Uluru: Exploring the red centre of Australia

Posing at King’s Canyon (June 11, 2019) 

Red dirt, hot glaring sun and millions of flies riding on your back, shared bathrooms, fitful sleeps under the stars with apprehensions of a possible dingo attack and near 10-km walks each day.  That was my first trip of 2019. 

It may sound like I am complaining, but I am not. It was the “great Aussie experience” that I had always wanted and what better place to soak it in than the sleepy outback itself? Would I do this trip again if given a chance? Certainly, albeit with better preparation. 

Uluru as seen during sunset on June 9, 2019

Couple of months back when Jetstar ran one of its sales we randomly bought return tickets for Ayers Rock as central Australia had been on our bucket list for its cultural history and geological marvels for a while now. Closer to date, we booked a 3days/4nights camping tour with Mulga Adventures which promised “fun outback Uluru tours in Central Australia.” Here’s what I liked and disliked the most about this trip... 

The best:

1. Uluru or Ayers Rock, a UNESCO world heritage site, is the most marketed geological feature of central Australia but for me King’s Canyon - about 4-hours drive north of Yulara town- was a big favourite. It was a bonus really for I hadn’t seen any photos of the canyon before and for that matter I didn’t even know there existed one. We did a 3.5-hour hike around the canyon, including climbing 450 uneven steps in what is famously known as the heart-attack hill (I had sore calve muscles that night). Everything about King’s Canyon was mesmerising - the rock formation, fossilised seabed, a little oasis of stagnant water and the views of the vast unending desert.

The majestic King’s Canyon (June 11,2019)  

King’s canyon in golden light (June 11, 2019) 

The second favourite was Kata-Tjuta, which literally translates to ‘heads many’ or ‘many heads’ in English with its ochre-red lumps quite a spectacle. This too involved about 3-hours of walking and climbing uneven surfaces but was totally worth our time. The place is rich in culture, involving stories about the Pitjantjatjara Anangu people who inhabited the place long before the British colonised Australia in the 1700s. 

And now for the flagship selling point. Standing 348 metres tall, Uluru is a lot more than just a large sandstone rock. It is home to waterholes, springs, caves, fascinating rock formations as well as ancient aboriginal rock paintings. We visited Uluru on our first day, did a short 10-15 mins walk around the periphery followed by another 20-25 mins of ‘culture walk’. Uluru is deeply rooted in Aboriginal culture and so the Pitjantjatjara Anangu people strongly discourage climbing the rock as it is disrespectful to their beliefs. Increasingly, people are opting not to and as a result climbing will officially be permanently banned later this year - a great result for first Australians who have been fighting for their rightful place in the country and its history for decades now. 

Uluru as seen during sunrise on Jun 10,2019 

2. Mulgas: Our tour guide Jesse, a South Australian shipbuilder, was great company. He was a stickler for time which meant we were always on schedule. He woke us with happy calls each morning and made sure we were well-fed throughout the day. 

Jesse posing at King’s Canyon

At the sunset point on day-1 where we took photos of the changing moods of Uluru, Jesse popped a few bottles of champagne and laid out chips and dips for us to snack on. On other days there were apples, muesli bars and ANZAC biscuits.

We also took turns to help Jesse in the kitchen with chopping and later cleaning as in his own words “Jesse is not a superman, guys!” 

We had 5 am starts on two of the four days so Jesse had dinner ready for the 21 of us by 7-730 pm which meant we were snuggled in our swag bags aka beds well before 9. The 4-day program was perfect too - leisurely pace while also ensuring we covered all ground. 

Jesse posing at King’s Canyon

3. The outback experience: I have slept under the stars several times before, back in India. I have also spent a few days in places without electricity, internet and even concrete toilets. So, I was not completely repulsed by the idea of doing the same in Australia. 

On the way to King’s Creek Station

The first two nights - one at Ayers Rock Resort camping grounds and the other at King’s Creek station - handily beat my expectations. For starters, we had proper concrete bathrooms with seamless hot and cold water supply and toilet rolls. Then, there was some semblance of a kitchen with barbecues, gas stove and other utilities while the sleeping bags were more comfortable than I had expected. 

Camp shelter


Swag bags around camp fire at Ayers Rock Resort camping ground

There were no mosquitoes - a major nuisance in India - and the disgusting desert flies had disappeared with the sun. The overall outback experience with a bunch of 20-somethings (Prashant and I were the elderly in the group!) was reasonably enjoyable. There were moments of self-doubt though, where we questioned our sanity and our judgment to even consider this trip, specially on the very last night which was a complete bush experience we hadn’t signed up for. 

THE WORST:

1. Flies: I saw a postcard at one of the gas station stores the other day which described Central Australia perfectly - 1 big rock, 1 Canyon, 1 railway and 10 billion flies. We have flies in India too but the sheer amount here was a shocker. We had read about them and bought fly-nets for our hats from a Sydney airport pharmacy before taking off. The variety is far better in Uluru but never mind the fly-nets the flies would still hover around you! 

Prashant and I posing with our fly-nets

Fly-nets are no deterrent to these annoying flies 

2. Food: I accept it, I am a fussy eater. I don’t like processed and frozen foods and I avoid junk and sugar laden stuff as much as I can. Sadly, camping food was everything I despise about eating out. The very first meal of veggie sandwiches with beetroots and pineapple won my acceptance. But it was only downhill from there. Burrito, which wasn’t bad, followed by burgers of tasteless, frozen patties and schnitzels. The final meal of pasta and garlic bread deserves a mention though.  Breakfasts every single day was toasts (which I generally avoid) with an array of spreads from butter to jams, peanut butter and Nutella. So that meant I was starving most mornings. 

Veggie sandwiches on the go

3. Cost: Regular coffee for A$5 in Yulara town. Go any further the price escalates to A$8! Thongs, or slippers, for A$25, a kilo of grapes for almost A$10 and a small bottle of fruit juice for A$7. 

4. The final night of the trip was the real bush experience - we had a large open field of red dirt to ourselves in the middle of nowhere and with no concrete structures at all. 

Still trying to have fun! 

A large container, a tin shed and two chairs were all we had. If a dingo attack were to happen there would hardly be anywhere to hide.

Curtain Springs camping ground 

Jesse had warned us dingos might come sniffing for food but he had also said they are reasonably harmless to humans. In fact, they are scared of us. But fear is often irrational and specially when you hear digos wail from all directions. That was the most fitful night spent in the trip.

I woke up several times that night, once to pee even but had no courage to leave the safety of my bare swag bag for the wilderness. I went back to sleep to wake up with a heavily bloated bladder the next morning! 

Running away... to the Southern Highlands

August was a crazy month. I had a 14-km race for which my preparations were dismal, the weather was still uncomfortably cold and there were some work-related stresses to deal with. I was on heavy doses of mindfulness and decided to escape from Sydney for a couple of days to give my brain some TLC. In addition, Prashant and I booked holidays for September (my amazing Orange trip which is coming up next on this blog) and November (Tasmania) as well as planned our India trip which begins at the end of December. All that holiday planning brought in a tinge of excitement while a weekend getaway was an utter bliss to help deal with another hectic work-week! 

Many of you have asked how I never plan a weekend but still manage so many escapades! I have chronicled one of the weekends here to put an end to the mystery - 

SATURDAY, Aug.26 

I wake up around 9 am. That's early for a weekend by my standard. Prashant is not by my side. I get off the bed groggy-eyed and feel terrible about missing the body-pump class yet again. Prashant must have tried to wake me up but no matter what, nidra-devi, or the goddess of sleep, never betrays me. I get on to Facebook as you do first thing in the morning and see a colleague chilling in a Canberra hotel watching Spongebob Squarepants; a cousin had posted pictures of festivities back in India while the ruthless social media app was throwing up pictures from eons ago of me frolicking in Goa. I ache to go home. I think about how my work-out routine has gone awry, I haven't read a book in a while and my blogging has taken a backseat. 

9.30 am

I call my kid sister. She is a comic (not by profession) who rips me apart with her cheeky one-liners aimed solely at me. I can have the most serious discussions with her while being facetious at the same time. We talk for almost an hour every day and I laugh the most when we are together. But, the hour long chat can't go on today as its almost time for Prashant to get back so I hang up... because it's embarrassing to wake up late and then while away time on the phone when you should be killing it in the gym! 

1015 am

While chatting with the sister I google some weekend getaways around Sydney. As soon as Prashant enters, I  declare we are going to the Southern Highlands, that it's a short drive and I'll be at the wheels. Prashant is not impressed. He isn't a spur-of-the-moment person but gives in. Who wants to argue with their wife when the weekend has only just begun? 

I book a farmstay on Hume Highway while Prashant beats up some healthy smoothies for us. Shamelessly, I gulp down a glass at a lightening pace because it's so delicious. 

12.30 pm 

Time to clear the fridge for some leftovers, wrap-up lunch, pack for the night away and get going. 

1.30 pm 

Driving on Australian roads at 110 kmph with some good music for company is my cheap thrill. I wrote about how much I love it in my previous blog so won't bore you with more of the same. It helps that Prashant is not such a driving enthusiast and is happy to be just a charming road companion. We see lots of dead kangaroos and possums on the highway and that same night, I am afraid, Prashant may have killed one on a pitch dark road with no street lights. 

4 pm

A couple of wrong turns later we reach our destination - the Forest Farm. Maria's expansive property is right on the highway so it's quite abrupt to go from 110 kmph to 0 kmph in 30 seconds. A white metal gate leads us into an endlessly long driveway lined with tall trees on both sides. Across the wired fence, adjacent to the driveway,  several sheep stand static while some hens romp around a small yard. As we drive in, some horses show up too, although we learn later they aren't owned by our generous hosts. We meet Maria at the porch as we park the car. She leads us into her woodfired-warm living area which gives way to our assigned cosy little bedroom. 

6 pm

It's freezing outside as we abandon our room for the cold unease of our surrounds. We take pictures of all and sundry, but within minutes find ourselves returning for some piping-hot tea. Maria joins us in the kitchen and we share our life's stories, biting into peanut biscuits and home-baked Italian cake which our host is very generous to share. We learn that Maria has spent several years in Tasmania and so we start taking tips for November. What fun, planning a holiday while on a holiday! 

7 pm

An hour of chatting and tea later we decide to head out for an early dinner as Maria warns most restaurants shut early. Since the Forest Farm is quite remote, we drive about 15 minutes to Moss Vale. We are craving for pizzas so we head to the highly recommended and well-rated Fraccaro's Italian Restaurant   The place is buzzing with boisterous laughs, clinking of wine glasses and clattering of cutlery. The aroma of freshly baked bread fills the air, enough to stir up our appetite. We are prepared to wait as the place is choc-a-block but the unexpected happens -- We find a table for two in no time but the restaurant has now run out of pizza bases so they are only serving pastas for the night. I love pastas, don't get me wrong, but today is not the day. We walk out disappointed and head for our second best option... any guesses? 

(If you follow my blog, you'd already be surprised at not finding any mention of Thai so far)  

It's never too late! Thankfully we are only a stone's throw away from Sattahip Thai Restaurant - We drive about 100 metres from Fraccaro's because it's too chilly and windy to walk. I gobble up a vegetarian Pad Thai while Prashant sticks to his chicken cashewnut and steam rice. The food, while slightly dearer than Sydney, is quite delicious.  

SUNDAY, Aug 27

10 am: We eat a delectable breakfast of fruits, cereals, cakes and breads at Maria's, cuddle the little Cleo and check-out, hoping to visit again. On the way back we stop at Berrima - a picture-postcard town which boasts of some of the best restaurants in the Southern Highlands. We walk along cherry blossom-lined roads and admire the quaint cottages and beautiful gardens along the way. We go to the Berrima Sunday Markets as well, but don't buy or eat anything. Next stop Bowral.  

12.30 pm

Bowral is the largest town in the Southern Highlands. It is also known for the International Cricket Hall of Fame in honour of its most famous resident - Don Bradman. We'll visit Bowral again for a cricket and heritage tour, but it's almost lunch time and we're both hungry now. We stop at Centennial Vineyards, one of scores of wineries in Bowral, which also houses a supremely popular restaurant. We buy a bottle of Chardonnay there and then head to fill our appetite. The waiting staff apologises to us as the restaurant is booked out weeks in advance. For the second time in less than 24 hours we are unable to eat at a restaurant of our choice -- just goes to show how popular this region is. We look up TripAdvisor for other lunch options and head to Gumnut Pattiserie - one of the best bakeries in Bowral. We order some croissants and savoury pasties and pack some for the way back. It's a must stop if you are anywhere near Bowral - whether it's for breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea - Gumnut will have something for you. 

3.30 pm

Back in Sydney... and back to the grind! 

Queensland: It's not just about snorkelling in the reef

I am in Orange right now, snuggled under a warm blanket after a gourmet meal of soufflé, fish and fruit parfait at a hatted restaurant and some tipple at nearby vineyards. I feel like a satiated Cheshire Cat grinning ear to ear with glee, eager to tell all about New South Wales' worst-kept secret! But before I spill the beans on the central tablelands, I feel obliged to write something about my last trip to Queensland. Sorry there is a lot of catching-up to do but we will come to Orange (I'll need another holiday for that perhaps). 

So Queensland - yes, I know I have already written about Brisbane but this one is different, I promise. Now, Australia is obviously known for its blue seas and white sands and reams have been spent with mentions of the Great Barrier Reef, which needless to say, is a must-do even if you can't swim. But if, like Prashant and me, you're not a beach bum and still want to get the best out of your trips this blog might come in handy. 

We usually do our annual pilgrimage to Queensland around June when Sydney is pretty cold but the far north is still warm. It's perfectly pleasant weather to enjoy hiking, walking, swimming, fishing and what have you. 

1. Driving on Australian roads is a treat. You'll meet the odd colourful parakeet flying alongside your car or a herd of kangaroos perched on the side of the road. You will also see perfectly manicured farm houses with mooing cattle and baa-ing sheep along the highways. At other times, you'll be driving along the ocean with drop-dead gorgeous views. Thankfully, there are many look-out points along scenic highways for a quick halt, a photograph and/or a leak before heading off again. We drove up to Mossman Gorge from Cairns city and then went all the way to Cape Tribulation. I am new to driving so did have some hiccups going uphill, at times on unsealed roads, but it was one of my most favourite experiences enhanced by some funny ice creams we stumbled upon along the way... If you are a sucker for sugar keep an eye for the Daintree Icecream Company  You will not be disappointed. 

 

 

2. Daintree rainforests: You could spend an entire day or a couple of hours here. I found Daintree very inviting and therapeutic, and then I read about forest bathing!

We did the Kuku Yalanji Dreamtime walk which is among the topmost things to do in Mossman Gorge and rightly so. The 90-minute guided tour takes you to some untrodden path into the dense forest while giving you a flavour of early aboriginal life and customs.  And, as this TripAdvisor review  by Prashant points out, the Kuku Yalanji walk was the highlight of our tropical Queensland tour. Highly recommended.

 

_{Forms of life on a dead wood}

 _{Basket ferns}

 

 

_{Daintree nature trails} 

 _{Trees so tall they touch the sky!}

 

_{Simply posing ;)}

3. Crocodile Dundee - Sadly, I haven't watched the movie but I've seen lots of Steve Irwin, popularly known as Crocodile Hunter. Crocodiles have always intrigued me - quiet, almost lifeless but so lethal. We jumped on a crocodile tour called "Solar Whisper" which, as the name suggests, is powered by the sun's energy so the boats are not only environment-friendly but less noisy too. If you're not a crocodile fan, I'd still suggest you do the tour because it's a lot more than just spotting crocodiles in the wild.

Fun fact: On average only one person a year is killed by a crocodile in Australia, compared with three deaths from bee stings. 

^{Crawly and creepy!}  

^{Solar whisper eco-tourism boat} 

 

^{Views while on the boat}

 

_{Mangroves on both sides of the Daintree river} 

 

^{Sun bathing croc} 

4. Mossman Gorge B&B: This was a great find, thanks to Prashant's colleague who suggested we book this quaint cottage for our 3-night stay. We weren't even planning on staying at Mossman Gorge in the first place but we did! You can spend an entire day, perhaps a week, at this B&B devouring the delicious cakes and croissants that the host, Mandy, dishes out each morning, watch chirpy little birds stop by for some feed and water, read a book or like another guest at the B&B - walk up to the nearest salon and pamper yourself! 

 

^{The veranda at Mossman Gorge B&B}

_{View from the verandah} 

^{Well-equipped kitchen}

 5. Port Douglas is a nice base for visits to both the Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest reef system, and Daintree National Park. The town on the Coral Sea is popular for snorkelling and scuba diving. It also has some lovely restaurants - we were spoiled for choice as there was the traditional Aussie fish and chips, the ubiquitous pizza, the hot and spicy Indian curries and the exotic Mexican fare. But we settled for a Thai place as we always do (I should write a blog on all the Thai places we've ever been to in Australia). Sorry, I don't remember the name now but the food was delicious. We would have gone to them again had we stayed longer. Besides, you can enjoy a quiet stroll along the wharf, check out the fancy wares at the Sunday markets and go back in time with the heritage walking trail. There is never a dearth of 'things to do' at Port Douglas. 

 

  

How did a novice take to Australian wines?!

Last November Prashant and I celebrated our seventh marriage anniversary in Tasmania. We had booked our air tickets months in advance but as the day approached we were quite clueless about our plans in the alluring island state. We are not the adrenaline junkie types but we do like to be adventurous and explore cities at our own pace. So after much deliberations we settled for a road trip from Launceston to Hobart and back, and an exorbitant wine tour in the picturesque Tamar Valley. It was to be our first such experience but we genuinely didn't know what to expect and whether it would be worth our dollars. 

  Goaty Hills vineyard in Tamar Valley 

On the D-day, a white hatchback from 'Valleybrook Wine on Wheels' came at our Launceston 'home' to pick us up, dot on time. It was then that I realised that it was to be an exclusive tour - no bawling babies, no grumpy tourists and no teenage banter. It ended up being quite romantic after all [bonus points to the hubby ;-)]

 

Our friendly tour guide took us around five big and small wineries in the Tamar Valley which is known for its organic cool climate wines. Most of the vineyards we visited belonged to small, boutique winemakers each with an interesting tale of how their journey began.  From the usual Sauv Blanc and Chardonnay to the less popular Gewürztraminer they had it all. We thirstily loaded ourselves with seven bottles of our favourite tipple that was shipped over to us in Sydney, undamaged. 

We returned on a high, literally. 

 

This little one at Tamar Valley's Holm Oak vineyard stole my heart! Our dapper tour guide is in the background

 

Our modest wine collection, all thanks to Tamar Valley

Two months later, while my parents - both non drinkers - were in Australia we thought of introducing them to wines. We booked a couple of nights in Hunter Valley, one of Australia's major wine regions known for its Semillon and Shiraz. This time we headed straight to the visitor centre where we shortlisted a few places including a dairy and a chocolate factory. It was quite a fun experience and an eye opener for mum, in particular as she can now tell wine from whisky and beer! As for dad, he is always in his happy zone. 

 

Dad at wine appreciation session at Polkobin

Another two months on and we find ourselves in Adelaide. Barossa Valley, famous for its Shiraz grapes, and only a couple of hours drive from the South Australian capital city was very much on our agenda. Unfortunately it didn't live up to our expectations, possibly because we are not in to Shiraz yet but also because Barossa had totally dried itself out. It was brown and dusty all around with some patches of greens here and there. 

Dry and dusty 

 

We went to two biggish wineries that weren't very personable, one of them Jacob's Creek. They appeared quite touristy with the folks across the counter not interested in what you like but in merely selling their limited "for tasting" table wine collection. To add to our list of complaints, they would only ship bottles that we bought from them. Winemakers at both Tamar and Hunter are happy to ship bottles for you from their rivals too as long as you buy at least one from them. So Barossa really discouraged us from splurging because we didn't want to put all our eggs in one basket... 

In hindsight, I am glad we returned from Barossa almost empty handed. The very next day, we headed to Adelaide Hills - renowned for its cool climate white wines and in particular the Gruner Vertliner. Our experience at Adelaide Hills came closest to that in Tasmania's Tamar Valley and more than made up for our disappointment at Barossa just the previous day. Back home, we now await our treasured half dozen tipple from Gruner Vertliner - apparently the most under-rated wine - to an oaky Chardonnay and a fruity Fiano... Slurp!

 

  

  Bird in Hand winery