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| My swag by pre-dawn camp fire |
Ooh, it got cold sleeping in the swag!
The first night I was using a knitted jacket as a booster pillow but
managed to put it on without getting out of the sleeping bag. The
next night I wore the clothes that I was going to wear the next day
and put thermals over the top. I wasn't going to have a shower that
second night – hot water but freezing once you turned the taps off
- but got covered in carbon when collecting wood for the camp fire –
the wood came from burned trees. But then, it's been cold in bed at
my hotel. The nights in this area are cold. All the same, it
was fun looking up at all the stars and, the second night, with the
flames leaping …. and getting smoked.
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| Uluru at sunrise |
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| Kata Tjuta at dawn |
I didn't freeze too long in the swag.
It was up and at it at 5.15am both mornings. First to get to Kata
Tjuta for sunrise. From the viewing area you could see both Uluru and
what used to be called the Olgas. Then on to do the 'Valley of the
Winds' walk. It was quite a bit shorter than walking around Uluru but
degree of difficulty was way higher. So much so that I decided not to
do the rim walk at King's Canyon. More great scenery, up and down
rough hills and dales. I slipped sideways on gravel at one point and
two or three of the young ones kept an eye on me thereafter!
Afterwards I read that walk is rated 'difficult'. Might have
guessed! Next, lunch and on to King's Creek Station for the second
night.
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| Valley of the Winds map |
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| Valley of the Winds |
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| Kata Tjuta |
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| Kata Tjuta |
I was more useful collecting firewood
en route than I was at kitchen duties. Also en route we stopped to
look at a salt lake. Walking up the dune to see it we walked on the
softest, finest red sand. Beautiful stuff.
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| Salt lake, red sand |
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| Collecting firewood |
It's been many years since I sat by a
fire outdoors, back to bonfire night when I was a kid probably. In a
'small world' moment I discovered that one of the backpacker couples
had stayed a street away from where I grew up and walked in the park
where those childhood bonfires were held. Dinner was interesting.
I've always said I wouldn't eat the national emblem or noxious weeds.
That still holds true for prickly pear but I did taste kangaroo.
Don't need to try it again. Camel either. That was on the lunch menu. On the other hand, the damper was great!
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| Damper |
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| Warming my toes |
And so to bed for my second night in a
swag, 15,200 rather tough steps later.
