Saturday, August 28, 2010

ALICE SPRINGS & ULURU ---- JULY 2010

You cannot leave Australia without seeing the Aboriginal Red Centre in the Northern Territory, so they say.

Uluru, Kata Tjuta and King's Canyon (famous Australian rock formations in Northern Territory, in the very centre of the country), my destinations during the trip (which I did with my friends: Mariona, Lukasz and Karina), are a fare drive away (about 450 km) from Alice Springs, where you get by plane from most cities in Australia.

On the first night we weren't lucky enough to reach the first stop before 10 pm and the Roadhouse we were planning to stay at, was already shut. First night was tough then, spent in the car without taking a shower and stretching legs. But that seemed to be unimportant - on the next day we were about to see the magnificent red rocks.


Uluru [Ayers Rock] - World Heritage Site listed monolith sandstone rock formation, being a sacred place for Anangu traditional owners. It is 348 m high and 9.4 km in circumference. It is most popular for it's changing colours at different times of the day and seasonally.

You can choose few walking tracks to see the rock. You might also climb the rock, although it is regarded as a violation of the Anangu's culture. For them, the rock has a great spiritual significance.








Uluru is well-designed for visitors, in the special sunset viewing area you can park the car and have a picnic, while snaping nice shots of the changing formation.







Kata Tjuta ["many heads"] - located 25 km away from Uluru in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. It is a much more diversified rock formation, consisting of 36 sedimentary domes, resembling the shape of 'many heads', and that is the exact translation of its Pitjantjajara name. Kata Tjuta's highest peak is called Mount Olga and reaches 546 m.


Alike Uluru, Kata Tjuta is a sacred place.











Thursday, March 04, 2010

Western Australia 29/01 - 13/02/2010










Western Australia: the largest Australian state, inhabited by only 10% of country's population (2.2 million, 85% of them living in the south-western corner of the state, 1.6 million living in Perth!).

Perth: state's capital , founded on Swan River in 1829 by James Stirling.

Regarded as the most isolated and remote city in the world. Often called "City of Lights", as 'city residents lit their house lights and streetlights as American astronaut John Glenn passed overhead while orbiting the earth on Friendship 7 in 1962'.


Duration: 17 days

Crew: 2

Vehicles: 4 WD campervan Toyota Hi-Lux --Daewoo Lanos -- Toyota Corolla -- Suzuki Swift

Weather: over 30 degrees (up to 40 and over), dry, cloudless.

Distance: over 3,500 km.


Route: Perth - Geraldton - Monkey Mia - Coral Bay - Exmouth - Perth - Albany - Denmark - Margaret River - (Geographe Bay) - Dunsborough - Bunbry - Perth.


The map below demonstrates the route and a variety of used vehicles.





 Pink Lake in Port Gregory

 Rottnest Island
 WA coast
 Eagle's bay
 Perth


 Random cattle
 Tropic of Capricorn
 The Pinnacles National Park
 WA Coast
 Yardie Creek - be careful, you can only cross it at the low tide!



































Wednesday, December 02, 2009

TASMANIA 29/10 - 04/11/2009

TASMANIA

Distance: 2000 km
Time: 7 days
Route: Hobart - Lake Gordon - Derwent Bridge - Queenstown - Launceston - St Helens - Swansea - Sorrell - Port Arthur - Hobart

Vehicle: Toyota RAV 4
Team: 4 ppl (1 m, 3 f)

-------------------------------------------------

Tasmania - Australia's smallest state. An amazing place, extremely quiet, diverse and enourmously rich in wilderness. It guarantees breathtaking views !


We drove around Tassie starting and finishing in Hobart (clockwise) -

Western part of Tasmania is a perfect place for unlimited explorations for those who have enough time, proper equipment (i.a. caravans, enough water, food and petrol).
Even though we managed to discover only a fraction of this area, getting to Lake Gordon and as far as to Queenstown (including a scenic drive between Derwent Bridge and Queenstown) - we saw really amazing areas.

The North is more urbanized as for Tasmania- there's plenty of small towns and ports, with the gateway to Australian mainland - Devonport.

Eastern Tasmania on the other hand, has beautiful bays and beaches (Bay of Fires, Freicynet Peninsula with Wineglass Bay and Oyster Bay).

Most of Tasmanian land constitutes National Parks (special entry pass required).

It is an amazing feeling, when you look around and see nothing but pristine, untouched nature and hear nothing but the sound of wind, ocean, animals and your own breath....

Unfortunately I only have time now to share some pictures, hopefully soon I will build this post up and add more detailed description of our adventures.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------




St Helens
Policeman's Bay
Bay of Fires

Queenstown
Getting to Hobart
Gordon Dam
lake Dobson
Hobart
Salmons' Farm
Cruise / Hobart - North Bruny Island


The Hastings Caves
port Arthur

:)



St Helens

Offroad

Bay of Fires





Cradle Mountain
Queenstown
Bush fire


Gordon Dam