24 March 2016:-AUSTRALIA:- Yulara>>Sydney

AUSTRALIA :-  Yulara >>>Sydney

19th Day: 24.03.2016 

Today is my last day in Ayers Rock or Yulara. I have a scheduled short tour starting early in the morning to catch the sun rise. SEIT Tour guide picks me up at 05:30. The name of the tour is “Uluru Highlights”. Our guide, Rolano, with the Chilean origin is a friendly guy with good experience about the Aboriginal Culture in Yulara. We collected some more guests from different hotels and altogether 5 people we drove to Uluru.

Rolano stopped approx. on the southwest side of the Uluru (the big massive stone) with a distance of around 2 km to the stone. We got out from our minivan and waited for the rising sun. Meanwhile our guide prepared a breakfast at the rear of the car. Coffee, bread, honey, almond cake and some fruit was ready for self-service. The sun rise was at 06:21 and we caught a lot of pictures under the first rays of the sun.

After the sun rise we departed from this point at 07:00 and drove closer to the Uluru. We started to walk to the water sink. There is a cave made by nature and we saw on the walls of the cave some primitive paintings done by the Aboriginal people.

At the top of the cave there was a big stone with the shape similar to a snake head. Snake is a sacred animal for the Aboriginal people. They believe that the snake laid eggs at Uluru and therefore the stone Uluru is respectfully treated by themselves.

The land going closer to the water sink is in a shape of a bottleneck. This part is also a natural trap for the wild animals. As per the explanations of our guide the Aboriginal people

had used to hunt here easily. The hole on the cave wall looking to this area was also serving to the children to peep outside where the men were hunting and learn hunting skills of their fathers.

After the water sink we walked back to the minivan and we drove to the east side of the Uluru. This part of the Uluru is not for photography. The native people are living here somewhere and there is no permission to take picture. The tribe, called “Anulu” is living here according to their traditions and rules and there is a kind of consensus for a reserved living. They have obtained their rights during late nineteen eighties and since then they live

here as before. There is a believed set of rule among themselves which describes their daily relations and similar traditional rituals etc.

As per our guide we understand that almost half of the year is allocated for the ceremonies, traditional rituals. We drove further to the north side of the Uluru. We saw that a few people were climbing the stone. The people are not encouraged for climbing because of two main reasons: Security, respect to the Aboriginal people believes,

On rainy and windy days it is not safe to climb the stone.

Just before 09:00 o’clock we returned to the Hotel. I bought some souvenirs from the shop at the entrance of the Hotel and then went to my dormitory room and packed my luggage.

The scheduled AAT Kings bus is at 10:30 and this one is adequate for my Virgin Australia flight at 12:35 to Sydney. Our plane took off at 12:35 and after a 3 hours flight we landed at Sydney Airport.

The local time was 17:10 when we landed at Sydney airport. I took the Redy2Go shuttle service from the Airport and our driver dropped me at the Vulcan Hotel, 500 Wattle Str, Ultimo, around 19:15. It is very reasonable price: 22.-AUD only. It took more or less one and half hours from the airport to the hotel during the rush hour.

My hotel has a good location. I walked to the China Town and took seat outside at the table on the pavement of a Chinese restaurant and ordered some Chinese food with some steamed rice and drank a bottle of Chinese beer, Tsingtao.

Night view at the Darling Harbour, Sydney.

After the late dinner, I walked to the Darling Harbour. It is a touristic zone and there are a lot of cafés, bars and restaurants there. The lights of the city was very colorful and attractive. After spending some time at the Darling Harbour, I walked all along the Harris Street to my Hotel. I arrived at the hotel around 23:00. I felt happy while thinking that this is my last stop on this long Australia+NZ journey and I am going to sleep three nights at the same hotel.

Tomorrow I am going to meet with some friends and we are going to make sight-seeing in Sydney together.

                                   

23.03.2016 :- AUSTRALIA >>Yulara Kings Canyon Trekking

AUSTRALIA :-  Ayers Rock –Yulara (Kings Canyon trekking)

18th Day: 23.03.2016 

Today I have a scheduled tour: the AAT Kings bus will be going to take us at 04:05 in the morning. Therefore I woke up at 03:50 and quickly put on my clothes. Very punctually the bus arrived at the Outback Uluru Hotel. Today‘s program is to make trekking at the Kings Canyon which is approx. 300 km on the northeast of Yulara. This is the tour I had booked on internet one month ago.

The bus took us first to a road side camel farm where there is also a restaurant and a accommodation facility. The name of this small location is Kings Creek Station. We stopped there for breakfast. 2 pcs of eggs and 2 pcs of toasted bread, lamb sausage, a few dried beans (like we have in Turkey but smaller and little bit spicy) were good in the morning.

Breakfast stop at Kings Creek Station

The funny bird at Kings Creek Station

Our bus and fellows at the Kings Creek Station

At 07:45 we departed from King Creek Station and we arrived at 08:15 to the car parking of the Kings Canyon. All this area is within the Watarrka National Park. We prepared our backpacks as per the recommendations (maybe more than recommendation) of the bus driver as well of our guide Christina we took 3 liters of water with us.

Our smart and joyful guide Christina

After we signed some documents for taking our own responsibility, Christina gave us a short briefing. We started to climb. The first part is mainly with the stairs. There are 500 steps. As they mean it, this part is hardest part. The trekking is called “Kings canyon rim walk”.

The picturesque view on the canyon was wonderful. It was around 30 deg C and the weather was clear. It got 2-3 degrees more when the sun came up fully at the noon time.

During the trekking we saw a lot of natural wonders, like trapped water puddles, trees and local plantation, flowers, etc.

Various type of vegetation at the Kings Canyon

At the top of the Kings Canyon.

Short break and juicy apple at the Kings Canyon

One of few water puddles in the Canyon.

One of the largest water puddles trapped in canyon

My fellows walking in the canyon.

We finished our walk around 11:45 at the side of our bus. I had finished only 1 ½ liter of water. The trekking is easy and we did not need any special gear.

The bus took us back in the direction of Yulara. In half hours we stopped at a restaurant called Curtin Springs. I ordered a camel burger and a cold beer. Camel is edible but in my opinion is not tasty as beef or lamb. 

At the Curtin Springs for lunch break

Water is life in Red Centre 

After the lunch break we continued to drive. At a junction we have stopped in order to change some passengers from the other bus to ours. 

One of the busses will be driving to Alice Springs and our bus continues to Yulara. Around at 16:30 we reached to our Hotel. It was totally 600 km for us to return. 

I napped until 19:00 and then went out to the open air restaurant in the middle of our resort Outback Pioneer Uluru. There is an open banquet BBQ kitchen and someone is choosing the meat, sausages, fish, crocodile whatever and grilles it by its own on the BBQ plate. 

After the dinner I sat there in the open bar and then came back to my room around 22:00.

Next day, in the morning I need to wake up at 04:30 in order to take part at the Uluru Highlights tour between 05:00 and 09:00. 

22 March 2016:-AUSTRALIA:- Sydney >>Ayers Rock (Sunset Tour and BBQ Dinner)

AUSTRALIA :-  Sydney >>Ayers Rock (Sunset Tour and BBQ Dinner)

17th Day: 22.03.2016 

My flight is at 09:50 with the Virgin Australia. I had made the booking for 08:45 shuttle from my Hotel. I woke up earlier then my IPhone had to wake me up. I decided to take the Redy2Go shuttle at 07:45 because I had nothing to do in the hotel.

Together with the customers of the 07:45 shuttle I was downstairs and talked with the driver. He said that there is only one seat available and I can drive together. That is great.

The shuttle took us in 8-9 minutes to the International Terminal but due to the heavy traffic we arrived at the Domestic Terminal around 08:40. I thought it was a critical decision of mine to take the earlier shuttle from the Hotel. Otherwise I could miss the flight.

I went to the Virgin Australia section and made my check in through their kiosk. I put also the tag onto my luggage and waited at the queue to drop it off. I think Virgin Australia is on the second rank compared with Qantas Airlines. Anyway after waiting for 20 more minutes I gave my luggage and then I moved to the gate for Ayers Rock (Yulara) flight.

In the plane, I found out that someone has already taken my seat. One of the guys (most probably they were two gay friends) requested me to sit on his seat which is on the same row but at the left side of the plane. I said ‘OK’ but I figured out that an obese lady is just at my side and she was eating rolls of chicken whatever with condensed smell of garlic, onion or whatever. It is not fault to be obese but she is eating take away wraps and the smell of the wraps is like ….(?).

I closed my nose and mouth with my jacket and could not breathe through my nose. Finally, the guy who had already taken my seat offered me my own seat and I moved away from this obese lady.

In my opinion, the airline companies must avoid people to eat their own food on board. Only water might be allowed!

The Uluru flight is to the west direction and after a short while the landscape is changing into desert type plantation. It is getting red and red in the middle of Australia. This is why they call it “Red Center”. After 3 ½ hours we landed at the Ayers Rock Airport which is also known Uluru. Uluru is a town of the Northern Territory of Australia. Just to remember I had been in Darwin, Jabiru during the first week of my journey. These two mentioned towns are also within the NT. Darwin is the capital city of this territory.

Uluru and its surrounding having wild nature are part of a big dessert. There are also some reservations for the Aboriginal people. Uluru is famous with the big, red, massive stone laying on the dessert having a length of 2-2 ½ km and 350 meters height. There is also Kata Tjuta. It is a big sedimentation of stones and sand on the land having a few domes of height more approx. 100 meter in height.

When we landed it was around 12:40 with the local time. AAT Kings buses took us free of charge to the resorts where we are staying. There is almost 10-12 minutes distance by bus between the airport and the Ayers Rock Resort area. The Town Yulara is a part of the resort area.  Imagine a pear shaped road with a circumference of 4-5 kms. There are more or less 6-7 different hotels, lodges. All of them accessible from this road.

I had booked at the “Outback Pioneer Hotel & Lodge”. The reception gave me the dormitory room #903. 4 people or a family of four may easily share the room. I stayed in this dormitory room alone. They did not sell other beds. The weather is real hot. It is 33-34 deg C outside. The rooms are cool and clean. Apart rooms are on the ground level the doors are opened to outside.

I put my stuff in the room and went out for a walk and to know what is around. I walked to the town. It took around 15 minutes in the hot weather. I bought apples, water and orange juice in the market and then I occasionally met a group of people. An Aboriginal guy was explaining to the people how to use the wooden tools (various shapes of boomerangs, etc.) for hunting.

Various boomerangs, Uluru

An aboriginal guy is explaining how to use boomerang, Uluru.

Aboriginal ladies doing art work (Note: They do not allow for pictures)

Then I walked back to my hotel. There is already an organized tour with AAT Kings. The name of the tour is “Kata Tjuta sunset tour and BBQ night”. At 15:00 o’clock

(they are always very punctual) the bus took us to the “Uluru-Kata Natural Park” area . Everybody must have tickets for enetering the NP. It costs 25.-AUD. We drove to Kata Tjuta. The bus stopped there and we walked together with the guides to the most accessible point within the Kata Tjuta. 

Approaching to the Kata Tjuta, Uluru-Kata Natural Park

Kata Tjuta, Uluru-Kata Natural Park

Formation of the Kata Tjuta, Sedimented stones and sand under pressure of sea water.

Kata Tjuta

Just before the sun set we came back to our bus and we have been taken to another place having spectacular view over to the Uluru during the sunset. They served us in the open air during the sun set wine, prosecco together with some cheese, chips, Doritos and dips. After having a few pictures there during the sunset we moved with the bus to a restaurant in the desert for having BBQ.

Near sun set at Uluru

AAT Kings sun set party at the Uluru

Uluru at the sun set

Uluru at the sun set

I took seat together with an English family and two Spanish senoras. We were altogether 5 adults and two kids around the table. We chat and we ate together. 

During the BBQ Party organized by AAT Kings

After the BBQ night they took us to our Hotels where we are staying. Next day I need to wake up very early for the Kings Canyon Trekking.

Good night !!!

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND Introduction

This time I am flying to discover (?)Australia and New Zealand: the continent on islands.
I have planned to fly to the West Coast of Australia and to enter the continent at Perth.
Having the flight on March,5th, 2016 at 15:30 from Istanbul will arrive at Perth next day 
on March, 6th, 2016 around 17:35 with the local time. I will overnight at the Dubai Airport because my complete travel has been booked on Emirates Airlines.
It costs me 2,500.-USD for 12 destinations at all.
My route will be as :
ISTANBUL-via Dubai-Perth-Darwin-Cairns-Brisbane-Sydney-Auckland-Sydney-Ayers Rock- Sydney-via Dubai-ISTANBUL. I will be back at home on March, 27th,2016.
Within the routes, at the points mentioned, there will be some organised tours for trekking, hiking, diving, and mainly for photography. I will share my experience and info but not the smell of the air and taste of the food and drinks (Sorry !). 
I intend to write my notes for each day starting with March, 5th,2016 as I did it also in my previous publications.