Ayers Rock - 20 till 23 March 2014

Around 8 a.m. the shuttle took me to the airport and the airplane took off at 10 a.m., due to time change we arrived than at 11.45 a.m. already, after almost 3 hours of flight at Ayers Rock.

William Christie Gosse was the first European man to arrive at Uluru on 19 July 1873 and named it Ayers Rock after Sir Henry Ayers, then Chief Secretary of South Australia.

Uluru was first proclaimed a National Park in March 1958 under the control of the Northern Territory Reserves Board. In October 1985 Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was returned to its original owners, the Anangu, but operates under a joint management system between Anangu and Parks Australia.

As the weather became a bit cooler (only around 39 degrees!) the time of the flies had started. They recommended to buy a fly net to put on your head with or without had. We all look quite ridiculous but otherwise the flies were everywhere: in your nose, your mouth, your ears ...

Booked a flight (only availability) to see the Uluru and Kata Tjuṯa (the Olgas) (Olga was named in 1872 by Ernest Giles, in honour of Queen Olga of Württemberg (born Grand Duchess Olga of Russia, daughter of Tsar Nicholas I) wife of King Charles I of Wurttemberg ) in the sunset. Booked a flight with a Cessna after my helicopter experience at Niagara Falls last year.

At 6 p.m. the very young pilot fetched the four of us with a minibus. At the terminal we all had get on a balance with everything, camera, water bottle etc. My country man from Bavaria was the less heavy one, than me (in Brussels total diet, must have eaten to much on the ships) but than the lady went on: 127 kg), than him: 175 kg..

As my country man spoke all the time about a helicopter flight I started to get worried that they made a mistake with my booking. The surprise was than not for me but for him as the pilot directed us to a little Cessna instead to the just starting helicopter behind us.

Uluru

 

 

My country man got the two back seats to enable him to take pictures to the left and right. The couple had to take the two seats in the middle and I had the pleasure to sit next to the pilot. Not too good for picture taking. He looked am my sometimes to see if I was alright but thanks to two seasickness pills and my flight chewing gum I survived. When we touched down night had fallen.

Kata Tjuṯa (the Olgas)

Next morning we were collected by a minibus to see the sunrise. Tried to got to the outlook without the fly-net as I thought at this early hour there are none! But it was not possible.

After the sunrise we were dropped off to either walk around the rock or just to do walk on certain indicated path.

The bus was supposed to collect me around. 10.30 a.m. But as I was earlier at the crossing and the previous bus (9 o'clock) was late I got an earlier lift and was back at the resort still in time for breakfast.