Six friends and I were on the 6a.m. flight from Sydney to Melbourne (where we connected to a flight to Alice Springs). Since we had to leave at 4a.m. and I hadn't even started packing as of 10p.m., I decided that no sleep was better than 30 mins of sleep. After all, my body has evolved past needing sleep after being a film major for one year. When we got to the airport at 4:30, it was completely empty. Not even an employee in sight. So, we checked in at the automated check-in... and waited. Until 5:40 when security opened. Funny things about Aussie airports: they don't check identification AT ALL - literally you could just say any name and they would give you the boarding pass for that name, they don't make you take your shoes off, and they don't care about liquids. The whole process is just so much easier.
We got to Alice Springs at 11:30 and we had a few hours before we had to meet our group leaders. We were hungry (well, I was hungry) so we took a massive cab into "downtown" Alice Springs, which is basically one street of tiny shops and restaurants, but cute nonetheless. We had our last real meal at a restaurant, and then met up with the Arcadia group leaders. We piled into the "troopies" and said goodbye to civilization.
Our first stop: Alice Springs Desert Park. This was a brief stop to get us situated with the desert. We learned about the different ecosystems and saw a bunch of animals. At the time, it seemed like a pretty unnecessary stop. But now, I realize that I wouldn't have been able to fully appreciate the trip without it. After going to the Desert Park, if someone said "Oh look! A King Brown snake!", I would know what they were talking about. And I would know to run away.
After the Desert Park, we made our way to our campsite at an Aboriginal community near Wallace Rockhole. We set up camp quickly, as the sun was setting rapidly. We made dinner over an open fire and ate it in (almost) complete darkness. One of the sides was roasted potatoes. They were individually wrapped in tinfoil and I went to open mine, and a bunch of grainy stuff fell out. It was dark, though, so I couldn't see what it was. I just assumed it was spices (hah like we would add spices to our food in the Outback - I had much to learn). It was dirt/ashes. And I ate it. Awesome.
Our sleeping arrangement: a circle of swags laid out on tarps. For those non-master explorer Sepos, a swag is basically a body bag with a condensed mattress and sleeping bag inside. It even has a flap that you can put over your face in case the stars get too bright at night. Or, in my mind, in case an animal starts attacking us. See, there was an emu living in its enclosure just feet from where we were sleeping. Emus are basically a terrifying version of Big Bird. I went to take a picture of it and it started charging at me. So, I was convinced it was going to break out of its enclosure and attack me at night. But, alas, the night went well, except for the multiple times I woke up with the creepy crawlies and was convinced I was being eaten alive. That night I also had my first glimpse of the desert night sky. Wow. I have never seen so many stars. I didn't even know that many stars existed! It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen.
The next day we woke up bright and early, had some breakfast (I never knew PB&J on a tortilla was so good), and headed out for a tour of Wallace Rockhole. A local Aboriginal guide lead us into the Rockhole, where we saw beautiful red rock formations and even a few wild kangaroos! It was here that I finally felt like I was in Australia. Being in Sydney is wonderful but sometimes I think it could just be a city anywhere in the world. But being in the outback, hearing about old Aboriginal customs finally made me realize that I was halfway across the world in this new and incredible place.
Next we drove to Ellery Creek Big Hole for lunch and a "refreshing" swim. Our group leaders had warned us that it might be cold, but growing up by the Jersey Shore, I figured I was a pro at cold water. The water at Ellery Creek wasn't cold - it was paralyzing. Even just having your feet in the water feels like you're getting hypothermia. I made it to my shoulders but then my lungs felt like they were shutting down, so I decided to just sit in the sun.
After lunch, we headed to Ormiston Gorge, which is this huge, beautiful red rock mountain with a swimming hole at the bottom. We took a 2 hour hike up and into the gorge, where we experienced breathtaking views of the outback. You could see for miles all around and it was amazing just how empty it is. To get down from the top of the gorge, we had to walk down a steep pathway of loose rocks. At this point, I started sliding and kept having rocks move out from under my feet. But luckily, my hard-core hiking sneakers could handle it. The bottom of the gorge is covered in huge boulders and it was really fun climbing over them and jumping from one rock to another. I kind of felt like I was in the "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" playground at MGM Studios (oh.. excuse me, Hollywood Studios). Then we saw a wild wallaby! Exciting.
That night was the roughest night. Our campsite wasn't really a campsite at all, with no running water, no toilet, no lights, bulls running around near us. No joke. I went to get firewood (true camper style) and got really close to a wild bull. As I was collecting branches, the bull turned towards me and started to stare me down. I contemplated going closer and staring back, but decided that was probably not the best idea. As for the bathroom, if we needed to go, we had to dig a hole with the designated poop shovel, do our business, and then bury it under sand. Suffice to say, I held it until we went to a rest stop the next morning. Despite the we-really-are-no-where-near-civilization aspect of the "campsite", I actually enjoyed the night. We all sat around the campfire, talking and playing games, and then got to fall asleep under the most incredible night sky. Being so far from towns and artificial lights really allows you to see everything. I felt like I was experiencing the Earth and the universe how it was originally made to be, before industrialization. It was an amazing feeling. I almost didn't want to go to sleep because I just wanted to stare at the beauty.
The next morning, we drove to another swimming hole at Redbank Gorge. It was about a 30 minute hike to this gorgeous watering hole that was part of a huge cave formation. The water looked black because it was so deep, and it was just as cold as the last waterhole. But, I decided to be brave, and swam across it. About halfway through the swim, I didn't think I was going to make it. I could feel my lungs freezing up and my body giving up, but I pushed through and made it to the other side. It was hard climbing out because the rocks were slippery and covered in slimy algae (yes, I touched it... a lot). The people ahead of me had continued across another, smaller waterhole. So I took a deep breath, and swam across that one too. On the other side, I found myself in an unbelievable cave system. Red cliffs shot up all around us and you could see other small waterholes leading further into the caves. Unfortunately, we couldn't continue because they had a thick layer of algae on them, but it was an awesome sight. Totally worth the pain. While warming up in the cave, I started talking to one of our group leaders about the waterhole. I asked if there wasn't any thing living in it because it was so cold. Bad question. Turns out, there are a ton of fish living in the water, along with snakes. Not only do water snakes live in it, but sometimes pythons fall from the cliffs into the waterhole. Awesome. I now had to swim back across it to get to our group knowing that deadly snakes and fish surrounded me. Luckily the temperature of the water pretty much blocks all other thoughts from your mind. Even though I was freaked out, I'm really happy I braved the cold and swam in the waterhole. It was a cool experience that I would have regretted wimping out on.
Our next stop: King's Canyon. But first, we had drive hours on a bumpy, dirt road. Even though it was a really uncomfortable drive, we got to see some pretty neat sights. We saw the Uluru knock-off, camels crossing the road in front of us, and a huge meteor crater. A little over halfway into the drive, we pulled over to the side of the road for a bathroom break. But, being in the middle of nowhere, there were no bathrooms. So, I can now say that I have peed in the outback bush.
We reached King's Canyon in the mid-afternoon and walked the easy, touristy path. It was beautiful, but we wanted to do something more adventurous (I mean, we were so much more hardcore than the other people on the path). We decided to climb this huge rock staircase that leads to the top of the Canyon. Now, I'm not scared of heights but there's something about high staircases that freaks me out. Like I find it hard to sit in the upper levels of sports games because I feel like I'm going to fall. Rock stairs, no handrails, and a steep cliff on either side of you does not help that feeling. But, I made it to the top and the view was spectacular. At the top, there was a pile of huge boulders, so a few friends and I decided to keep climbing. Sitting on top of this massive boulder, overlooking King's Canyon and the rest of the Outback was one of the most incredible moments of the trip. I truly felt like I was at the top of the world.
That night, we stayed at a legit campsite - with a convenience store, restaurant, and bar. Here, I finally got to shower! It was like being born again. Dirt literally streaked off my legs and formed a muddy pool at the bottom of the shower. I wasn't even bothered by the huge bugs all over the shower hut. It was like being back in the real world... except for the dingos running around everywhere. Sidenote: Dingos eat babies. But I made it safely through the night and the next day we drove to Uluru National Park. Finally I got to see Uluru! It was majestic, rising out of the middle of the desert. But before going to Uluru, we hiked Kata Tjuta, which is a very sacred site for the Anangu people. We did the Valley of the Winds walk, which is a 3 hour hike weaving in between huge red hills, cliffs, and mountains. This was my favorite part of the trip. Climbing up the mountain, in between two huge red rock cliffs, and looking out onto a valley dotted by similar red mountains. It was absolutely incredible. It left me breathless and to me, it was more magical than Uluru.
The next day was our last day and as our grand finale, we hiked around Uluru. Unfortunately, it was unseasonably cool but it was still a nice clear day. The juxtaposition of the red rock, blue sky, and green bush was beautiful. The mixture of colors was like nothing I've ever seen before. In the past, people have been able to climb Uluru. But, the Aboriginal people who traditionally own Uluru have been asking people not to climb it anymore. Uluru holds great religious meaning for the Aboriginals, and to them, climbing all over it is disrespectful to their beliefs. Walking around the base of Uluru, we frequently saw Anangu sacred sites. They give no explanation for the spot's sacredness, because only those who are initiated can learn their tribe's secrets. There are also environmental concerns with climbing Uluru - the rock has been worn down from sneakers and since there is nothing when you reach the top, people have done terrible things up there, including pooping and changing their tampons. Absolutely disgusting. A third reason not to climb it is that it's just dangerous. Over 35 people have died climbing Uluru because it is steep, without many footholes, and gets very windy. The climb was closed the day we went, but I wouldn't have climbed it anyway.
The history of Uluru is pretty interesting. Aboriginals have revered it for hundreds of years, but when the British came to Australia, an explorer found it and named it Ayer's Rock, after a politician, Sir Henry Ayers. Since then, Europeans have trekked all over Uluru, without any concern for the Aboriginals that have lived there for hundreds of years. In the past couple of decades, however, there has been a movement to restore Uluru to its traditional owners, the Anangu people. In 1985, it was officially restored to local Aborigines, who then, in turn, leased it back to the Australian government for 99 years. It's now jointly managed between the two groups, with the Aborigines contributing their native knowledge and the government contributing their scientific knowledge and management skills. In 2084, the Aborigines will take over full control of Uluru and its tourism operations. There are even junior guide training programs only available for Aboriginal youth. To me, this set-up and joint management seems really great. Finally, the Australian government is recognizing and respecting the traditional owners' wishes.
We walked around the base of Uluru, which took about an hour and a half. It was pretty incredible. There are tons of little crevices and interesting formations that seem to come out of nowhere. And the rock is so dense and smooth, it's unreal. Uluru definitely lives up to all the hype. Towards the end of the hike, it did what I never thought it would do in the desert. It rained. It rained in the driest part of the driest continent on Earth. I was amazed. At first it was just trickling a little, but on our drive back to Alice Springs that afternoon, it poured for 2 hours straight. It would rain in the desert when I was there. Chicago weather follows me everywhere.
That night we went back to Alice Springs, where we stayed in a hostel (which was surprisingly not too bad). The whole group went for dinner at Bojangles Saloon. It was nice to have restaurant food again - even if the restaurant had bones, bear traps, and stuffed animals corpses everywhere.
The trip was unbelievable. I still can't grasp everything that I saw and experienced. I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to spend five incredible days in the Australian Outback. It's a trip that I will never forget (and I probably will never get the red sand out of my stuff). I feel like I really grew as a person and as a traveler. Not only did I try new things and face my fears, but I learned to appreciate nature in a different way. I only hope that one day I can return and experience the magic once again.
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