Week One - Hobart to Uluru to Adelaide

Sunset at Uluru

Saturday, December 4th. The skies over Hobart wept as we departed the harbor town which had been our home for six fantastic months (there were some tears in our eyes too). On Saturday, December 4, 2010, after flying 1900 miles and almost 7 hours, we arrived in the red center of the continent of Australia. Even though Australia is the 6th largest country by landmass, it only has a population of 22 million. Virtually all of the population is concentrated around the coastal areas – the vast majority of the continent is unpopulated. The flight to the center emphasized the vastness of this desert continent. The Australian desert is the 3rd largest in the world. Uluru or Ayers Rock is the iconic image of Australia and a very sacred site to the aborigines.  Shortly after arriving at The Sails in the Desert, our hotel for the next three nights, we were whisked away by helicopter to fly over Uluru and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas). It was a special treat to witness these amazing sites from the air. Many years ago when one of my best friends was dying from ovarian cancer, she wanted to visit Ayers Rock. Her brother made the trip happen for her and ever since I have wanted to visit. Uluru did not disappoint. Pictures of Uluru do not do it justice. The textures and the varying colors are hard to capture on film.

Sunrise at Uluru

We watched the sun set over Uluru on a camel back trek through the desert. Izzy formed a special bond with Rajah, our camel. Australia boasts the largest population of feral camels in the world – approximately 1 million. Our camel driver made delicious beer bread which was served with fine wine at the conclusion of our trek.

Riding into the sunset on Rajah with shower on the horizon

Rajah serenading us

Kata Tjuka

Sunday, December 5th. At dawn, we witnessed a spectacular sunrise from the base of Uluru. The moment the sun rose, it illuminated Uluru with a soft orange light. I was rewarded with an amazing photo of the rock. Following breakfast at the Aboriginal Cultural Center, we hiked with an Aboriginal guide around the base. Due to a once in a decade rain fall over the past month, the desert was bursting in shades of green which complimented the red dirt and brilliant blue sky.

Alice

 Alice, who is named after Alice Springs, the biggest city in the red center was our guide. She was accompanied by a Japanese interpreter who translated into English for us. For some reason, the Aboriginal language is easy for Japanese to learn. Alice showed us how to make fire in the bush, how to throw a spear and how to balance a wooded tray for carrying food on your head. Uluru is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara (or Anangu), the Aboriginal people of the area, and they discourage climbing the rock. When we were there, the rock was closed due to the heat and winds. In the afternoon, we went on a sunset tour to Kata Tjuka. Even though the sunset failed to perform, we had a great hike around the base of these incredible rock formations. Kata Tjuka means many heads and there are 36 of these huge rock formations arising from the desert floor.

Kata Tjuka and Uluru

Monday, December 6th. We took a 12 hour bus trip through the outback to Kings Canyon. Despite a temperature reading over 107 degrees and thousands flies, the canyon amazed us. I took a difficult, but beautiful 4 hour hike around the canyon rim. When Izzy saw the steep 500 step stone stairway leading the start of the hike, he elected an easier stroll through the canyon valley. Photography in the canyon was spectacular with the red, red canyon rocks and the electric blue sky laced with a few puffy clouds. The bus ride through the outback on such a hot day showed us the desolation of this desert and made you wonder how the aborigines survived, let alone the early European explorers. 

Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon

Gas station in the middle of nowhere

Kings Canyon

The highlight of our stay was the Sounds of Silence dinner that night. We were taken to a raised area in the desert where we could see both Uluru and Kata Tjuka. We sipped champagne while the sun set over KataTjuka. The tables were set with candles and white linen. The buffet dinner, including roasted kangaroo, was delicious. They kept refilling our wine glasses with quality Australian wines. Dessert was served with a fine port. The BIG problem was the bugs. I think every species of Australian insect joined us when our candle light became the only light in the desert. After dinner, an astronomer showed the stars in the Southern skies and we saw Sirius through the telescope. We will remember these experiences at Uluru the rest of our lives.

The big buzz around Australia this week has been Oprah. She brought 300 of her best fans to Australia and they have been fanning out in smaller groups to see the wonders of this country. This is the lead news story all week. Oprah did not announce where she or the smaller groups would be going, so the whole nation is on “Oprah Watch”. They even put a big red O on the Sydney Bridge and temporarily renamed the Opera House, the Oprah House. Oprah said that her good friend, Paul Simon, called her and told her not to miss Uluru, so she changed her plans and came to Uluru two days after we left. I don’t know how many life changing experiences Oprah can have, but see said visiting Uluru was one of them. Izzy and I feel fortunate because over the last 19 months we have visited most of the places Oprah’s fans have gone.

Sunset over the dessert

Tuesday, December 7th. After our flight was canceled on Tuesday morning, we took an afternoon flight to Adelaide. The six and a half hour journey covered 1900 miles. It took so long because we had to fly back to Sydney, which is on the east coast, change planes and then fly to Adelaide which is on the south coast in the center of the continent.

Wednesday, December 8th to Friday, December 10th. We spent three nights at the Rendezvous Hotel in the center of Adelaide. Adelaide is the capital of South Australia. The area around Adelaide, especially the Barossa Valley is home to some of the finest wineries in Australia. The city retains much of its charm from its 19th century architecture. We found it to be a very livable city and maybe one where Izzy would like to work in the future. Highlights of our time in Adelaide included a city tour, a cruise down the main river, a day trip to the Barossa Valley and a tour of a mansion in the city center that once belonged to Sir Henry Ayers, after whom Ayers rock was named. On Friday evening, we fly 1300 miles in 3 and a half hours to arrive in Perth, the capital of Western Australia.

Plaque in Adelaide Botanical Gardens

University of Adelaide