Walpa Gorge, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park - December 2015

After sleeping the sleep of the dead in Coober Pedy we took our time and had a relaxing start to today, after yesterdays epic 1600 kilometre drive, today we only had a short hop of around 750 kilometres. With the forecast temperature in the 40's again I was looking forward to checking into our hotel and jumping in the pool. Our trip up the Stuart Highway was largely uneventful today, the very northern part of South Australia is a desolate affair, after a tourist stop at the Northern Territory border we turned off the highway a little later and headed west for a couple of hours to Yulara.

A bit of traffic heading north out of Coober Pedy.

The tourist shot at the Northern Territory border.

Arriving at Sails in the Desert at Yulara, we checked into our flash room, Sam and I had stayed here  years ago on our honeymoon so the hotel has some good memories for us. First mission was a swim in the pool before I headed back to the room to grab my walking gear, with a couple hours before sunset I decided to head out to Kata Tjuta and do the short Walpa Gorge walk. Kata Tjuta used to be more commonly known as The Olgas, but thankfully now days its more commonly known by its traditional Anangu name.

Heading up into Walpa Gorge.

Leaving the ute I set up the gentle slope towards the gorge, the late afternoon sun doing wonders for my photos. It wasn't the photos that got my attention though, it was two camels loitering on the walking track well up off the spinifex covered dunes, these camels had climbed a fair way up the conglomerate rock. The camels were in no hurry to move either, so I inched my way past them slowly, wild camels can be pretty nasty, particularly the bulls. I'm not sure why the camels were so far up into the gorge I can only presume that they had come up for a drink, it looks like there had been some recent rain and there was a little bit of surface water about.

These camels were a fair way up the rock.

Passing my dromedary mates I continued on up into Walpa Gorge, the track is very well constructed and easy, climbing gently up the rock with quite a few bridges and board walks installed to make the job easier. The further in the more the walls close in, towering a hundred or so metres above my head, the setting sun making the rock over head a deep red colour. The further into the gorge I got the less sun I had though, about 30 minutes after leaving the ute I was at the final lookout but I was now completely in the shade. A 30 minute walk, yeah I was going hardcore on this stroll!

The further into the gorge I got the harder it was to take a decent photo.

This is as far as you're allowed to go, the bushes are Spearwood vine, the Anangu used  them to make spear shafts.

After taking a couple of average photos at the head of the gorge I started of back down towards the ute. I was basically walking due west now into the setting sun so the photographs were once again on the improve. The moon now making an appearance above the northern rim of the gorge, looking slightly surreal in the bright blue sky. Being so late in the day I more or less had the gorge to myself, only passing a couple of people as I got back to the ute. Now, as I'd descended the conglomerate rock back out of the gorge I could see that the sun was setting into a bank of cloud in the west, now you may hear more about this in up coming posts, but for today it meant no great sunset photos of Kata Tjuta.

There was a little water left over from some recent rain.

Moons up.

The Dirt.

I walked 3.8 kilometres on this stroll and climbed 89 metres. You don't really need notes for this walk, the park notes are more than adequate, however if you feel the need for notes then John Daly has written the walk up in his out of print Take A Walk in Northern Territory's National Parks. One thing to keep in mind about visiting Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is that it costs $25 for a three day pass, it's totally worth it but just keep it in mind. 

The polariser was screwed up to nuclear for this one.

The sun setting into a large bank of cloud somewhere over towards the Western Australia border.