Life in a Humpback

Day 23: Yulara to Watarrka / Kings Canyon

Another travel day today as we headed from Yulara to Kings Creek Station (just outside Watarrka / Kings Canyon National Park).

We arrived at camp early afternoon. The kids quickly headed off to the playground - the first one we have had at our camp site since Halls Gap. They made more friends in one afternoon than in awhile. Lots of time was spent on the zip line and swings.

In the late afternoon we hopped back in the car and headed down the road to the Discovery Caravan Park to watch the sunset from their sunset bar.

Day 22: Yulara

This morning we got up at 5:15am to catch the bus to our Sunrise Journeys tour. We were taken out to a lookout of Uluru and greeted with warm muffins, hot chocolates and chai tea. All of which were much appreciated as it was very cold!! We then sat down to watch a sound and light show created by three female indigenous artists that was projected onto the trees and landscape with the backdrop of Uluru and the sun rising. We all really loved this. It was beautifully done. After the light show we stayed in the area to watch the sunrise over Uluru while having breakfast - lots more hot chocolates, pastries (including cheese and kangaroo croissants), egg and bacon rolls, and so much more. I think by the end we rolled back to the bus we were so full!

Back at camp the boys laid down for a nap, while the girls headed back to another dot painting session and a walk through the "town square". John and the kids headed back into the park again to pick up a boomerang for Theo. While at the visitors centre they got to watch some local dances in celebration of NAIDOC (National Aboriginal and Islands Day Observance Committee) week.

Later that afternoon we went along to a didgeridoo workshop followed by a talk on women's tools and how they are used.

Day 21: Kata Tjuta

Today we had pancakes for breakfast. Then we did dot animal paintings next to the gallery. I dot painted a snake but I rushed it a bit because we only had one hour. There was also scratch art that I took home.

Then we went out to Kata Tjuta and we did the Valley of the Winds walk. You weren't allow to take photos of the rocks because the formations were sacred to the traditional owners.

Then we went home and had a snack and went to the camel farm for a tour. You weren't allowed to bring you own bags, so they gave you a bag to put your stuff in. You also got a sheep skin to put on the saddle. I went with Mum and our camel was named Khan. Khan had a muzzle, our guide told us it was because he liked stealing water bottles 😀. We went pretty slow and got to watch the sunset. But Theo and Dad's camel Trigger could go up to 75kph because he was a racing camel. When we got back, I got a keychain and badge. The keychain was a picture of Khan. I also got a Solo and juice. We went out to dinner and I got a burger and chips. The camels were awesome and amazing!🐪

Day 20: Uluru

Today was our first full day in the Uluru & Kata Tjuka National Park. Our first stop was the Ranger guided Mala walk around part of the base of Uluru. We learned about the rock art "classroom black board", the geology of the area, and about some of the medicinal plants.

After lunch we headed to the Uluru visitor centre to rent bikes and ride the 10km around the rock. This was a lot of fun even if it was rather warm doing it in the late afternoon.

To finish off the day we headed out to the Field of Lights for the night time viewing (around 8pm). It was pretty cool to see all the lights spreading out in front of us when we first arrived. But as we walked through the display we all thought that it would have been even more interesting if there was more movement within the lights. Its only going to be here for another 2 years so glad we got to see it while it was here.

Day 19: Ghan to Yulara

Despite the road trains we had a restful sleep and were up early to continue our travels. We arrived at the Ayers Rock Campground in Yulara (just outside the Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Parks) before midday. We spend the afternoon taking our first showers in a week and doing a hundred loads of washing.

To wrap up the day we headed out to the Uluru sunset viewing point to watch the rock change colours for the first time. We arrived early which allowed the boys to play their daily chess game in the tray of the Ute while the girls did their daily NY Times puzzles until it was time to watch the light fade.

Day 18: Coober Pedy to Ghan

Today we were up early and out of camp heading north towards Uluru. We made it as far as Ghan, NT which is near the centre point of the Australian continent (no matter which method is used it is somewhere near by). The campground was full so we found a lovely pull out behind a utility shed and camped on the side of the road for the night - letting the road trains lull us to sleep. This was our first night in the Northern Territory.

Day 17: Coober Pedy (Day 2: Mum)

After the Tom's Opal Mine Tour we went out for a drive through the Kanku-Breakaways Conservation Park to the north of town. There were some amazing rock formations and a chance to drive along a section of the dog fence that runs through this area separating the stock animals to the south from the dingoes to the north.

Day 17: Coober Pedy (Day 2: Theo)

We went on two ople mine tours. There was one at the camp site. And one at the out scerts of the town. We got a few oples that were pritty good. I got a lizard called Opal!

While in Tom's Opal Mine (the one on the outskirts) I found the "X" rock that meant you get to choose a capsule full of opals for free. I also got a few other pretty good opals that I found there. At the end of the tour we got to trade and sell the opals we found on the tour. The tour guide wetted and sorted through the opals that I found. Then I attempted to bargain for one opal (a special rainbow opal) for $700 and the tour guide (who was pretending to be an opal buyer) said maybe - but in the end I didn't get it. Instead I kept the opal and got $3, 3 chocolate bars and 2 lollipops for the other opals that I sold to him.

Day 16: Coober Pedy (Day 1)

Our first full day in Coober Pedy. We spent the morning wandering around the opal shops and checking out the quirky street art around town. On the way home we stopped by the large public noodling area where we spent an hour or so digging through the large mounds of debris looking for opals. Sadly we did not find much.

Then in the afternoon we toured the Old Timers Mine. It was a self guided tour through an old opal mine followed by several rooms of a house that the previous owners of the mine lived in. To watch the sunset we drove up to the "Big Winch" and its attached cafe for drinks and NY Times puzzles while the sun set over the dessert.

Day 15: William Creek to Coober Pedy

Today we drove from William Creek to Coober Pedy. In Coober Pedy there was a metal tree, a tree with lots of helmets, and a big winch. We camped in the carpark of the Old Timers Mine. For dinner we went to Dad's Pizza bar.