Tue 3rd June – Day 26:
5:45am wake up call, we donned warm clothes with gloves and beanies to await our pick-up to the ‘sunset camel ride’. Chloe and I on 6yr old ‘Cusco’ and Toby & Pete on the more mature ‘Alice’ we set off with 8 other bleary eyed tourists to ride the sand dunes. Camels were used extensively throughout Australia before the railroad made them obsolete and the Government at the time (in their infinite wisdom) advised the Afghan cameleers that they would either pay for their camels to go back to whence they had come, or humanly dispose of them. While some chose to go home the logistics in taking their camels proved too much for many and given the long and often intimate history these men had with their animals (Camels are known as quite intelligent – comparable to an 8-9yr old, the oldest one on our ride was 32!) the men had no intention of killing what had been their livelihood for so long. Instead they took most of them into the outback and released them. Today there are over 1million wild camels running around out here and they are causing havoc to the desert ecology and wildlife.
We also discovered that thanks to the early missionaries (often the first contact aboriginals had with ‘white man’) the baby jesus story with it’s 3 wise men bearing gifts on camels has become interwoven in their beliefs so that camels are regarded as sacred so they frown on any sort of culling – this frustrates the Park rangers no end as they would love to just shoot the lot. The Government is still struggling with the problem and despite supporting a meat trade, racing circuit, and live export trade (as our camels have none of the diseases of their middle eastern counter-parts. Last year a white ‘bull’ camel sold to middle east for over $4M USD!) their numbers are out of control.
Anyway despite all this we had a wonderful hour riding camels through the dunes around the rock – an experience the kids won’t forget quickly. Breakfast was provided and hot ‘beer’ bread, golden syrup and a ‘cuppa’ rounded off the perfect start to the day.
We then headed west to Kata Tjuta where the kids amazed us once again and managed the 7.4km ‘Valley of the Winds’ walk with little encouragement. The views from ‘Karingana‘ lookout were well worth it and I had no idea the microcosm of habitat that the rocks provide – there is a complete oasis of green in the centre which contrasted cruelly with the harsh dry conditions all around and we realised how vital this would be to indigenous people travelling through the area.

Back at camp Pete went off and scared himself with the price of Diesel ($2.229/L ouch) – only averaging about 6km/L so that is definitely our main cost out here.

Happy hour with Debbie & Ian whom we seem to have followed since Marree and some new-comers (Grant & Cathy) travelling in a Jayco Dove with 2 boys (Rhys 8 & Jarrod 10) which made the kids happy and they all disappeared off to watch ‘RV’ on the DVD.

Dinner was cooked on the BBQ, warding off skulking Dingo’s keen for a tasty treat and then more warm clothes for our Star Watch Tour, which was absolutely sensational. With no moon and a cloudless sky we bumped along the dark dusty road to the observatory with the milky way stretching endlessly above us. Some wild camels on the track made for an interesting aside and then using a laser pointer our guide was able to show us exactly where and what he was talking about. THen with a powered telescope we scanned Alpha centori, the ‘jewel box’ to the left of Beta (on the southern Cross) and the planets Jupiter, Mars and Saturn, complete with rings (just like a postcard). Now if we can just spot them again tomorrow night.
Voyages Ayers Rock Resort (Powered $43.50)