To Uluru

Left Alice Springs at about 8 o'clock for the 450 kilometre drive to Uluru.  Another chilly 3 degrees.  We were in no hurry and stopped for a very ordinary coffee at Stuarts Well Roadhouse, then a real coffee at Eridunda Desert Road house, stopped for lunch at Curtain Springs Station Roadhouse.  Took 35 minutes to make a toasted sandwich but it was pretty good and while we were there we learnt a fair bit about the local european settlement; very primitive!!

Arrived at Yulara at about 1.30 and checked into the hotel, we have come to realize that there are about 4 motels, a camp ground, a hotel, shops, medical centre, police and fire brigade and it seems it's all owned and part of the Yulara Resort so there is not really a town here at all.

By the time we sorted ourselves out we decided to head to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) about a 40 minute drive from Yulara.  We chose a walk along the Walpa Gorge and were amazed at the colours and enormity of the site.  We'd sort of pictured it as a poor cousin of Uluru but it's worth a visit all itself.  We took thousands of photos only because you wanted us to!!

On the way back called into the Uluru Cultural Centre to get all the information to get us through the next few days.  Of course The Rock dominates everything within about 30 kilometres and when you get up close it's both humbling and haunting, we just kept looking at it, couldn't take our eyes off it, I'm sure there'll be plenty of photos in the coming days!!

Got back to the resort, had to buy a couple of groceries and a six pack of beer, I needed more than a beer when I was charged $50 for 6 lonely stubbies....no hangovers for me this week!!

About 140 kilometres from Uluru, this is a feature called Mt Connor, it's often nicknamed Fooluru because most people, ourselves included thought it may be Uluru....Pams fault!!!

Mt Connor

Curtain Springs Station Roadhouse

Plenty of parking

Kata Tjuta