The Olgas - Valley of the Winds walk

Like the Rock, the Olgas or Katajuta, is not what you expect after seeing it from a distance. We expected a group of massive round rocks which in a way it is but so much more with valleys and gorges separating them. Monday when we did the walk the rain that they'd been expecting since Sunday began lightly and by the time we finished the walk 7kms later it was pouring -waterfalls coming off the rocks our reward for a drenching! The rain did then not let off until 24 hours later leaving our campsite a red muddy wet place to be! Boys had fun with the mud though! We were due to leave for Kings Canyon but stayed another day and night to avoid packing up a wet caravan in the pouring rain. Friends who'd left for KC the day before left early due to muddy caravan sites and the rim walk which is the main attraction being closed due to a flooded creek you need to cross, so i'm glad we didnt make the effort for that! Instead we had a fun relaxing day -mud fun for the boys, washing mud fun for me! and by lunchtime it had dryed out and warmed up enough for a swim. The rest of the afternoon was spent dot painting.

The Olgas were like rocks that had been stuck in melted rock, really unusal. Btw, katatjua is aboriginal for 'many heads'! not surprising!



So, depending on whether the water has subsided and the mud dried up, we will either head to Kings Canyon or otherwise straight to Alice Springs -find out in the next installment of Ramsdens Ramblings!!

Ayers Rock

The first photo is what we woke up to!
Sunday was a full day at the Rock with 5 1/2 hours of walking! We walked from the Cultural Centre to the rock which was 2kms then around the rock and back to the Cultural Centre. The boys were amazed at how different it was up close. Harry thought it was going to be a massive pile of sand! The sheer enormity of it is what strikes you. Until you're right next to it it almost doesnt look real. Theres a photo of the boys touching it for the first time which Wil had been aching to do! The texture of it too is amazing like a water color painting. At the Cultural Centre we watched some aboriginal women painting -its very peaceful and lulls you almost into a trance. Harry didnt want to leave, he sat and watched for nearly half an hour. Later that afternoon we bought some beautiful bush colored paints and the boys have since been working on dot paintings -beautiful. At Alice Springs they want to do a workshop which some aboriginal groups offer.
The rock was closed for climbing due to wind but looking at the dramatic incline and height (the rock is a 1000feet high) i wasnt keen anyway so it was good the decision was taken away from us -the aboriginal custodians dont like people climbing it due to its sacredness to them and walking around the base and hearing the history of it for them and looking at the paintings i can understand why.
Uluru is stunning.

this is a photo close up of the rock to show the texture.

Yulara Camel Cup

I think the photos tell it all! Turns out our camel wasnt a donkey, it won 3rd place in the Plate!!We couldnt believe it, we were all going crazy cheering at the finish line, it was a scream! No prize money but the prestige and ribbon were enough for us! Still cant believe we owned a camel in the Yulara Camel Cup let alone won a place! Such a great day -aboriginal dancers, fashions on the field (the two little girls are the daughters of our new friends, their 3 year old came 3rd, she's so cute!) and the local scenic helicopter company were doing specials for the festival 'dash to the rock' so we took a flight as you do!! The kids even got to get in the back of the outback police wagon : ) after i asked if they could have a photo.
We were on too much of a high to go straight back to camp after the race so we went back to the scene of the crime (the pub) for dinner where the winner of the Cup taunted us -we didnt care!