Wednesday, 1 October 2008

Katherine Gorge

The very next day I cought the Gahn again continuing my travels heading north.
We stopped close to the little town of Katherine. Who wanted was able to take part in a couple of activitys like exploring Katherine Gorge!

What a stunning beauty. Just the perfect day to enjoy it!

Here we habe to change boots because the river is to shallow.


A crocodile trap!!!

Finally we arrive in Darwin. After taking the shuttle from the station to town I checked in with the local YHA [with 71% it had the lowes rating of all YHA’s] I have to say it looks like it. Run down with jumble sale furniture. After a short stroll along the park I searched for alternative accommodation. Even so it seemed that all places are pretty much alike. I made a booking with the Youth Shack. They have security storage and I planed to leave my valuables with thwm whil being on tour.
Photos taken durring the walk through the park.




Sunset in Darwin.

Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park

In Alice Springs awaited me a three day tour covering the Outback Icons. Departing from Alice Springs the next morning around 6 am in the dark (- _- zzz), we headed south, stopping for a short visit at an Outback Camel Farm (where one could try a camelride).
A so called Desertship. looks moody to me even so I learned that Camels are told to be more gentle than horses. Might be but they do not look like it!

Ok it is sooo cute!


Wow - our Outback vehicle! Compfy and cool inside!

After an Airport Stop to pick up additional guests we headed to a permanent campsite for lunch. The the afternoon was spent exploring Kata-Tjuta (The Olgas). We went for a walk to admire the beauty of the 36 magical domes (of which we ca saw 6 ;) and learn about unique fauna, flora explained by our guide.

Later we went on to Ayer’s Rock. At sunset we hoped to see the spectacular colour changes of Uluru. Unfortunately the sun was hidden behind clouds so there wasn’t much of a sunset. Our group contained of two French girls, 2 Danish couples, a Canadian girl, an Italian couple (he speakes german, she speakes English and both Italian ;) and 2 german couples with an additional geramn tourguide.

The next day we had to get up at 5:30am to make it for views of sunrise at Uluru. We went for a base tour of Uluru walking 10km in 2 hours, exploring ancient caves where Aboriginal paintings can be seen (To be honest I haven’t seen much ;).

Uluru, also referred to as Ayers Rock, is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. It lies 335 km (208 mi) south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; 450 km (280 mi) by road. Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park. Uluru is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara, the Aboriginal people of the area. It has many springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings. Uluru is listed as a World Heritage Site.


And the stone does changes it's color! From dull brown to gleaming red.

Uluru is one of Australia's most recognisable natural icons. The world-renowned sandstone formation stands 348 m (1,142 ft) high (863 m/2,831 ft above sea level) with most of its bulk below the ground, and measures 9.4 km (5.8 mi) in circumference.


Uluru is an inselberg, literally "island mountain", an isolated remnant left after the slow erosion of an original mountain range. Uluru is also often referred to as a monolith, although this is a somewhat ambiguous term because of its multiple meanings, and thus a word generally avoided by geologists. The remarkable feature of Uluru is its homogeneity and lack of jointing and parting at bedding surfaces, leading to the lack of development of scree slopes and soil. These characteristics led to its survival, while the surrounding rocks were eroded. Uluru is dominantly composed of coarse-grained arkose, a type of sandstone characterized by an abundance of feldspar, and some conglomerate.[4][6] Average composition is 50% feldspar, 25–35% quartz and up to 25% rock fragments; most feldspar is K-feldspar with only minor plagioclase as subrounded grains and highly altered inclusions within K-feldspar.


Remindes me of icecream but my follows could not share that impression of mine they said. :)

Between Uluru and Kings Canyon

"Kuniya, the woman python, lived in the rocks at Uluru where she fought the Liru, the poisonous snake." - Black marks on the Rock are supposed to represent Kuniya...
The afternoon was spent the in our well climatised vehicle (scarf!), traveling through red sand dune & desert oak country to Kings Creek Cattle Station. Stopping only to collect some firewood. (I collected some scares on the way ;).
Cavemen - our Guide and the boys stocking firewood for tonight....

Someone leaft their teeth behinde... ^^*

Do not ask me what they are doing! *^^*;

Departing from Kings Creek Station you can go on a Helicopter ride for 15min. 25min. etc. Quite cloudy so I declined.


Our save haven for the night. Even so the guide mentioned that he spotted quite some scorpion around here - but surring summer of course far to cold for them now.
Yo enjoy the Outback in tentstyle!

Hmmm chickecurry, rice and homemade bread - on the last evening our guide spoils us with his cooking. yum!

On the third day another early rise but it was worth it! We visited breathtaking Kings Canyon for a three hours hike.

Starting at the base at 7 am we hiked around the canyon rim viewing sites like the “Lost City” and the “Garden of Eden”, as well as striking North and South Walls.

Sunday, 7 September 2008

Kings Canyon (Northern Territory)

Kings Canyon is part of the Watarrka National Park in Northern Territory, Australia. Sitting at the western end of the George Gill Range, it is 323 km southwest of Alice Springs and 1316 km south of Darwin. The walls of Kings Canyon are over 300 metres high, with Kings Creek at the bottom.
The 6 km (loop) and 3-4 hour Kings Canyon Rim Walk traces the top of the canyon. A steep climb at the beginning of the walk, which locals call "Heartbreak Hill" (or "Heart Attack Hill", due to its steepness), takes visitors up to the top, with spectacular views of the gorge below and of the surrounding landscape.
This has once been sea bottom. Years ago. The ripples of the seabed turned into stone and are now on top of the canyon in the middle of a desert. Fascinating!
About half way during the walk, a detour descends to Garden of Eden, a permanent waterhole surrounded by lush plant life.

See the person in the top left side of the photo? Gives you an impression of the size.

The stairs nearly killed me - they should call them the devil's staircase if they do not already do that anyway!

The last half of the walk passes through a large maze of weathered sandstone domes, reminiscent of the Bungle Bungle.



Wow - not more you can think about it!




The striking North and South Walls. you can stand right next to the brim. No rail prevent you to. The one and only moment our tour guide got really nervous. He reminded us a couple of times, that it would not fair against him to fall into the canyon. He would have to fill out all that paperwork which is quite a pain.


After enjoying a last lunch we travelled back through sand dune country and saw wild horses, camels and a couple of white wild donkeys.


Australia's striking beauty.


Back in Alice Springs our 1500km journey which took us around the Red Canter of Australia came sadly to an end.

LEAVING ADELAIDE BEHIND

Cool car isn't it?

Yo - the mighty Eagle.


Red Seater Service - that's me!


The symbol of the Gahn is a camel and its handler in recognition of the pioneering Afghan cameleers.

Australia or Schleswig-Holstein in spring they look just the same.


Hm, here they must have taken the picture for Microsoft XP.


Ganola - Looks just like Fehmarn. Granny + Grandy I love you!


Wow - we go around a bend so I can see the train front.


ON THE WAY TO ALICE

Hm, sorry, got the picture order mixed up.
Anyway - the ocen in twilight.

Powerconection


A Saltlake - even though it is hard to see with the sun reflected by the salt cristals.


"Two weeks away it feels like the whole world should've changed

But I'm home now

And things still look the same

I think I'll leave it till tomorrow to unpack

Try to forget for one more night

That I'm back in my flat on the road

Where the cars never stop going through the night

To a life where I can't watch sunset

I don't have time

I don't have time"


"I've still got sand in my shoes

And I can't shake the thought of you

I should get on, forget you

But why would I want toI know we said goodbye

Anything else would've been confused but I wanna see you again"

Tomorrow's back to work and down to sanity
Should run a bath and then clear up the mess I made before I left here
Try to remind myself that I was happy here
Before I knew that I could get on the plane and fly away
From the road where the cars never stop going through the night
To a life where I can watch sunset and take my time,
Take all our time


Mooo - cattle im Outback!


A river - of course - can't see that? In winter it is!