Uluru – On top of the World

I know people have different opinions on the climbing of Uluru so this is not a right or wrong post and my views are irrelevant.  Tony, Stitch and a few of the other guys that were with us decided to climb and I must says their photo’s were wonderful. I'm sorry for what’s going to be photo overload but it’s really hard to get a handle on how huge this rock is.  Off the top of my head and I could be wrong but I think it’s about a 9km walk around the base.

  

Empty car park at the start of the climb and also the walks around Uluru. At this stage the rock was closed to climbers.  The picture below is very deceiving  it really doesn't show just how steep it is.  It’s a steep little climb up to the hand rails.

The first climbers of the day.

Tony said once they reached that top bit, it dipped then went up again, he said you thought you had reached the top but had not,  it was never ending

There's always one idiot that strays off the track, seriously what a dickhead this was so steep.

From here on  are Stitchy’s photo’s

yep it’s straight up

No where near the top just having a rest.

 

The next few photo’s taken by David Andrews.

A few more of Stitchy’s

You can see our trailer from here it’s the biggest vehicle in the car park. Lucy waited patiently for her dad to climb back down.

Everyone had a very enjoyable morning and it was only 12pm.

Uluru

What can I say about Uluru, nothing I put into words can describe it, it’s magical.  You can feel the energy there its amazing and I found it to be quiet intense.  Once again I came away disappointed that I didn't get to spend enough time there and  I couldn't do any of the walks as I had a really bad back through most of our trip but I will get back there and spend the time that I need to. 

To be honest I didn't like this viewing platform you get a nice view of  Kata Tjuta but the sun isn't as intense as it was from the view point that we were at in 2007

Aren't the colours of the flora amazing it had rained the few weeks before our visit and it was really beautiful.

 

cuppa time it was freezing.

We pulled over where the viewing platform had been a few years previous and in my opinion this was a much better spot to watch the first suns rays of the day hit the rock.

A small part of a walk at the base of Uluru.

What a Win

Congratulations Cadel. Cadel Evans has made us Aussies very  proud, the way he conducted himself throughout the Tour shows what a champion he is.  Cadel for 2012 Australian of the Year.  Now I might be able to catch up on some sleep.  Thanks goodness for SBS because I dont think any other free to air tv stations would touch this and show it live to us every night for the duration of the Tour.  I feel lost now but I can go back to not watching tv, until this time next year  at least.

These photo’s were taken by Michael Steele and Laurent Rebours.

Day 12- Monday- On the Road Again

We thought we should stay and watch the cars come back over the finishing line as our good friends Les and Glenys were still running.  Les has an amazing record he has ALWAYS finish the race.  They finished 5th in class and I think in the top 20 (give or take a few) so at least it was a successful weekend for one of us.

Congratulations guys.

We were anxious to leave and head to Uluru  which would be about 450 kms however due to the volcano eruption in Chile all flights from Alice Springs to Melbourne were cancelled, we had to give some guys a lift to Uluru so they could get flights from there.  Our friend Stitchy and a  friend of his  were travelling with us also.

I would love to visit this rock  it’s wonderful but for now will have to be content to viewing it from the lookout on the highway. Mt Connor is situated on a vast, fully operational, privately owned cattle station, called Curtin Springs Station.

 

Our mate Stitch

At the resort there are a few choices in accommodation the resort, bunk style or camping.  The guys we gave a lift  to went into the resort to get a price for a room for the night $380 was the ridiculous price they were given, they ended up staying in the bunk style accommodation for $30.  We couldn't quite fit our fifth wheel into the camping ground so we drove back out a bit and pulled up at a rest stop and camped there the night.

July, My Favourite Month

I love July, I truly do.   It’s the middle of winter and although Queensland winters are no where near cold enough for me you have to appreciate the cold crisp mornings and the superb mild sunny days.   It is glorious.  I tend to hibernate in July, I don't stay indoors all the time but for three weeks I'm not getting to bed until 2am.  Why???? One of my favourite sporting events is on,  The Tour de France.

I always knew about the event but never actually watched it until I came across the highlights package at 5.30pm on SBS about eight years ago.  I remember it was raining and I was watching them racing down a mountain at terrifyingly fast speeds.  I was hooked how on earth did they stay upright how could one ride so fast, I then discovered that it was on live every night at 10pm.  I quickly became mesmerised by the French countryside and the quaint little villages that dotted the route.

For four years I worked in a bakery and had to start work at 5.30 which meant getting up at 4am, this really interfered with the Tour.  I actually took time off especially when the mountain climbs were on.  I was lucky I had Thursdays off and didn't work weekends so it was okay but I could only watch it until 12.  It was really difficult to do.

People have said to me oh how boring, no way, it’s a real team sport an entire team racing for one rider it’s so interesting to watch the tactics of the various teams unfold during a race.  It certainly took me a few years to “get it”.  So during July I'm not online much especially at night, also its the coldest room in the house where my computer is, it’s the only room not heated so I don't spend a lot of time out here. I'm actually starting to think that in a few years,  once the girls have left home I would like to go to France and follow the tour around.  Maybe I should start to learn French .  To me these guys are the most amazing  athletes in the world to push your body like that for three weeks with only two rest days is truly incredible .

I’m trying to talk Tony into taking two weeks off in late January to go to the Tour down Under in SA, seems we have been spending a lot of time in that state this year.  Tony is off to SA to race again this weekend, apparently they have more drivers from Qld than they do from SA.  I tell you the travelling starting to wear us down.  the first race of the year was in WA, then NT now SA, Tony is certainly looking forward to the race in QLD which is the last race of the season in October, only a three or four hour drive.

These images were borrowed from SBS Cycling Central site, a wonderful site.   Go Cadel, will it be his year this year,  I hope so.