Ayers Rock with 7yo son

Re: Ayres Rock with 7yo son


^ SA/NT border. See all the raindrops on the windscreen. ^

Day 3. Coober Pedy to Ayres Rock 751km
The storm clouds were gathering as we left Coober Pedy. An hour later the lightening came. Absolutely nothing all around us for 100k in all directions. No trees, no hills, not even shrubs, just us on our big piece of iron and steel making us easily the highest and most attractive target for each lightening bolt. I swear one missed us by 10 metres. There was no way out of this and I was scared. By the SA/NT border the danger had passed and I contemplated the meaning of life and destiny. My time was not yet up.


^ Erldunda roadhouse where you turn off for the Lasseter Hwy to Uluru. ^

The turn off to Ayres Rock was the Erldunda roadhouse and there was a roaring trade in Ayres Rock entry tickets going on by scalpers. We were approached by dozens offering discounts. Many were people who had bought a 7 day pass that still had time on it. I wonder how many people traveling through the red centre make the trip across to the rock. For anyone thinking Ayres Rock is a slight detour on the way to Alice Springs, it's still another 263km, so your little sightseeing tour will add 6 hours. As we rode along the Lasseter Hwy I thought I could see Ayres Rock but it was actually Mount Connor. A lot of people get fooled by this remarkably similar feature on an otherwise flat barren landscape. We checked into a cabin at the Outback Pioneer Hotel in Yulara. It was like an ATCO building site box with nothing more than 2 double bunks inside. After such a long day I was dead on my feet and went to bed early. Just as I drifted off I was woken by a fat old pom who was told to share with us. He went straight to sleep and snored and farted non stop all bloomin' night!
First thing in the morning we're outta here. I need to find some better accommodation if I'm going to enjoy this place.

Re: Ayres Rock with 7yo son

John & Johnny said:

.... the lightening came. Absolutely nothing all around us for 100k in all directions. No trees, no hills, not even shrubs, just us on our big piece of iron and steel making us easily the highest and most attractive target for each lightening bolt. I swear one missed us by 10 metres. There was no way out of this and I was scared......

Click to expand...

......... you can outrun lighting on a Honda.

John & Johnny said:

..... Just as I drifted off I was woken by a fat old pom who was told to share with us. He went straight to sleep and snored and farted non stop all bloomin' night.....

Click to expand...

Now you know what Trevor and Andrew thought .........

After walking around Yulara, we've settled on the Emu Walk Apartments. Certainly not cheap, but the Sails in the Desert resort was two thousand bucks a night and although it's a lovely resort with lots of swimming pools and upmarket restaurants, at that price I'll leave it to the Japanese tourists. I saw a large group of them at reception getting instructions on climbing the rock translated into Japanese. There was a surprising emphasis placed on the need to carry water when climbing it. Crikey I thought, it's not that bloody difficult, then the penny dropped. The Aussie tour guide started handing out the bottled water.....twenty bucks a pop! Thieving bastard.
Our apartment had full cooking facilities so I bought some supplies at the little IGA supermarket including several bottles of soda water for 75c each. We rode out to the rock (roughly 5k) and met some nice Korean tourists. The Korean bloke in the photo got his girlfriend? to take some photos and she took some with my camera. As a gesture of thanks I took her on the back of my bike all the way around the rock, about 10k. I explained she had to wrap her arms around me and hold on tight.
After the ride she was gushing with giggles and kept hugging me and thanking me in Korean.
We practically ran up the rock, stopping only to watch a Japanese girl screaming in terror and refusing to let go of the guide chain. I carefully placed both the stones in my pocket in the exact same place where I took them from some two years back.

From the top you can see the Olgas in the distance. Tomorrow we plan on riding over for a look, but tonight it's off to the resort for some poolside fun. After all, they don't know we're staying in the cheaper apartments and besides, they're making more than enough money from the Japanese tourists, so I feel no guilt availing myself of their lavish facilities.

Re: Ayres Rock with 7yo son

John & Johnny said:

The whole area is covered in thousands upon thousands of holes that have been dug and just left.

Click to expand...

Sounds like a business opportunity for a 1000-hole golf-course to me...with all the hard work already done.

Re: Ayres Rock with 7yo son

glitch said:

Sounds like a business opportunity for a 1000-hole golf-course to me...with all the hard work already done.

Click to expand...

They do have a golf course. We walked over to it and laughed at the signs saying "KEEP OFF THE GRASS". Of course...there is none. The putting 'greens' are soaked in sump oil. It stinks and it's ugly but apparently many mad golfers travel a long long way to play it.

John & Johnny said:

..... she had to wrap her arms around me and hold on tight......

Click to expand...

Arms longer, much longer, much much longer than Johnny's, aye?

The Olgas or Kata Tjuta


We rode out to the Olgas in just Tshirts. It's not far and the roads are perfect. Andy wants to be the rider.

The Olgas are breathtakingly spectacular. The colours are so rich and deep whilst Ayers Rock is....well..a big rock, you can really get in amongst the Olgas. There are caverns, caves and little hidey holes everywhere. It's a great feeling standing on an awesome monolith like Ayers Rock but the Olgas seem to embrace you. They take you into their heart and soul. There is an airport nearby but the only way to truly appreciate the enormity of distance and the remoteness of this great place is to travel here by road. Be it car, bike or even the Ghan, but anyone flying here just isn't going to get it. I rode here in three days and I got it. The images and the feeling of these places are indelibly stamped in my mind.
Just do it!

John & Johnny said:

The Olgas are breathtakingly spectacular. The colours are so rich and deep whilst Ayers Rock is....well..a big rock, you can really get in amongst the Olgas. There are caverns, caves and little hidey holes everywhere.

Click to expand...

I had the same impression when I was there. Uluru is a goliath, and great to admire from a distance, but up close, just a big rock. Kata Tjuta weren't much to see in the distance, but up close were intricate and interesting. Great pictures.

I wish my dad had taken me on motorbike holidays when I was your kids' age. My dad just had a Z200 later upgraded to a Z250 he used for commuting. Holidays were spent with both parents and 4 other siblings in the Kingswood station wagon with the 16' Franklin on the back. The only upside was that as the youngest and smallest, the car didn't have enough seats, so I got to travel everywhere in the "very back", half of the rear luggage area, unrestrained by seat belts, or even seats.

were you a little Terra

nev said:

I had the same impression when I was there. Uluru is a goliath, and great to admire from a distance, but up close, just a big rock. Kata Tjuta weren't much to see in the distance, but up close were intricate and interesting. Great pictures.

Click to expand...

So here's Kata Tjuta from a further distance. Look at the quality of that road. And hardly anyone uses it! Federal vs State funds.



And so....as the sun sets on the mighty rock Father and Son enjoy time together then off to sleep because first thing in the morning we say goodbye to Uluru and hello to Kings Canyon.


Just when you thought it was all over. I promise, this story has a long way to go.