I didn't waste any time in hitting the sights upon arriving in Alice Springs.
I had found out while still in Darwin that half of the Larapinta Trail - which I was intending to begin hiking right away on arriving in Alice Springs - had be burnt right out and was still at high risk of wildfires. By the time I arrived in Alice things hadn't changed.
So rather than sit around and wait for the tides to turn on the trail I decided it was time to see some sights and jumped in on a guided Camping tour to Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kings Canyon and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas).
The trip started off with a bang. The morning we were due to leave there was a huge thunder storm which was responsible for starting several fires in and around Alice Springs. Luckily things cleared up as we pulled away from town.
Because of the higher than average rainfall last year, more vegetation has grown across the and around the Red Center, creating high than average fuel for fires. And being the end of the dry season, things were DRY!
We passed miles and miles of blackened, scared land on the trip. Similar, I imagined, to what the Larapinta may look like at that moment.
Kings Canyon was first on our agenda of amazing sights. And it was, in short, spectacular! We hiked to the top of the canyon and along the 'Rim Walk' across some amazing landscape, at times treading only inches from the over 300m high cliff's edge.
Mid way around the canyon we descended into a valley known as The Garden of Eden. A tropical, lush forest leading to a permanent waterhole found deep in the valley. I was completely shocked when I found out I was the only person eager to dive into the waterhole. Such a peaceful, refreshing pool, on a hot active day, I wasn't saying no! So in I dove. I mean really, who wouldn't want to be able to say that they swam in the Garden of Eden? Apparently everyone but me? At least on that day.Afterwords our trek continued back to the top of the canyon and across a long, dome-covered, sandstone plateau, where i spotted a giant Perentie sitting right beside our trail. I'm not sure how the rest of the group missed it, but this huge monitor lizard caught my eye instantly!
While Perenties have been known to reach lengths exceeding 8 feet, our boy was roughly four and a half to five feet long. These guys are very similar to the Goulds Goanna which I encountered many of in Queensland, but are much slimmer and apparently to see one in the wild is quite rare, as they are known to be extremely timid and shy. However, this particular monitor couldn't have been happier to pose, basking in the sunshine as I snapped away all the photo's I could. This could probably be classed as another foolish situation where I got far too close to something. The claws and teeth alone on these guys is enough to do a person in, never mind the fact that scientists believe that Perenties may produce a venomous bite to top it off.One highlight of the tour for me was the amount of knowledge our guide, Karmen, had about bush medicines and wild food. Karmen and i hit it off very early into the trip exchanging tips, stories and experiences in the outback. She was just as eager to hear about how the Canadian wilderness compared to Australia's as I was to learn all I could get out of her on Oz.
The view as we descended back to the bottom of the canyon was breath taking. It, and the whole area we had passed through reminded me of something out of an Indiana Jones movie, or The Mummy. Absolutely amazing country.
We pulled into camp that night just after dark. Our group seemed to all connect very well, very early on. Everyone pitched in and pulled their weight right from the get go, and in only minutes our camp was shaping up nicely. We had a nice big fire rolling, plenty of firewood for the night and the next morning (Following the 3:1 rule - Gather as much wood as you think you need for a night, then triple it), swags rolling out in all directions and dinner as on.
A night under the outback stars, sitting by the fire wasn't a new experience for me by this time - it felt like home. But there was something about being there with new friends, sharing new experiences (and tell tales of many of my past experiences as well) and just being in the moment that was very refreshing, and as exciting as your very first camping trip.
The outback has been very good to me. It has taken me a long way, in what I must admit has been a much safer manor than I had anticipated. For that I am very grateful. And even though I chose the path I did... alone... Aware of the potential danger and anticipation of loneliness, I don't regret the decision, though to be able to share part of that experience, even though only a small fraction, made it all worth while.
As we all tucked in that night after a mighty feast of mince chili and rice over the open fire, kangaroo mice bouncing rigorously throughout our campsite, and the milky way high over head, I couldn't wait to find out what the following days had in store.
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