We’d been told this is the worst road in the NT. But we were pleasantly surprised by signs of a $5 million upgrade. There were a few patches of bitumen and the grader had recently been through so it really wasn’t too bad.
We were conscious that with road conditions it was going to be a long day but we all wanted to make a brief stop at Ewaninga Rock Carvings. This is a very powerful and important men’s place, in language called Napwerte. Petroglyphs or rock carvings are potent symbols of the laws and Creation Dreaming for the Arrernte people. Arrernte elders believe the meaning of the petroglyphs are too sacred and dangerous to be revealed to people not initiated in Aboriginal Law so we have little information but feel privileged to be able to come and look. It’s a short walk through beautiful red desert country and the colours are amazing.
The remainder of the day is through stunning country on rough, corrugated, dusty roads. We stay in pretty close contact with the Durstons but their Chevy rig outpowers us and they often creep ahead out of range of our UHF. The kids in each car have been enjoying chatting to each other and doing quizzes as we travel. We make a couple of other stops for firewood and drone flying before we reach the jump up that takes us through some dunes before reaching the Chambers Pillar campsite for our overnight stay.
I was driving at this point as Ken had been flying the drone so without much thought just carried on. The jump up was pretty cool, steep but ok, got the adrenaline running and the views at the top amazing. The road takes you along the top of this jump up for a bit before descending the other side. Still driving and not quite realising what lay ahead, we were in the descent before I knew it and it was too late to swap driver now. Holy heck the footage and photos don’t do it justice. Rocky and very steep but with Ken talking me through we got there. Towing 3.5 tonnes you can feel it pushing you down the hill so keeping control of the weight and picking that right line around the bend was nervy but probably because of my lack of experience. Whooo that was a bit of buzz, once at the bottom.
It was getting late in the day now and the afternoon glow was just lighting up the colour of the rock and landscape. We had a short dune section to go which I was thankful to have the Durstons out in front because you couldn’t see over them and just hoped no one was coming the other way. However at this late stage of the day most folk have already made camp and are settling in for night so it was unlikely.
Finally we arrive and eventually get on the last 2 sites. There is time for a quick set up and some of the crew to go for the walk to climb Chambers Pillar. Sunset was amazing, the colours on the pillar and rock stunning but it’s the subtle, ever-changing, hues of the sky that always makes me inhale deeply and drink in the beauty. It’s easy to focus on the setting sun in a sunset but if you do a 180, you’re treated to the gorgeous graduation of blues to purples to pink to orange to yellow to green and back to blue, love it!
It’s Friday night, so burgers and movie night for the kids and us parents get a double dinner date night around the fire. Good fun for all. With plans to get up for sunrise and having had a long day behind the wheel we retire early and brace for another freezing night.
Sunrise is indeed stunning and it’s not long before the kids are up and poking around the fire to get it going again. Usually Saturday morning is pancake morning and they are hoping to cook them on the plate over the fire. We need to get on the road but just love the kids having these memorable experiences and with friends too so say do it, but get quick about it.
The drive out is exciting following the same road through the dunes and that jump up again. Wow it really was steep and you hold your breath till you reach the top, good fun though. We then carry on back to Maryvale Station where we stop for fuel. Just outside of Maryvale we get a puncture. Our first for the trip. Turns out to be the valve rather than an actual puncture but it will be our first tyre change. Thankfully Brett is on hand so he and Ken sort it and I get to keep my hands clean again.
Fortunately there is a bit of a shortcut so we don’t have to go all the way back to Alice. The road is pretty good, red, sandy in places, corrugated in others. We eventually cross the railway line that connects the north of Australia to the south and not long after that hit the bitumen. We stop to air up the tyres, grab snacks and lunch for in the car and it’s bitumen all the way to Uluru.