A View of Attila, aka Fuluru

Posted on by
The mountain known alternately as Attila and Mt. Conner as viewed from highway 4

The mountain known alternately as Attila and Mt. Conner as viewed from highway 4

Near to Uluru on the private Curtin Springs cattle station is yet another massive geological formation known to aboriginals as Attila, to European Australians as Mt. Conner, and to my tour guide as “Fuluru” because many a wanderer has mistaken this mountain for the famous red rock.

As it’s on private property it’s not easy to approach the mountain, but there is a hill near the road where you can get a nice panoramic view of Attila and the surrounding area. It’s also a great place to get up close to the red sand, and even take some home if you’re keen.

After driving past Attila our tour group stopped to see the sunset over Kings Canyon, our next destination.

Continue reading →

Kata Tjuta and the Valley of the Winds

Posted on by
The Yank without a Chain posing at the Karingana lookout point at Kata Tjuta

The Yank without a Chain posing at the Karingana lookout point at Kata Tjuta

Uluru’s less famous sister, Kata Tjuta, was the second stop on my grand tour of the Top End. Although it’s not as well known, Kata Tjuta is equally as impressive as Uluru – possibly more so. A maze of 36 rock domes, the site is home to a wonderful 7km hiking loop. I managed to break away from my group (who were incredibly slow and chatty hikers) and do the loop more or less on my own, which gave me the opportunity to take some awesome shots. The clean air was extremely energizing and I felt absolutely amazing after finishing this hike. It’s probably the best thing I’ve done in Australia so far (though it has some very stiff competition).

Continue reading →

Uluru

Posted on by
A portion of Uluru viewed from the base walk

A portion of Uluru viewed from the base walk

Of course the main draw of central Australia is Uluru – one of the largest bornhardt formations in the world and a sacred site for the local aboriginal people. I decided to do a 10-day group tour from Alice Springs to visit Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon, Devils Marbles, Katherine Gorge, Mary River, Kakadu NP, and Litchfield NP, finally ending in Darwin in plenty of time to begin my new job. While I would have loved to do this trip on my own as a massive road trip, after adding up all the costs I just couldn’t justify it – it would have been nearly triple the price to do it alone. Of course there are benefits to the tour – being able to sleep during long drives, not worrying about getting lost or finding an appropriate place to sleep, etc., but I definitely realized that my personality and travel style does not lend itself well to being in such close quarters with so many strangers for such a long time. It was a massive relief to be done with the tour and back in a private bedroom, despite how beautiful and exciting everything I saw was.

Anyway, the first stop on this 10-day tour was the magnificent Uluru. We did a little bit of walking around the base (of course we did not climb up it) and heard creation stories about different features on the rock.

Continue reading →

Olive Pink Botanic Gardens

Posted on by
White Flowers on Meyers Hill at Olive Pink Botanic Garden in Alice Springs

White Flowers on Meyers Hill at Olive Pink Botanic Garden in Alice Springs

After my amazing two months traveling and working in Queensland, I flew to Alice Springs – nearly in the dead center of Australia. The dry weather and dusty environment almost instantly started to bother my skin and respiratory system, but I bucked up and did a bit of sightseeing around town. One of the best things I saw was the Olive Pink Botanic Gardens – a surprisingly colorful spot despite the arid desert setting.

There are loads of bright birds, including galahs, babblers, grey shrike-thrush, willy wagtails, and ringnecks. Of course, there are tons of flowers and trees as well! It’s well worth an hour or two to walk around, but make sure you wear good shoes! The pathways are not flip-flop friendly, as I learned the hard way.

Continue reading →

Diving on the Great Barrier Reef: The Final Post

Posted on by
A pair of anemone fish in a bright red anemone

A pair of anemone fish in a bright red anemone at Steve’s Bommie on the Great Barrier Reef

Finally, here is my last batch of diving photos from the Great Barrier Reef. These photos come from Christmas Tree Bommie, a relatively deep, small bommie that is visited less frequently than a lot of the other sites up in the Ribbon Reefs. There’s also a final group from Steve’s Bommie, whose photogenic qualities never cease to amaze.

Continue reading →