The Olgas (Kuta Tjuta)

 Our last day at Yulara had to include one last hike, this time at the Olgas.  Philip visited the Olgas when he was here in 1977 and said that he liked them better than Ayres Rock and I tend to agree.  They are magnificent and are huge.  They are more than 100 metres higher than Uluru and the giant domes are seen from a very long way away.  

The walk that we wanted to do was called Valley of the Winds, a loop around the Olgas that runs for about 7km.  But today lived up to its name and it was very windy and cold.  We talked to a couple that had just returned when we arrived and they said it was not pleasant.  So a change of plans was called for.

There are a couple of other walks here at the Olgas and we decided to do them.  One is to the Karu Lookout and the other is into the Walpa Gorge.  Both hikes are short ( around 2-3km) with only slight inclines but both are over a rocky surface.  A hiking pole comes in handy.  They are lots of people on both hikes and we chat to quite a few of them.  One lady was horrified that we weren't carrying water bottles.  For goodness sake!  We had a large drink of water before we started and another when we returned.  That my friends, is all you need.  Some peeps are obsessed with the water thing.

The Gorge was the better of the walks and it is stunning to walk between the two towering mountains of rock.  It is also eerie to see the massive boulders that break away from the wall of the mountain and tumble down close to where we walk.  I would not like to be anywhere near them when it happens.  The wind whistles through the gap between the mountains and it is interesting to see so much greenery in this rather desolate environment.  The wild flowers are out in abundance and they make such a dramatic appearance agains the red desert ground.

Once we completed our walks we drove back around 20km to the viewing platform that looks out over the sand dunes towards the Olgas.  It truly is a magnificent scene and it was a fitting way to say goodbye to the Olgas.  

The drive back to the Ayres Rock Resort takes about 30 minutes from the Olgas.  I haven't talked much about the resort and it is not at all what I expected.  Ayres Rock Resort is in fact made up of five hotels and the campground where we are staying. I'm guessing that each hotel ranges in price from very high to more budget minded.  It is a very large complex complete with its own supermarket, post office, fuel stop, in fact anything that a small town would have.  There are many restaurants and because the whole resort is owned by Voyages, you can eat at any hotel and charge it back to your room.

Tomorrow we once again head south towards South Australia.  We will stay just north of the border tomorrow night at Kulgera Roadhouse where I will attempt to use up the fruit and vegetables that I can't take across the border to South Australia.