Sunday we had planned to take a bus tour to Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park, about 300 km north of Uluru. Although lesser known, I’m told it is even more spectacular than either Uluru or The Olgas. Unfortunately our tour was already cancelled on Friday due to flooding. When I overheard a tour guide on Saturday say that Kings Canyon was open again (confirmed by hotel staff later), I was determined to make a way. I set out in mad pursuit of an elusive rental vehicle. Wanting to get a jump on the long day ahead, we paid extra to take an early shuttle to the airport at 7:30AM so we’d be there and ready when Avis opened at 8AM. Being only 5 minutes from the airport, I overshot that one a little. As luck would have it, the airport did not even open until 8:30 AM, at which time still no one manned the Avis counter. I called from their hotline phone only to receive a lackadaisical response of “yes, I know the website says we open at 8, we should be there by 9”. Had we known all of this, we could have taken the free airport shuttle and slept an extra hour. When they finally did arrive, I was denied. I was told the road to Kings Canyon was still impassable. The rental agent must have sensed my distrust since he invited me into his office behind the counter to see the official government website for myself and to watch him call the phone line for an up-to-the-minute report on the road conditions. Bust!
The morning was filled with a tour of the various hotel gift shops and visitor’s centre at Ayers Rock Resort. There’s really only one place to stay if you want to see Uluru and The Olgas. Ayers Rock Resort has the market cornered, offering a variety of lodging, from campsites to dormitories to apartments to luxury accommodations. However, because they’re it, they get away with charging prices you would never pay if you weren’t in the middle of nowhere. I even stole an afternoon nap before we headed out for our afternoon walk. We made our first and only wildlife sighting as we were waiting for the shuttle - a lone dingo scouting the bushes of the resort. We took a leisurely 2.6 km stroll along Walpa Gorge / Tatintjawiya, which is between the two tallest domes at The Olgas. The walk was uninteresting aside from the rain which made the stone path rather slippery. What is it with me and rain? Is me in a poncho beginning to look familiar?! Everywhere I go… it’s me! I bring the rain with me. Do not travel with me, warning, do not travel with me. I’m very good for Australia and this apparent drought they’re having, because I don’t think it’s been dry since I arrived.
The morning was filled with a tour of the various hotel gift shops and visitor’s centre at Ayers Rock Resort. There’s really only one place to stay if you want to see Uluru and The Olgas. Ayers Rock Resort has the market cornered, offering a variety of lodging, from campsites to dormitories to apartments to luxury accommodations. However, because they’re it, they get away with charging prices you would never pay if you weren’t in the middle of nowhere. I even stole an afternoon nap before we headed out for our afternoon walk. We made our first and only wildlife sighting as we were waiting for the shuttle - a lone dingo scouting the bushes of the resort. We took a leisurely 2.6 km stroll along Walpa Gorge / Tatintjawiya, which is between the two tallest domes at The Olgas. The walk was uninteresting aside from the rain which made the stone path rather slippery. What is it with me and rain? Is me in a poncho beginning to look familiar?! Everywhere I go… it’s me! I bring the rain with me. Do not travel with me, warning, do not travel with me. I’m very good for Australia and this apparent drought they’re having, because I don’t think it’s been dry since I arrived.
