The Red Center

Up until now, most of our travels took us to coastal locations along the Victorian, New South Wales, and Queensland coasts. One of the things we realized we were missing was a trip to the outback. We watched for seat sales to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory and when one materialized, we grabbed it.

Our flight from Brisbane to Alice Springs took a little over three hours. It was fascinating to stare down at the landscape from thirty thousand feet. Dried up river systems and and a semi-arid desert of red sand stretched out as far as the eye could see. Once on the ground, we headed off to collect our motorhome, which would be home for the next week.

After a quick explanation of the workings of the motorhome and the obligatory pressure to purchase additional insurance, we were off! We shopped for groceries and then headed up the highway to explore the sights. One of our first stops was a gap in the East McDonald Mountain Range. We hiked up a dried-up river to some cliffs where several aboriginal pictographs could be viewed. These paintings depict Dreamtime stories, which typically explain how people and other natural surroundings, such as mountains, came to be. This particular one shows the Caterpillar people creating Emily and Jessie Gaps.



We continued down the highway, stopping frequently to take pictures and explore various sites of interest. There is no speed limit in the Territory so I was able to really wind up our Mercedes motorhome. I soon slowed down when I observed the fuel guage dropping by the minute. With diesel costing $1.67 a litre, I decided to curb my need for speed. Our return trip to Alice Springs began at dusk and ended in the dark. Our average speed fell to around 40 km/h. It was a miracle we didn't hit any kangaroos or cattle that range freely along the side of the road. They were everywhere and almost impossible to see until you were right on top of them. For the second time this year, we wondered whether we should have bought that 'extra' insurance. Once Jodi pried my white knuckles from the steering wheel, we enjoyed a quiet evening at our campground.

The next day we headed the opposite direction along the McDonald Range. We stopped at some more 'gaps'. At Simpson's Gap, we were able to view towering red canyon walls, rock wallabies, and water holes that were home to an amazing variety of plant and animal life. Hannah loved scrambling over the rock, and we had our hands full keeping up with her.



We continued down the highway to Standley Chasm, shown in the picture above, where the sun shone directly overhead and turned the canyon walls a brilliant red. Next, it was on to Ormiston Gorge. This was a huge chasm cut through rock over millions of years by wind and water. We hiked along a sandy river bed. The rivers in this part of Australia never have water for long periods of time. They fill during the rains and dry up quickly once the sun returns. In the center of these dried up waterways are large stands of gum trees. Their extensive root systems reach down deep to underground pools of water. By the time we reached the end of our hike, the sun was setting and the colours on the surrounding rock were incredible. A large swimming hole lay beneath the towering walls of the canyon, and we all took the opportunity to take a quick dip.














We hadn't brought any togs, so we swam o'natural. We had not seen anyone else around so it seemed the right thing to do. Unfortunately for us, a family of energetic Germans had decided to do the hike in the reverse. Hannah and I were lucky enough to have escaped the water before their arrival, but Jodi was not so fortunate! After a period of time, I came to her rescue with some clothes and she was able to leave the water. Hannah had moved to the far side of the swimming hole in an effort to disassociate herself from us!

Alice Springs to Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon is approximately 500 km from Alice Springs. The highway is narrow and has no shoulders, which makes things interesting when 55 metre road trains (think semi with three full- sized trailers) come rushing toward you. Protocol dictates you move off the road, as they do not slow down at all. As we drove along, we were struck by the utter beauty of the land. The dark blue sky, orange soil and scattered green vegetation provided extraordinary contrasts of colour.




As we neared Kings Canyon, the sky darkened and we were soon engulfed in a tremendous thunderstorm. Sheet lightning lit up the sky and thunder literally shook the motorhome. The wind was absolutely amazing. It came in gusts that would literally push the vehicle to the edge of the road. The next time Australia enters a boat in the Americas Cup Yacht race, I reckon they should try to use the body of our motorhome as a sail. I'm confident it would be a winning design! By the time we reached the entrance to the canyon, I was exhausted and Jodi was lamenting the lost photo opportunities because of the weather. We parked and decided we would try to see something of the canyon, but just as we set off, the sky opened up and we were immediately soaked to our skin. We headed down the highway to our campsite and had an early night. The next morning we woke up to a beautiful blue sky and quickly headed back to the canyon.

We began the three hour, six kilometre walk of the canyon rim. The first section required a climb up the side of the canyon to a lookout. The views were stunning. From there, we began the walk around the actual canyon. The walls of the canyon are comprised of rock structures that are unlike any we had seen before. Some resemble enormous beehives while others look like ginat layered cakes. The bright rays of the sun lit up the rock and released some amazingly vibrant shades of red and orange. The hike around the canyon has not been ruined with safety fences or warning signs. It is as nature created it millions of years ago. People are expected to exercise common sense when around the cliffs and rock falls. Jodi felt I lacked common sense in the next two photos, but she snapped the pictures anyway!




Kings Canyon to Uluru (Ayers Rock)
The next morning, we packed up and headed back down the highway to our ultimate destination, Uluru. The weather was beautiful and our drive was uneventful. We passed cattle stations, consisting of over a million acres, in the middle of nowhere. Cattle here are moved from one pasture to another in huge semi-trailers and rounded up with helicopters. About two hours down the highway, we sighted what we thought was Uluru, but it was actually another monolithe by the name of Mount Connor. It was a fascinating sight to see this wall of rock rise hundreds of meters out of the desert into the blue sky. We travelled on for another hour before we caught our first glimpse of 'The Rock'. It was now early afternoon and we headed right to the information center of Uluru. The weather began to change and large thunder clouds obscured our views of the mountain. We took a short 2 kilometer walk to the base of the rock as rain began to fall. The climb up Uluru had been closed all day because of the weather forecast. We later learned that the climb is typically closed over two hundred days of the year, sometimes due to adverse weather, high winds at the summit, or for Aboriginal ceremonies. Back at the information center, we learned heaps about the Aborginal people who have been in the area for thousands of years and who now are responsible for the stewardship of the rock and park. There is tremendous pressure on visitors not to climb Uluru for spiritual reasons. There are signs everywhere requesting that people not climb.



Jodi was feeling pretty disappointed in her photography prospects and I was having mixed feelings about climbing. I decided to let the spirits determine whether I would climb or not. If the weather was good in the morning, I would make the ascent. Later in the day, the sun came out and we returned to one of the viewing areas to watch the sun set on Uluru. We backed our motorhome into a parking spot, whipped up a delicious pasta meal, and sat down to watch the show. The transformation that the rock went through as the sun moved through the sky was nothing short of breathtaking. Once darkness arrived, we headed back to our campsite, excited about the prospect of seeing the sunrise the following morning.



The next morning we awoke at 6:00 which is pretty darn good for a holiday morning, I think. Jodi wasn't of the same opinion because that is approximately thirty minutes past sunrise. I had set the alarm clock incorrectly. We rushed back to the other side of Uluru and caught the last bit of the sunrise.



The climb was open so I decided to do it while Hannah slept and Jodi took pictures and cooked breakfast. The climb itself is much steeper than it appears. The best way to describe it is to imagine climbing up a brontosaurus's tail onto its back. The further you climb, the steeper the climb becomes. The rock is extremely smooth and there are few places to stop. A chain stretches up the first two-thirds of the climb, but it is so low that I found it more dangerous to reach down for it. I made it to the top in about forty-five minutes.



Once at the top, I was treated to a 360 degree view of the desert below. It was a wonderful experience, and I am glad I had the opportunity. Thirty-eight people have died and countless others have been injured climbing Uluru. These injuries and fatalities deeply distress the Aboriginal community, and I suspect that it won't be too long before the climb is permanently closed.

Jodi and Hannah met me at the bottom of the climb and we all enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the motorhome before heading out to the Olgas, or Kata Tjuda, which is the aboriginal name for another impressive rock formation sixty kilometers away.



The Olgas are a series of large mountains formed out of conglomerate, which is large and small rock all glued together with a mixture of sand and mud. The rock looks like chocolate chip cookie dough with massive chunks of chocolate. It was stinking hot when we arrived and the two kilometer hike was quite strenuous. At the end of the trail, we were greeted by a beautiful green oasis sandwiched between the sheer rock walls of the mountains.

Uluru to Alice Springs
We retraced our steps back to Alice Springs. The five hundred kilometer drive took us a little over six hours to complete with a few picture stops along the way. We spent the remainder of the afternoon cleaning the motorhome and packing up. There was a very nice restuarant across the street from our campground where we decided to splurge a little. Jodi was quite adventurous and ordered the kangaroo. It reminded her a little of liver. Hannah and I were quite happy with our Australian chicken. We had an amazing trip and were all glad we had a chance to see the red center of Oz.

Spring Break

Lady Elliot Island

The holiday we had been waiting for all year had finally arrived. We were heading to the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef for some island hopping and sailing. Our trip began on a small ten-seater double-prop plane that flew us from Brisbane to Hervey Bay. The plane had seen better days. It shook, rattled, and rolled down the runway before lurching into the air. Hannah thought it was an interesting experience. Jodi and I were happy we had updated our will. The plane struggled up the coast, flying sideways for much of the trip, to Hervey Bay. From Hervey Bay we transferred to an even smaller plane and headed off to Lady Elliot Island.


















Lady Elliot Island is a small coral attol (cay) located about an hour off the coast. We spent the flight staring down at the azure blue waters of the Coral Sea in hopes of seeing a migrating Humpback Whale. Eventually a small dot of land could be seen off in the distance. As we started our descent, the island still appeared to be not much bigger than a dot. Lady Elliot Island is approximately one kilometer long, half a kilometer wide, and one meter above sea level. The island is renown for its outstanding diving and snorkelling. The resort itself is an eco-resort and every care was taken to protect the island's habitat. The plane landed on a rough landing strip that was comprised of coral and bits of grass. There is a coral reef surrounding the entire island. The reef protects the island from the ocean waves and tides.



















A large lagoon, home to an astonishing amount of sea life, was just meters from our room. We kept our flippers just outside our door in case of a high tide!





































We spent five days on the island and had an absolute gas. We snorkelled at least twice a day, and Hannah joined a Junior Rangers program and learned about the marine life and birds that make the island their home. The water was amazingly clear with visibility extending beyond thirty meters. We saw colourful displays of tropical fish, huge turtles, manta rays, and even the odd shark swimming around. During low tide, we walked the lagoon and looked at the corals, sea cucumbers and other marine creatures.

























The resort provided delicious and plentiful meals given their isolated location and it was a good thing we were so active! In the evening Hannah went coconut bowling, star gazing, and to movie presentations. We all had an amazing experience!


Fraser Island

Soon we were off on the second leg of our holiday. We flew back to Hervey Bay and this time we were lucky enough to see whales from the plane. Once we landed, we took a boat to Kingfisher Lodge on the world's largest sand island for three more days of adventure. The lodge is also an eco-friendly resort. It has won countless awards both for its environmentally friendly design and operation and for its service. We spent the first day exploring and swimming in one of the resort's three pools.


















The second day we were off to explore the island. Fraser island is a UNESCO World Heritage site two times over. It is recognized for its cultural significance and for its environmental diversity. We boarded a huge four wheel drive bus for our trip across the island.




















The trip was a one on the Hannah vomit scale, but this time it was Dale who was having a tough time. We made it through the rainforest and onto the huge expanse of beach on the other side. Here the bus and many other private four-wheel drive vehicles roared up and down the beach as if it were an extension of the national highway system. There is actually a 100 km speed limit on the beach! Drivers had to stay alert because aircraft also landed and took off from the same stretch of beach.





































We visited the shipwreck of the Maheno, which was grounded in a severe storm while its Japanese owner was attempting to tow it home to sell as scrap, crystal clear streams, such as Eli Creek, and beautifully clear lakes. The grains of sand in and around the lakes are actually spherical and have the consistency of talcum powder. We had an opportunity to swim in the fresh water of Lake McKenzie before returning to the resort. When you rub your jewellery with the sand of Lake McKenzie, it leaves it all clean and shiny. It is also the cheapest spa treatment you'll ever have, as it exfoliates the skin, too.

The next day we were off on a whale watching tour. We saw large numbers of Humpback whales as they migrated past the island on their way to the Antarctic Ocean. Numerous calves were making their first trip south under the protection of their mothers and other pod members. The waters off the coast of the island are teeming with sharks and many of the young whales are taken. At one point, a mother and her calf came right up to the boat for a look at us. It was incredible to see such an enormous animal so close. They looked at us with their enormous black eyes before slowly sinking below the surface. The whales treated us to acrobatic displays. They spy-hopped, breached, and slapped their flippers against the water.














Just before our scheduled return, we came across a dead whale floating in the water. It was fascinating to watch the tiger sharks attack the carcass. Huge chunks of flesh were being ripped from the whale with every bite. You can see each half circle bite mark at the top of the carcass. The experience sent shivers down your spine. We returned to the resort and Hannah tried her hand at fishing.




































Sailing the Whitsundays

We returned to Hervey Bay via the motor launch and went to the airport. Once there, we looked around for our airline. We were unable to locate their ticket counter so we asked another agent. She informed us that our airline was no longer in business! Luckily, Qantas had stepped in and was honouring our tickets. We flew back to Brisbane on a very modern and comfortable Dash 8 that had been proudly built in Canada and subsidized by Canadian taxpayers. For an hour or so, we felt like we were home!

Once in Brisbane, we boarded our second flight of the day (fourth of the holiday) back up the coast to Airlie Beach. We should have collected air miles while in Australia! After a short bus ride, we arrived at our hotel. It was a pleasant enough property; however, unbenounced to us the entire community of Airlie Beach (including our hotel) was home to a national gathering of Harley Davidson motorcycle owners. We hadn't seen that much leather, chrome and tattooing since leaving Maple Ridge! We tried to encourage Hannah not to stare at the bikers. She couldn't understand that our travel insurance didn't cover us if we got our butts kicked. So we just let Hannah walk ahead of us whereever we went. She got to gawk and we felt relatively safe. We awoke early the next morning to the sounds of explosive exhaust and spinning tires and decided it was time to head to the docks to look for our ship.


















Our ship was called the Whitsunday Magic. It is a tallship eight-masted schooner. There were twenty-eight passengers from around the world. We sailed through the Whitsunday passage and around numerous islands. Much of our route duplicated that of James Cook when he first explored the Australian coastline. It was an amazing experience to feel the ship keel over into the wind and slice through the waves. The only noise you heard was the sound of the wind whistling through the rigging and the water rushing against the hull. Our days revolved around eating, snorkelling, diving off the ship, enjoying sunsets and socializing with the other passengers and crew.



































Hannah met a friend from Sydney with whom she played for the entire three days at sea. The highlight of the trip was the day we spent at Whitehaven Beach. We arrived off the beach after sunset and in the morning we were greeted with the site of the most beautiful strip of white sandy beach and crystal clear water. This was undoubtably one of the most beautiful places we had been in the world and is rated as one of the world's best beaches! The sand on Whitehaven is all silica and, if hot enough, will turn to glass. It squeaked under your feet and was unbelievably soft.



















Daydream Island
We sailed for one more day before being dropped off at our last destination - Daydream Island.





















Daydream is a destination resort and we were there for the last three days of our vacation. The hotel's setting was absolutely stunning and we did very little other than relax in the pool. Occasionally, one of us would have to make the long swim (three meters) to the bar to get a refreshment. We did hire a couple of sea kayaks for a paddle around the island which was considerably more effort than swimming up to the bar.





































In the evening, there were many activities to entertain us; however, the most unique one was watching a movie on the beach. The resort erected a huge screen against which they projected current movies. Beach chairs and blankets were provided and we all enjoyed the experience.



















After our three days in paradise, it was time to head back to Toowoomba. We caught a high speed catamaran to Hamilton Island, where we boarded our flight to Brisbane. We had an awesome trip! Our only concern was what Hannah's rather straight-laced principal would think about her new 'Harleys Rule' tattoo.