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Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock) Travel Guide powered by advice from Real Travelers

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Bushcamping in Centralia

From The Big Journal in Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock), Australia on Mar 23 '07

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1 Place Visited

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2 Trip Photos

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Itinerary Map

Jim & Nats Big Trip has visited 1 place in Uluru National Park (Ayers Rock)
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Arrr get off!!!! Lady of the flies!
Arrr get off!!!! Lady of the flies!
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I'll cut to the chase. Alice Springs is a godforsaken place in the middle of nowhere. Not any old nowhere. In the middle of the desert, where kids go to school over the airwaves (or probably internet now) and where your local GP arrives by light aircraft. Alice Springs is a one horse kind of town, but probably a spawling metropolis that blows the minds of desert dwellers that come to visit.

From here we were lucky enough to have a 3 day - 2 night bushcamp in the desert whilst seeing the local sights - Uluru (Ayers Rock) being the highlight. Bushcamping meant building a fire, having a few beers, then crashing out next to the fire in a thick sleeping bag with a waterproof base - a swag.

In the middle of an empty continent - big rocks and 1 billion flies
Us. A Rock. A very Aussie sign.
Us. A Rock. A very Aussie sign.
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By doing it this way - we got to enjoy the experience, but also be able to see the main sights, Kings Canyon, Uluru and Kata Kjutu.

Kings Canyon was a little underwhelming so I wont say anymore. Kata Kjutu (or the Olgas) were a weird mix of sacred red rock formations similar to Ayres Rock, but not quite so iconic. However, the walk through and around them was more varied so appealed to my limited attention span a little better.

We saw Uluru at dusk and dawn and to be honest neither were that impressive (due to not getting the right light condions and the bloody flies). The visitor centre was very informative and made us realise how much the aboriginal people had been disturbed by the influx of Europeans.

Uluru was as impressive up close as it was from afar and we learnt how the aboriginals related to it (its very sacred).

After the 6 hour bus journey from The Rock to Alice Springs (the Hard Place) we made sure we were first to the showers and the laundry room!!

We had a great few days, met some really nice other people and saw some very big, very famous rocks!


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