We left Coober Pedy early and joined the Stuart Highway under a blanket of high cloud. Whilst the Desert is considered flat and featureless, the number of ridges, dry creek beds and eroded water courses provide plenty of entertainment for anyone interested in geography, landscapes or scenery in general.
In addition to the cloud cover, a nice almost cool breeze was blowing so stops along the way were more pleasant today and certainly the breeze was more refreshing than the coffee (powdered caterers blend - it is truly a harsh country!).
After morning tea at Cadney Homestead and lunch at Erldunda Roadhouse, the run out to Uluru (or Ayers Rock) found water at the side of the road and approaching heavy clouds. About 20 minutes from Yulara I expected we would see the top of the Rock in the distance but as the rain started we realised that we were in for a different kind of treat today. We went past Yulara, the accommodation area outside the National Park, and arrived at the National Park entrance without seeing the Rock. As we drove through (having paid our $50.00!) we noticed the clouds particularly heavy in one place and like something from Close Encounters, dropping out of the cloud was a large dark shape. Not the usual tourist picture of a bright red rock!
For the next hour we drove around, stopping every few hundred metres and snapped away at the rivers, cascades and waterfalls coming down from the rock. The amount of water that comes of the rock gives an indication of just how big it is, as the run off was pooling across the ring road and creating small ponds everywhere.
We headed back to Yulara for a very pleasant, cool night and had not yet seen The Olgas (Kata Tjuta).
In addition to the cloud cover, a nice almost cool breeze was blowing so stops along the way were more pleasant today and certainly the breeze was more refreshing than the coffee (powdered caterers blend - it is truly a harsh country!).
After morning tea at Cadney Homestead and lunch at Erldunda Roadhouse, the run out to Uluru (or Ayers Rock) found water at the side of the road and approaching heavy clouds. About 20 minutes from Yulara I expected we would see the top of the Rock in the distance but as the rain started we realised that we were in for a different kind of treat today. We went past Yulara, the accommodation area outside the National Park, and arrived at the National Park entrance without seeing the Rock. As we drove through (having paid our $50.00!) we noticed the clouds particularly heavy in one place and like something from Close Encounters, dropping out of the cloud was a large dark shape. Not the usual tourist picture of a bright red rock!
For the next hour we drove around, stopping every few hundred metres and snapped away at the rivers, cascades and waterfalls coming down from the rock. The amount of water that comes of the rock gives an indication of just how big it is, as the run off was pooling across the ring road and creating small ponds everywhere.
We headed back to Yulara for a very pleasant, cool night and had not yet seen The Olgas (Kata Tjuta).
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