New Zealand – Australia Part 7

We visited the School of the Air. Each student spread over the Northern Territory

was given a dish and computer so each could go to school at government expense.

Then we visited the old telegraph station. One wire came north from the big cities.

This is how the wire was strung.

They used Meidinger cells to generate the electricty needed to send and receive messages.

Dry, rocky area.

Kangaroos keeping cool.

Various birds on the hotel grounds.

After a short rest at the hotel we headed out to the bush for a dinner

at the Original Outback B.B.Q.

Pretty but empty countryside.

Kangaroos are hard to spot.

They are always in the shade but the ears give them away.

The site is an old quarry. We got a boomerang demonstration.

There are many types. Some come back, some don’t.

We were shown how to make camp bread. Cooked in a pot over a hot coals.

Got to eat it later. It was crispy on the outside, tender in the middle.

A great steak dinner and then story telling and an aboriginal history lesson.

Finally singing accompanied by native and modern instruments.

A good look at the stars with the lights off and commentary about the southern sky.

The next morning we load the bus with our luggage and headed to an aboriginal village.

Our guide at the village was not aboriginal but he was able to tell us about the

food available when the aboriginals first came to the region.

Roots, fruit and nuts.

Freshly cooked kangaroo tail. High in fat and protein but not very good.

Another boomerang demonstration. We got to try our hand at it.

The flies were vicious so we had all bought nets.

To the airport for a short ride to Ayers Rock.

Not much in this area of the outback. Housing for staff.

Aboriginal art work at the Desert Gardens Hotel.

Kurkara, a Desert Oak. Mature so as big as they get. Other than these

there is a lot of grasses and brush.

This might be a salt bush.

We were on the steel, elevated Kata Tjuta Dune Walkway.

Elevated since there are 8 poisonous snakes in the outback.

We also used out nets to keep the bugs off.

Grasses and small trees.

These are the Kata Tjuta or Olgas rocks.

A nice sunset.

This is a popular sunset viewing area. Roxy brought champagne and snacks.

Ayers Rock or Uluru in the distance. We will visit close up tomorrow.

Back to the hotel.

No need for dinner tonight due to the excellent snacks.

Ulura up close the next morning.

Dramatic.

A lot of personality up close.

One of the many caves lived in long ago.

Lots of birds living nearby.

Cave markings.

Weathering.

Water hole for people and animals.

Another cave even equipped with storage.

Old man of the mountain.

There was a way to the top but we opted out.

Back to town for lunch and then a trip to the airport and on to Cairns.