AYERS ROCK (ULURU) Day 42 & 43 'THE ROCK', & FIREWORKS
DAY 42 & 43
AYERS ROCK (ULURU)
Uluru and fireworks fun.
Uluru also known as Ayers Rock, is an almost five hour drive from Alice Springs along the Stuart and Lasseter highways. A distance of 450kms. Good sealed roads all the way.
Lasseter Highway itself is a scenic drive of 244 km. The highway is named after Lewis Lasseter. Lewis claimed to have found and then lost the fabled Lasseter Reef of gold in the 1930's. He is buried in Alice Springs.
Mount Conner off Lasseter Highway is often mistaken for Uluru. A sealed road encircles Uluru. The Ulura base walk is about ten km in total. Often seen are Desert Oak and the wild Australian Budgerigar which are commonplace in central Australia. A small brightly colored common parakeet. Commonly kept in household cages.
Yulara Township
Tourist facilities are at Yulara township. 26 km from Uluru. A sealed road continues 25 km to Kata Tjuta (Olgas). These are large domed rock formations. The highest over 500 metres above the surrounding plains.
There is a tourist ban on climbing Uluru. However, hiking is allowed on the Olgas. On a previous visit to central Australia I and three others in a light plane flew over Lake Amadeus. A vast usually dry salt lake. 50 km north of Uluru. (Ayers Rock) as it was then called. The glare of white salt all around to the horizon. Lake Amadeus is approximately 100 km by 13 km wide.
Ayers Rock Resort
Local Fireworks Ban?
I booked into the huge campground and erected my tent. I purchased fireworks in Alice Springs the day before. I thought it good to revisit Guy Fawkes day of my youth. Fireworks and bonfires now long banned in Victoria. Have some harmless fun. Territory Day is the only legal day of the year the general public is allowed to buy and use fireworks. In all other states fireworks are banned with heavy fines for possession. Now I am in a national park l was advised in the Visitor's Centre not to use them. Bushfire risk. My car boot full. What to do? Meanwhile fireworks were being set off by the local workers around the edge of the park.
Fireworks Lighting the Sky
After much indecision of what to do with the hundreds of dollars worth of fireworks in my car boot.
I drove out on dusk and came across the local Lions Club shed. Local Lion members were lighting fireworks in the empty carpark standing around a 44 gallon drum. Well alight with burning wood.
Fireworks Fun Travel Down Under
The Lion members invited me to join in. I opened my sedan boot. Holly Hell. Seeing the amount of fireworks. Plenty to share. Nearby were a couple of overseas tourists. Lighting fireworks. They asked me if I would part with a few. Sure, I lead them by torchlight to my car boot. Shone the light over the firework boxes. I was handed $100. Less than what I paid for in the shop. All good. All needed to be used before tomorrow.
One large firework rocketed sideways and impacted the Lions Shed sidewall in a shower of sparks and noise. A metre above my car's roof. Fortunate there was no damage to my only means of transportation here in the outback.
Overall a great Territory day/night.
Traveldriven
AYERS ROCK (ULURU)
AYERS ROCK (ULURU)
YULARA 'THE ROCK' FIVE DAY FORECAST
TRAVEL DOWN UNDER & DRIVE 2WD
ULURU TO
KATA TJUTA
FIREWORKS
CLIMBING AYERS ROCK
BEFORE THE BAN
AYERS ROCK & DESERT OAKS
'CLIMBING THE ROCK'
PENDING CLOSURE RANGER TALK
