Trek Notes - Australia

Uluru & Outback Trails 7 Days

Alice Springs is the starting point for our journey that takes us first to the historic Hermannsburg Aboriginal community and Finke Gorge National Park, home of the remarkable Palm Valley, before we arrive at Kings Creek Station. The next morning we walk around the rim of the magnificent King's Canyon before reaching those iconic wonders of central Australia - Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and the UNESCO World Heritage-listed site of Uluru, which is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Aboriginal people of the area. An early morning walk takes us around the base of the rock itself, where we discover rock caves and natural springs. We then journey down to Cave Hill, just across to South Australia, where the traditional Aboriginal landowners show us their fascinating lifestyle and famous cave paintings. Around a campfire we hear stories about creation and of Wati Ngintake, the 'Giant Perentie Man', as well as camp under the stars in the desert night, before returning to Alice Springs.

Itinerary

Day 1: Alice Springs

Your trip starts in Alice Springs, in the heart of central Australia. Today is just an arrival day, so no activities are planned. Please make your own way to our centrally-located joining hotel (details are in your travel documents). In the evening we meet our tour leader and our fellow travelling companions at a Welcome Meeting (this is usually at 6pm, but you will be advised as to the exact time and place on message on a noticeboard located near the reception of our hotel), where our leader will give us a briefing on what lies ahead on our tour. After the meeting we will go out for group dinner at a local restaurant.
Meals included: 1 dinner

Day 2: Hermannsburg - Palm Valley - Kings Creek Station

We depart Alice Springs and head to the Hermannsburg historical precinct, where the first Aboriginal mission in the Northern Territory established by the Lutheran church in 1876. We stop to view its well-known art display and learn about how the famous artist, Albert Namatjira, went from being a handyman to a world-famous water colour painter. We make our way on 4WD tracks to beautiful Palm Valley in Finke Gorge National Park, where we wander through the sands in search of the graceful relict palm (Livistona mariae), which occurs nowhere else in the world. With over 600 species of plants, Kings Canyon is botanically the richest region in this arid part of Australia. (Please note that our ability to visit Palm Valley is dependant on weather and road conditions, so our itinerary may be changed at short notice if access is not possible). We stay overnight at Kings Creek Station where there are chances to enjoy an optional camel ride or an optional helicopter ride over magnificent Kings Canyon (both at own expense).
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner

Day 3: Kings Canyon - Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) - Uluru (Ayers Rock)

At sunrise we undertake the 'rim walk' around Kings Canyon to explore the many unusual features of Watarrka National Park. After ample time to enjoy the canyon and its unique feature of ancient sandstones walls that are sculptured by the elements and rise up to a plateau of rocky domes, we head to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and an afternoon tour of Kata Tjuta (The Olgas), which introduces us to one of the great sights of the desert. Leaving around mid-afternoon, our guide explains to us the nature of the desert and its development. A short walk to the dune lookout puts us in touch with the environment and allows us to enjoy the spectacular panoramic view of Kata Tjuta - a very sacred place to the Aboriginal people. Arriving at Walpa (Olga) Gorge, we walk into this mystic place and hear about how it has evolved over millions of years. The scale of the walls and the noise of the wind far above both add a sense of mystery here, which profoundly affects all everyone who has experienced it. The sky blue deepens and the great domes of Kata Tjuta (Olgas) flush red as we retire to the sunset viewing area to celebrate the fantastic colour changes wrought by the sunset, by imbibing sparkling wine and nibbles. Sit back and absorb the desert solitude or relax and chat about Australia's red centre. We return to our accommodation after dark, beneath a night sky full of brilliant stars. Tonight we stay at the famous Ayers Rock Resort - a memorable way to finish off a memorable day.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch

Day 4: Uluru (Ayers Rock) - Cave Hill

A five-hour walk around Uluru is a great way to best understand the natural and cultural significance of this special place. Our tour commences prior to sunrise and places us in the most grand and deeply moving places around the rock. During our 9.4 kilometre amble, our guides will introduce us to the geology of Uluru and describe how plants and wildlife have adapted and survived in such a harsh environment. But most fascinating of all is the relationship of the Anangu people to Uluru. For them this place provided shelter and water and is a tangible link to their creation ancestors. As we walk around the base we hear and see the creation time stories of these ancient people unfold and see where the people lived and carried out ceremonies. Here, the beliefs of the people are embodied in one of the great places of this world. From a distance Uluru is spectacular; from close up it is powerful and deeply moving.

In the afternoon we check out of our accommodation and enjoy a road journey deep into the desert. After crossing the border into South Australia we travel to Cave Hill, where we are greeted on arrival by our Anangu hosts, the traditional owners of this place. These people are responsible for maintaining only the chapter of the Songline that lies within the boundaries of their traditional homeland; others are responsible for chapters that may cross their traditional lands, and thus the oral integrity of the story has been maintained since the beginning of time. Cave Hill is the site of the Seven Sisters Tjukurpa - a Songline that crosses the width and breadth of the Australian continent. The main features here are the magnificent cave paintings - possibly the most significant in central Australia. The drama of the Seven Sisters creation story is graphically illustrated on the ceiling of the cave. In the evening we down settle for a campfire dinner and watch the Seven Sisters Constellation transit the desert night sky.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 dinner

Day 5: Mount Woodroffe

We rise early and enjoy a view from the top of the hill that offers a 360 degree panorama that includes Mount Connor, the imposing Musgrave Ranges and Uluru (100 kilometres away). After a hearty campfire breakfast we pack camp and heard off on the red dirt roads, following the Northern Territory-South Australia border and the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Homelands. Turning southwest into the homelands, we drive along a scenic route through the beautiful Musgrave Ranges to our camp site at Ngarutjara, situated at the foot of Ngintaka Pilpirpa (Mount Woodroffe) - the highest mountain in South Australia. We meet our hosts, the traditional custodians of Mount Woodroffe, make camp and settle down to a campfire dinner under the stars while we listen to the creation/law story of Wati Ngintaka, the 'giant perentie lizard man' and stories of how life used to be in times gone by.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch, 1 dinner

Day 6: Alice Springs

Situated in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Homelands of Central Australia, Mount Woodroffe was named by Europeans after the 19th century surveyor, George Woodroffe Goyder. However, it has been known since time immemorial by the Indigenous people as Ngintaka Pilpirpa. We rise early today and view the magnificent sunrise before making our way by road back to Alice Springs.
Meals included: 1 breakfast, 1 lunch

Day 7: Alice Springs

Our trip ends in the morning after breakfast in Alice Springs. If you wish to stay on in Alice Springs, it is possible to book additional post-tour accommodation. Please book this before you commence your travels.
Meals included: 1 breakfast