17th September......Stuart's Well

Arrived at Stuart's Well around 10.30 am only 90kms from Alice Springs for an overnight stay and to visit Rainbow Valley that afternoon. Stuart's Well "Jim's Place" was established in 1990 by the Cotterill Family who pioneered the world famous Kings Canyon in 1960, it is also the home of "Dinky the Singing Dingo".

 

 

Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve.......... Another beautiful place to see. The sandstone cliffs at Rainbow Valley are glowing reds near the top of the cliff run down through a series of stunning yellows and whites which gave this area its name. The sandstone cliffs surround a large clay pan which fills with water in wetter years and has always provided a sacred meeting place for the ceremonies of the traditional custodians.  

 

 

And Mushroom Rock

 

 

18th September

 Today we headed for Watarrka National Park.......Kings Canyon travelling along the Stuart Highway stopping at the Memorial for the Cannonball Run in 1994 in which 4 people were killed.

 

 

 After setting up our van for a 3 day stay we relaxed for the afternoon. Graeme was able to take photos of the canyon from just behind our van at sunset, although it was a bit cloudy. During the night you could hear the dingo's howling all around the vans and campers, although I didn't see any.

 

19th September

The Kings Canyon Rim Walk. We drove out to the canyon around 6kms from the resort to start the walk. This was a 6.3 km loop and it took us 3hrs 37 minutes, but we were exhausted. We started at 8.00am The walk took us around the top of the canyon through weathered, "Garden of Eden" which we chose not to do. The views were spectacular but I was never so glad to see the car park in view again and to know we only had 1km left to walk. This was all downhill but still very rocky. The temperature was 35degrees.

 

20th September. We went out to Kings canyon again to do the short walk along the Kings River bed, the return journey was about 1 hour. We met up with a couple from Bribie Island in Queensland whom we had met earlier in our journey at Standley Chasm.

 

 

21st September
Today we travelled from Kings Canyon to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park where we are spending our 40th Anniversary .We stopped for a break at the corner of Luritja Road & Lasseter Highway. A Emu Tours bus had pulled in and amongst the passengers was a French Bride who had married the tour guide the night before. We had photos taken with them.

 

 

22nd September

Today we went to Uluru to walk around the base of The Rock 10.6kms it took us 3hrs 30 minutes. It was amazing and very hard to describe how you feel knowing it a very Sacred place for the Anangu people the Traditional Owners

 

23rd September........Our 40th Wedding Anniversary. We had a very memorable starting to the day with an sunrise helicopter flight around Uluru and the Kata Tjuta lasting 36 minutes. The views were spectacular.

 

 

After breakfast we headed out to the rock again to have a picture taken at the base for our 40th. We had a self tour of the cultural centre which gave us some knowledge of the Anangu culture in a special cultural and natural environment.

On our way home to the van we had a Camel Ride.

    

 "Sounds of Silence Dinner". We were picked up and taken out into the desert. The atmosphere of the romance of the desert, the setting of the sun behind the domes of Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and the haunting sounds of a didgeridoo while wining and dining on a sumptuous Northern Territory Buffet feast of Barramundi, kangaroo, crocodile and bush salads and have a staff member explain some of the galaxy and be able to look through the telescope at the moon and others stars. We were given a dinner size plate with Happy Anniversary and surrounded by various chocolates and marshmallows on it. While on our journey out we met a couple who were also celebrating their 40th Wedding Anniversary Janelle & Stephen Whipp, we spent the night with them. there was honeymooners on our table from Spain, and an older couple from Western Sydney. It was a wonderful night and a great end to our special day.

 

 

 

24th September

Headed out early to Kata Tjuta....The Olgas, These beside the shape are different from Ayers Rock. We stopped at the viewing platform took many pictures then headed out to the Olgas to take only a short walk.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later in the afternoon we headed to the viewing platform near the rock to see the sunset over Uluru.