Central Australia (like all of the outback) is one of the strangest, most remote places I've ever visited. Alice Springs is the main, and really only, city right in the middle of the country surrounded by nothing, although calling it a city is actually a stretch. However, as my first stop after four months of working in Marlborough, it seemed like a metropolis in comparison.
I took a three hour flight to Alice Springs from Brisbane, and I just want to take a minute to compliment Qantas who not only provided movies on the relatively short flight but a full meal, coffee, and snacks, all included. There was nothing to look at out the windows the whole way there except an endless expanse of red desert. I took a shuttle to my hostel, Annie's Place, when I landed. It had ensuite dorms, a courtyard pool, free wifi, and a bar, plus it was set up motel-style even with an outdoor kitchen so that you were always outside enjoying the heat which was upwards of 100 degrees the week I was there! Some may think that's too hot, but I thrive in face-melting temperatures (although I realize the Kata Tjuta story I will tell later in this entry suggests otherwise).
Nyah arrived the following afternoon and it was a glorious reunion after a full week apart. We set out to explore Alice Springs and track down all of the sights that we'd been seeing commercials for over the past few months. Back in Marlborough, we'd gotten Imparja TV through satellite from the Northern Territory which was always showing 90s style low-quality advertisements for Alice Springs attractions, water conservation, and tourism videos that looked like they had been shot on your dad's camcorder.
Here's us discovering the legendary Alice Plaza in a tourist photo probably nobody has ever taken.
We also climbed to the top of Anzac Hill which holds a war memorial. It wasn't very tall, but it was cool to see the odd landscape of the town laid out below us all surrounded by brown rock.
Alice Springs is small and strange. There are a lot of Aboriginals, some homeless, and they sit in the parks all day. There are some very real racism issues in Australia, and I couldn't even begin to tell you the systemic causes that have led to this division nowadays, but you could probably draw a lot of unfortunate parallels to American colonization. At any rate, I'd been told it wasn't safe to walk around the city at night, so I didn't. Also, because of problems with alcoholism among the local population, the drinking laws are much stricter than in other parts of Australia. For example, in most places goon comes in 4 liter bags. In Alice, however, you can only find it in 2 liters and are limited to buying one box per day. It's so controlled that they actually scan your ID at the shop to prevent you from going beyond your allotment.
That night we just stayed at the hostel anyway and ordered a couple $12 jugs at the bar there. We thought we deserved a few celebratory pints for finally making it out of Marlborough! (Except not actually pints because Australia favors half-pint schooners but that just doesn't sound as good.)
Ayers Rock/Uluru
We were up at 6 AM the following morning to catch our tour bus to Ayers Rock. We had signed up for a hostel-led tour run by Mulgas, but inconveniently they had decided to stop running on Tuesdays and instead transferred us onto a similar tour by Emu Run with the same basic itinerary. The only problem was that this one was mostly full of middle-aged tourists rather than backpackers, but since the trip was focused on outdoor hiking rather than partying, that wasn't a big deal.
I slept until we reached our first stop, a camel farm. I loved it! As we pulled up, the first thing we saw was a dingo chained up right outside the bus! It was the first one I had seen in real life. We were allowed to pet her, and she was domesticated and sweet.
Next Nyah and I paid $7 to share a camel ride. The guide walked us down the first side of the ring, and then the camel ran back up the other. Well, it wasn't the least bit like riding a horse! It was so bumpy that my top almost fell down and I had to take a hand off the saddle to hold it up which almost caused me to fall off the camel itself. The least graceful part though was when the camel knelt down and stood up to let you on and off. Definite test of balance.
We just wandered around after that and saw the rest of the animals. There were red kangaroos that ate grass right out my hand, an emu that I'm pretty sure wanted to murder us and our families, and a wild miniature horse that was recovering from a dingo attack.
Just want to hug it.
It took four more hours on the bus after that to reach Ayers Rock/Uluru. You think that these sights are close to Alice Springs, but they're not, and Australia is a massive country. As a note, the rock's official name is actually Uluru, which is what the Aboriginals call it. A white explorer is the one who started calling it Ayers Rock after a Chief Secretary in South Australia at the time. That wasn't until the late 1800s though, and the native people were around long before that, not to mention it is a sacred site, so really Uluru is the proper term to use.
We swung by our nearby campsite first to drop off our things and have some sandwiches. It was pretty basic with a pavilion and a fire pit.
After that, we headed back to the Uluru cultural center for a look around before our base walk. It's full of odd Aboriginal dreamtime stories (Dreamtime is the understanding and creation of all things) which involve things like talking animals with names and giant serpents who created the land. It's an interesting culture but the stories read like a children's book on acid. The culture also dictates that deceased people are not allowed to be shown in photos, and even videos contain warnings if they depict footage of people who have died, so many of the pictures on the walls had big black boxes covering parts of the image. So walking through the cultural center, one minute you're looking at a trippy rainbow serpent and the next you're staring at a wall of faceless dead people.
By the time we started the base walk, it was 4 PM and sweltering hot outside. Thankfully the hike was broken up into 40 minute sections, and the bus would drop us off at the start and pick us up at the end point to take us to the next spot.
We started on the redder side of the rock, which I unfortunately can't remember whether was north or south, where the climb is. Now, Uluru is sacred to the Aboriginals, so hikers are explicitly asked not to climb the rock, not to mention that it's dangerous. The path to the top is extremely steep and there's nothing but a chain to hold onto while you climb. One of my friends had done it and said that the steepest sections were about an 80 degree incline. Mix all that with the heat and it's not a good idea. Luckily that wasn't even a decision that I had to consider, because the climb was closed during our visit due to the extreme temperatures.
See that thin silver line in the middle of the rock? That's the climb.
You can't fully appreciate how gigantic Uluru is until you're standing next to it looking up at the top and realizing how long it takes to walk and drive around the base.
We passed by caves and Aboriginal spiritual sites where, due to the sacred and ritual nature, there are signs prohibiting photography in those sections. (The below photos were NOT taken in restricted areas, for the record. We respected the sites.)
Afterwards, we drove to the other side which was brown at that time of day and did a longer walk.
Skull formation
I was happy to get back on the bus when that was over, partly to escape the heat but mostly to escape the world's most relentless flies who refused to stop forcefully zooming into our eyes, ears, and faces no matter how many times they were swatted. Some other hikers were wearing fly masks and it wasn't a bad idea.
To end the day, we drove to a lookout point where all of the other cars and tour vehicles had gathered to prepare for the sunset. Our tour provided crackers, dip, and a few bottles of champagne for the group. Nyah and I proved our backpacker status by hovering next to the table eating until every last bit of food was gone.
We then took our champagne and sat out watching not the sunset but instead the rock, which slowly turned a fiery, glowing red as the sun went down. It was very pretty.
Back at the campsite, we had a stir fry for dinner, and let me just take the time to rave about how well this tour catered to vegetarians. I was the only one in the group, but they made sure I was just as well-fed as everyone else. Most tours will just throw salad and side dishes your way, but the Emu Run organizers actually provided me with a fake meat substitute for every meal. I was so appreciative.
We unrolled our swags next to the fire pit afterwards for a night sleeping under the open sky, one of my favorite experiences in Australia. To explain, a swag is a canvas containing a built-in mattress, and we also had a sleeping bag and pillow inside. It was very comfy. Nyah and I poured ourselves a few cups of goon and laid up talking in our swags until about 10, but I then forced myself to stay awake for another five minutes on my own and just appreciate nature and my life in that instant. I laid in my canvas bed on the desert floor in the middle of the Australian nothingness, watching the stars and feeling so tiny in the gigantic world, and it was one of those amazing moments that stays with you long after your travels have ended.
Kata Tjuta
We were woken up in the dark at 4:30 AM to get back on the bus and join a small crowd to watch the sunrise at a Kata Tjuta lookout point. Kata Tjuta is a series of domes just across from Uluru, and in a way makes for a more interesting skyline.
We could also see Uluru from the lookout point, so while Kata Tjuta changed colors as the sun came up, Uluru also looked pretty cool on the opposite side as a silhouette next to the bright sun on the horizon.
We drove up to Kata Tjuta afterwards to begin the long Valley of the Winds hike through the domes, and depressingly this turned into my worst experience in Australia. I haven't yet mentioned this on my blog, but I suffer from anxiety and panic attacks, which is unfortunately something that affects my life and sometimes my experiences. It can be weeks or months between panic attacks, and I don't always know what will be a trigger.
The hike started out fine. There were great views of the domes, clear blue skies, sandy rocks, red ground, hilly paths, and changes of scenery as we walked. It was pretty.
About two hours in, at 9ish maybe, my anxiety started to play up. We had been warned about heat exhaustion, and although it was only morning, the temperatures were already in the 90s or 100s. Along with this, we came out on a long path winding about a plain with virtually no shade along the way, the sun beating down, and the last water tank for a few hours behind us.
I started to worry about getting dehydrated or passing out, and despite telling myself that it was all in my head, I couldn't stop my thoughts from spiraling. I kept trying to logic myself out of it, but it just got worse and worse until it became mental torture. I even tried to catch Nyah a few times and mention that I was overheated or worried, but the problem when I'm having a panic attack is that I struggle to tell anybody that it's happening.
After at least an hour of slow mental deterioration, we reached the hardest part of the track, a steep, rocky hill in between two mountainous domes. I had already mentioned to a few people that I was struggling with the heat, but I didn’t stress how much. I even stopped the group at one point to wet down my headband and was offered water bottles by a few of the others.
I also forced myself to keep taking pictures up to this point because I knew I'd be even more annoyed if I ended up without any photos.
I just tried to focus on getting up this hill, but my panic was mounting the entire time, and towards the top I actually collapsed forward onto a rock and immediately started hyperventilating. It just started out of nowhere from sheer panic. A Belgian girl from our tour was near me and asked if I was ok, and I shook my head, so she gave me some water and pointed nearby to some trees at the top telling me to get to the shade. I forced myself up and scrambled over there as quickly as I could, then I sat down and my whole body started shaking. I remember looking down that path between the domes and thinking that I was legitimately going to die in this spot. It was a nightmare.
The girls shared their water with me, and one of them must have told the guide because he came over and gave me a couple of cookies and some more water. He told me he’d stay with me on the way down. I managed to choke out that I thought I was having a massive anxiety attack, but I couldn't talk much more than that. It was one of the most severe panic attacks I've ever had. Of course then I started silently crying like a basket case in the middle of a bunch of hikers. Thankfully I was wearing sunglasses to hide behind, but I kept tearing up for the next half hour as I was coming down off of it.
Our guide, Hugh, did stick near me the rest of the walk although my legs were shaking when we first started going again, and he was a saint being really supportive and telling me about how his daughter suffers from anxiety.
Everything started to calm down a bit as we were walking back, and I tried to explain to people what had happened so that they didn't think I was crazy. I like to joke about crippling experiences in the aftermath to show anxiety that I'm not its bitch. I think it helps. I also drank a bottle of water and poured a bunch all over myself to cool down when we got to the water tank again. I was so thankful when we reached the bus, but I was shaky the rest of the day and on edge about the possibility of it happening again.
And the reason I'm sharing something so personal on a public travel blog is really that mental health issues need to be talked about. It's a very real part of life for people who struggle with it. Travel isn't always magic and rainbows and hot foreigners, as much as I wish it was. Sometimes travel is having a mental breakdown thousands of miles away from home with no comfort zone to hide in. I knew I suffered from anxiety when I decided to leave, but I wasn't going to let it hold me back from doing something I love, and I would hope that others don't either. This wasn't the first panic attack I've had while in another country, and it definitely wasn't the last, it just happened to be one of the most public. It's a reality of life. Travel is full of ups and downs, and I would be painting an unfair picture if I only shared the highs.
That being said, the Valley of the Winds hike was beautiful! It's just unfortunate that I couldn't fully enjoy it.
We went back to our site and had a taco lunch, then it was a four or five hour bus ride to King's Canyon during which I was able to sleep off my morning. We made one quick stop at a lookout point to Mt. Connor, but otherwise I stayed on the bus until we reached our destination.
Our campsite for the night was at King's Creek Station.
There were canvas tents at this site, each holding two cots, so Nyah and I picked one out and dropped our swags and backpacks inside before showering and meeting everyone in the kitchen area for dinner. It was possibly the best tour dinner I had in Oz, including veggie sausages, pan fried bread, potatoes, salad, and cheesy cauliflower and broccoli. Nyah and I had a few cups of goon afterwards by the fire, but I went to bed early so I could rest my fragile little head.
King's Canyon
I was apprehensive about my mental state on the King's Canyon hike the following morning and apparently so was Hugh, since he kept checking up on me and offered us alternative options to the full four hour hike around the top of the canyon (which I suspect were directed my way). We could also stay on the ground, stay on the bus, or just do the initial climb to the top and turn back around before we got too far. I really wanted to do the hike and decided to take it one step at a time and start off with the climb.
We had gotten started at 4:30 AM again to beat the sun, so by the time we reached the top which was the hardest part of the hike, the light was just beginning to stream over the canyon.
I continued on with everyone to the first lookout point, and I was actually feeling fantastic! Since my mind clearly could not be trusted to take care of itself, I had taken precautions by skipping my morning coffee and taking a B-vitamin along with my daily multi (swear by them), plus it was a windy day so I wasn't overheated at all.
This was really fortunate because King's Canyon was my absolute favorite of the three places we'd been. There were cliffs, variations in pattern on the rock walls, and different views around every corner that just kept getting better. It reminded me of Jesus Christ Superstar terrain, so much that I played the soundtrack on my iPod for the end part of the walk.
One section called the Garden of Eden (even the names are biblical!) was especially pretty. It was a short hike off the main path down a bunch of steps to the canyon floor. There was a dark black body of water framed by green trees and palms which provided a cool escape from all the rock.
I can't detail the entire hike, so my photos and 5 star recommendation will have to suffice. I was practically skipping and jumping around I was enjoying it so much. It was awesome.
After stopping back at camp to pack up and have a burger lunch, we began the long 5 1/2 hour bus journey back to Alice Springs. I really enjoyed the tour but was happy to get back to Annie's Place, shower, do some laundry, and share a few final jugs of beer with Nyah before bed.
Nyah left the following morning for South Australia, while I was planning on looking for a ride up north instead. I did get really lucky and managed to find a rideshare without much effort, but I'll detail that in my next entry. Since I had my transport sorted, I was free the rest of the day to skype home, post my photos, and hang out with a new American friend from the tour who joined me for a night at the hostel bar.
It does take a conscious effort to make your way to The Red Centre and see all of the area's sights, but it's absolutely worth it. I would also encourage you to take a road trip through the Northern Territory afterwards, but I'll convince you of that next time I write! Until then I hope you've enjoyed my rundown of Central Australia's red desert wilderness.