So, today we finally saw Uluru, and the Olgas. We saw Uluru last night but it was from quite a distance and we were on camels, which was lovely but distracting as we'd just witnessed one of the women riding with us get thrown off her camel. Apparently the ants are mental at the moment because of all the rain, and the camels were all stamping their feat as we rode along to get them off. This is normal behavior but the camel infront of us took it a little too far, and actually jumped and bucked his rider off. Lucky she was ok, because it's a long way down off a camel, but every subsequent stomp of everyone else's camels was met with a tightening of the grip on the saddle. Not as relaxing as it was supposed to be I think.
After waking up a little late, we got some stuff for breakfast and lunch, and promptly decided that we were taking a bus trip to see kata tjunta today, there was no way we were putting all our leathers on and riding there in 35 degrees. So, we got on an air conditioned bus which took us to kata tjunta (the olgas) where we walked up through a gorge and then drove around uluru before watching the sunset there. Very nice and civilised. We've decided to go on to Alice Springs tomorrow, to try and escape the heat for a night or two at a backpackers. I think we're feeling a little too guilty about all the money we've spent on camels and busses to go all out on a hotel, and everything else here is very expensive too so these past 2 days have been quite a drain on the budget. Oh well.
We nearly ran out of fuel again yesterday on the way in. after paying an absolute fortune (photo below) for fuel at ebeneezer roadhouse, I think I must've just neglected to fill the tank properly. Too busy watching the dollars mount up. We set off, and after stopping for lunch at curtin springs, we accidently set off the wrong way. After 9 ks in the wrong direction it was Bridget who pointed it out (don't know what I was doing, looking for camels or something) and we turned round, adding nearly 20kms to the trip. I still figured it would be fine, but with 50 kms to go to yulara, I had to switch to the reserve, which only has 45kms on it at absolute maximum. I was panicking, already making up stories in my head to try and explain to the racv how 2 days after I had to call them to top up the tank after we ran out I needed them to do the same again. Oh, and this time we had an empty jerry can on the bike too, just to make it even worse. Just then, we caught up to a huge coach, and I just tucked in behind it and stared at it's tail lights for the next 52kms. It actually sucked us along the road all the way to yulara where we managed to roll into shell with a shot glass of fuel left. We were so lucky that coach appeared, because the head wind was fierce and there was no way we would have made it.
The jerry can isn't empty anymore.
After waking up a little late, we got some stuff for breakfast and lunch, and promptly decided that we were taking a bus trip to see kata tjunta today, there was no way we were putting all our leathers on and riding there in 35 degrees. So, we got on an air conditioned bus which took us to kata tjunta (the olgas) where we walked up through a gorge and then drove around uluru before watching the sunset there. Very nice and civilised. We've decided to go on to Alice Springs tomorrow, to try and escape the heat for a night or two at a backpackers. I think we're feeling a little too guilty about all the money we've spent on camels and busses to go all out on a hotel, and everything else here is very expensive too so these past 2 days have been quite a drain on the budget. Oh well.
We nearly ran out of fuel again yesterday on the way in. after paying an absolute fortune (photo below) for fuel at ebeneezer roadhouse, I think I must've just neglected to fill the tank properly. Too busy watching the dollars mount up. We set off, and after stopping for lunch at curtin springs, we accidently set off the wrong way. After 9 ks in the wrong direction it was Bridget who pointed it out (don't know what I was doing, looking for camels or something) and we turned round, adding nearly 20kms to the trip. I still figured it would be fine, but with 50 kms to go to yulara, I had to switch to the reserve, which only has 45kms on it at absolute maximum. I was panicking, already making up stories in my head to try and explain to the racv how 2 days after I had to call them to top up the tank after we ran out I needed them to do the same again. Oh, and this time we had an empty jerry can on the bike too, just to make it even worse. Just then, we caught up to a huge coach, and I just tucked in behind it and stared at it's tail lights for the next 52kms. It actually sucked us along the road all the way to yulara where we managed to roll into shell with a shot glass of fuel left. We were so lucky that coach appeared, because the head wind was fierce and there was no way we would have made it.
The jerry can isn't empty anymore.
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