It made me reevaluate my expectations about a lot of stuff. I asked afterwards, and found out the Bush is where the eucalyptus trees and other foliage is all around, creating a canopy and very full ecosystem. The Outback, however, is red dirt and barren landscape with vegetation that rarely tops about two meters. Turns out I did about seven miles in the Bush. It’s surprisingly close to urban areas, yet remains quite remote.
I progressed through confusion, frustration, and dependence; coming out on the other side with a greater appreciation for adjusting expectations and working with what you have.
Below are some pics from the trip, from the train station all the way to the pool I lounged in at the turnaround point (look for the lizard next to the waterfall, we shared the view). Note the rocks across the “trail”, which you’re expected to climb over. It’s a “F#¢₭ the Differently Abled” way of creating hiking trails, to be sure.
Yesterday was a Big Eats day, with breakfast out, lunch out, dinner with a bunch of people and board games into the night. Learned some fun games! Today is the flight to Uluru, where we’ll spend a few days before returning to Sydney.