We have arrived at the inland city of Erldunda (population about 20), on the Stuart Highway about 200 kilometres south of Alice Springs.

Since our last post at the Alice, we have had 4 days at Yulura, for access to Uluru and Kata Tjuta (formerly The Olgas), and two days at Watarra National Park (sometimes known as Kings Canyon).

Despite its isolation, Erldunda has some very good things going for it, including reasonably priced beers, and a grassed camping area with power and water and lots of shade. It is probably not the spot for an extended vacation, as apart from the roadhouse and tavern, there is not much here. It is at the junction of the Lasseter and Stuart Highways from where you can continue South to Adelaide, or West to Yulara – or North to Alice Springs.

I have decided not to call the iconic landmarks around here by their European names. Why on earth would you call Kata Tjuta, a place of great significance and spirituality for the Ananju, after an unknown European aristocrat named Olga. Or Uluru after some colonial administrator. I am not sure how Kings Canyon/river/station acquired its name but I prefer Watarrka anyway.

On Tuesday 5 September, we set off for Yulara, a trip of about 400 kilometres, so a longish day on the road, but easy enough, trundling along at around 90 km/h. The countryside rolls by effortlessly giving us time to enjoy the raw beauty of the Red Centre, take the occasional picture, and of course stop for a smoko when we start to feel a little weary of driving. Our first stop was a roadhouse optimistically called Mount Ebenezer. I guess “Low Rise Ebenezer” does not sound that flash. There was a single fuel pump, a café, art gallery for local artists and modest motel. I ordered a large coffee and was taken aback first at the price ($9.50) and later the taste which I imagined was the product of road tar, burnt rubber and left-over coffee grounds.

About 100 km along the Lasseter Highway, we began to see Mount Conner, an isolated and quite large mesa-like mountain to the South. Apparently, its red colour and vaguely similar shape to Uluru lures some travellers into thinking this is Uluru, thus getting known colloquially as Fuluru. We stopped for a pic at a lookout and to use the Ululoo.

Finally we get to Yulara, the resort village about 17 km short of Uluru. There are about 4 hotels, a small shopping square, a camping ground, and police and emergency services. We booked the things that we thought we would all enjoy: a helicopter flight around Uluru and Kata Tjuta for John Mann, Pauline Priest and me, the Camel sunset ride for Pauline, Anne Mann and Jenny, and for all of us, the sunset and evening stroll through the Festival of Lights, a stunning display of coloured lights with Uluru as a backdrop.

John, Pauline and I set off for the chopper ride on Wednesday, around noon. For Pauline and me it was our first ride, while John had only recently had a white-knuckle ride in a chopper sans doors in the Bungle Bungles, in the Kimberleys. John insisted that our machine had doors. Personally, I would be quite happy to stand on the rails and hang out the side for some good shots, but doors was the price we had to pay to have John on board. Ours was a 36 minute ride along two sides of Uluru and then across to Kata Tjuta. It was a spectacular viewing of these two wonderful monolithic structures.

John, Anne and jenny also did the walk around the Rock – a 10 kilometre walk that they thoroughly enjoyed. Rob, Pauline and I had more restricted ambitions and did the Mala walk of about 2.5 kilometres. The girls also did the camel ride at sunset which they enjoyed, though the sunset was hidden by the clouds. In fact the last two days were a bit cloudy.

Uluru and Kata Tjuta are memorable experiences that we will treasure. Of course it isquite commercial: you can do camel rides, Harley Davidson Rides, cycle rides, Segway tours, helicopters, light planes – you can pay $1200 a night at a luxury lodge, or $50 a night at the camping ground – which we did.

Saturday saw us heading off for Kings Canyon (Watarrka National Park) for a two-night stay and to undertake the walks available in the area.

The rim walk begins with a steep ascent up a rugged and uneven series of steps known as “Heart Attack Hill”. My knees had already succumbed to injuries after a less-challenging hill, so I took the walk along the valley floor. We were up early so that we did not have to bear the heat of the day as well as the challenge of the walk, and were able to begin by about 7.30am. Jen, the Priests and the Manns all did the rim walk, about 7 kilometres of sometimes even, but also with some fairly rugged parts, along with quite a number of others ready for the challenge.

My walk along the dry river bed was a solitary journey, peaceful, with only the birds accompanying me. The last part of the walk was blocked off because of a rock fall late last year that had damaged part of the infrastructure. However there was a bench seat on which to sit and reflect on where I was, remembering the people who for centuries past had walked here and celebrated their culture. I contemplated the difference between the rim walkers with their challenging trek, and my more reflective journey. Doing the rim walk seemed a very Western, European thing – about achievement and attainment, getting mastery over the landscape, while the walk along the valley floor was full of life, the trees and grasses, insects and birds – food and harvest for the earliest Australians. Anyway, I had a lovely time alone, until tourists came along chattering and laughing and interrupting my reverie.

Erldunda’s wifi petered out without letting me post my blog. We are now at Marla, 260 kilometres South of Erldunda, and in South Australia. Apart from some undulating hills and occasional mesas, the countryside is very flat with sparse scrub and grasses providing fodder for the large cattle stations out here – though the only cattle we saw was the bloodied victim of a road train. This, and two deceased kangaroos have been the only road kill we have seen since Queensland – 2 weeks and nearly 2,500 kilometres back.

So, I will give the Marla wifi a go – we are limited to an hour, so not much of a chance to edit, so please excuse any typos.

Tomorrow Coober Pedy for a couple of days