<<Previous Post Next Post>>
August 21st-23rd
After a busy day in Alice Springs, we finally had Bertha back in shape and were ready to get back on track. Our next destination was Uluru, the infamous red rock in the middle of Australia. Sixty kilometers south of Alice Springs we headed down a 4 wheel drive only track, which took us to the Owen Springs Reserve. This gave us a better idea of what to expect from Australia’s off-roading trails, such as heavy corrugation but also the ability to go where most people can’t. Being unimpressed with the reserve itself, we got on the road early and had breakfast by the roadside, as has become quite frequent in our daily routine.
August 21st-23rd
After a busy day in Alice Springs, we finally had Bertha back in shape and were ready to get back on track. Our next destination was Uluru, the infamous red rock in the middle of Australia. Sixty kilometers south of Alice Springs we headed down a 4 wheel drive only track, which took us to the Owen Springs Reserve. This gave us a better idea of what to expect from Australia’s off-roading trails, such as heavy corrugation but also the ability to go where most people can’t. Being unimpressed with the reserve itself, we got on the road early and had breakfast by the roadside, as has become quite frequent in our daily routine.
Classic breakfast on the side of the road.
We continued deeper towards Australia’s red center through a series of off-roading detours, which lead us to Finke Gorge National Park. We quickly realized how remote we could get in a few hundred kilometers. Although way outside of mobile reception, we came across a diverse landscape, which included wild horses and aboriginal settlements.
Our first encounter with wild horses.
Accidentally stumbling upon a conglomerate of three to four assumingly abandoned decrepit houses, we quickly felt an unwelcoming and eerie vibe. This was accentuated by the junkyard which housed an oddly large number of cars and the numerous signs of unnecessary destruction of property.
One of the only pictures we were able to take in an aboriginal settlement.
After getting lost in dusty roads, we finally got our bearings and were fortunate enough to run into more wild horses before entering Finke Gorge National Park.
Galloping wild horses.
Not knowing what to expect from this 100 kilometer off-roading adventure, we were confronted with various type of terrain and beautiful scenery[C.Pedy - Yulara(PShoot)-20.JPG/Entering Finke Gorge National Park].
Entering Finke Gorge National Park.
Most of the track itself was in a dried up riverbed, which during the wet season fills up to a few meters of depth [Melbourne-C. Pedy(iPhone_-62.JPG/Continuing through the riverbed].
We could see evidence of this through the height of debris that was caught by standing trees.
Trying to imagine what this would look like filled with water.
This landscape set the stage for a challenging track made up of mostly sand and rocks[ C. Pedy - Yulara(iPhone)-5.JPG/Getting familiar with the terrain and stopping to admire the rock face].
Getting familiar with the terrain and stopping to admire the rock face.
Given the fact that there hasn’t been much rainfall in the past weeks, areas that could have been quite wet turned out to be conveniently dry.
What remains of the Finke River.
After a great night of camping, where we saw the only dingo so far, we had another five hours ahead of us before leaving the national park.
The diversity of the riverbed continued to amaze us.
Still not much closer to civilization, we pushed on towards the red center with subtle reminders that a desert crossing was yet to come[C.Pedy - Yulara(PShoot)-24.JPG/A lake in the dry season][ C.Pedy - Yulara(PShoot)-25.JPG/Finally enjoying the sun on a parched lake].
Finally enjoying the sun on a parched lake.
As we drew closer to Uluru the abundance of foreign tourists became more apparent.
An important reminder!
RSS Feed
