jbensh wrote:
> Thanks for all that Walt.=20
>
> You are correct about lots of rules at Uluru these days, but if you
> saw the number of people that line up every single night to take
> photos from the designated photo carpark, and file up the rockface,
> you would appreciate why lots of rules are necessary (for them, not
> us of course). Anangu (the local aboriginal people) call the
> tourists 'minga', which otherwise means those tiny, numerous,
> irritating ants that you may recall (like small, flightless biting
> flies). And yes the bitumen goes from Adelaide to darwin, and all
> the way to the rock. But if you wander off this I'm sure the place
> hasn't changed that much from when you were last here.
The sunset spot was well developed when I was there. It was amusing to
watch the busloads brought there, take their photos when the guide told
them and rush off. I actually liked the Olgas better, I spent a lot of
time wandering around looking at all the rock paintings. There was a
steady line going to the top. I did not go as my travelling companions
were my two sons, one still in diapers. They were eager, but I'd have
probably ended up carrying both.
I definitely remember those ants too. The name fits.
> As a frog enthusiast, you may be interested to hear we had 6 inches
> of rain here in Alice about a month ago (summer here) and the place
> went wild with frogs. A few metres from our place is a flood
> drainage ditch, that was just teaming with Litoria rubella,
> Limnodynastes spenceri, and bleating Cyclorana maini. I've not heard
> such a rich chorus up here before, and it was fabulous...wish I had
> my minidisc recorder then.
Yes I would like to be there like that.
The year I was there was a wet one. Though when I came through Alice it
was dry, started raining when I was at the rock, got to see it with
water pouring off it. And by the light of a thunderstorm at night. Even
drove out to the Olgas that night to see them that way too.
The road to the rock was just starting to be paved when I was there.
Mostly it was many hours of driving a road badly in need of grading,
once I passed the grading crew who were about half way out. And I only
got about half way from there to the south coast before the alternator
and clutch packed with mud so bad as to stop me. Made the last part of
that run carried on a truck. The road was eating large trucks and tour
busses in giant mudholes.
I'm sure the minute you got off the worn tourist paths out there,
everything I was at probably is exactly the same. I avoided the tourist
places as much as I could. There is a lot of beautiful country out there.
Walt
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