Diaries from Down Under
Chapter Three
Tuesday, April 8th, 2008
We left Sydney this morning for our adventure in the Outback of Central Australia. Also known as “The Red Centre”, the Outback is considered one of the most treacherous terrains on the planet. For anyone driving into the Outback, visitors are encouraged to register with government officials both on their way in and on their way out as a means of monitoring everyone’s safety. I read a shocking statistic not too long ago that said that an average of 400 tourists die in Australia every year. That includes car accidents and heart attacks, but still - it seems like a lot!!
We flew into a town called Alice Springs and were doing the five hour drive to our resort from there. For the brief amount of time that we spent in Alice Springs…I couldn’t help but think that it left much to be desired! Close your eyes and picture the hottest, dirtiest, smelliest place you can think of. Then, give everyone there a cigarette…take some broken beer bottle pieces and sprinkle them on top…and then you have Alice Springs! Delightful, isn’t it?!?! Like I said though, our time there was very brief and I’m sure that there is more to it that we’re not seeing but, as far as first impressions go, I was really glad to be heading out of town as quickly as possible.
When we first arrived into Alice Springs, the Australians were very kind in welcoming us to the Outback. What they really meant to say though was “Death looms in the Outback…we hope you enjoy your visit”!!! Everywhere you turn, someone is trying to tell you how nuts you were for coming out here in the first place! Our car rental has a little sticker on the front window that says “Arrive Alive” and every rest stop (if you can call a little hut in the desert with a bench under it a rest stop) along the highway has a sign that says “Rest, Revive, Survive”. Even at our hotel, amongst all of the wonderful little booklets regarding hotel amenities and excursions, there is a separate little flyer that says “Don’t Risk Your Life”. Really…eight hours into it and I already want to turn back!!!
Life threatening dangers aside though, I can say that the Outback is stunning. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life and I can understand what draws people out here. What makes people want to live out here is a different story entirely but, as for spending all of your savings for a brief glimpse of this hidden landscape…I’d be the first one to step up and tell you to do the same. While the heat may cost you your health and the bugs may cost you your sanity…the view is priceless!
We flew into a town called Alice Springs and were doing the five hour drive to our resort from there. For the brief amount of time that we spent in Alice Springs…I couldn’t help but think that it left much to be desired! Close your eyes and picture the hottest, dirtiest, smelliest place you can think of. Then, give everyone there a cigarette…take some broken beer bottle pieces and sprinkle them on top…and then you have Alice Springs! Delightful, isn’t it?!?! Like I said though, our time there was very brief and I’m sure that there is more to it that we’re not seeing but, as far as first impressions go, I was really glad to be heading out of town as quickly as possible.
When we first arrived into Alice Springs, the Australians were very kind in welcoming us to the Outback. What they really meant to say though was “Death looms in the Outback…we hope you enjoy your visit”!!! Everywhere you turn, someone is trying to tell you how nuts you were for coming out here in the first place! Our car rental has a little sticker on the front window that says “Arrive Alive” and every rest stop (if you can call a little hut in the desert with a bench under it a rest stop) along the highway has a sign that says “Rest, Revive, Survive”. Even at our hotel, amongst all of the wonderful little booklets regarding hotel amenities and excursions, there is a separate little flyer that says “Don’t Risk Your Life”. Really…eight hours into it and I already want to turn back!!!
Life threatening dangers aside though, I can say that the Outback is stunning. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life and I can understand what draws people out here. What makes people want to live out here is a different story entirely but, as for spending all of your savings for a brief glimpse of this hidden landscape…I’d be the first one to step up and tell you to do the same. While the heat may cost you your health and the bugs may cost you your sanity…the view is priceless!
Wednesday, April 9th, 2008
I had dinner under the Southern Cross tonight. In fact, I saw the night sky in a way that I have never before seen it in my life and it was spectacular.
Steve and I joined one hundred other guests tonight to experience the award winning “Sounds of Silence” dinner. This excursion is considered one of the top tourist attractions in the country and I can say without a doubt that what Central Australia lacks in tourism marketing, they make up for with fine dining.
A tour bus picked us up at our hotel lobby and drove all of us out to a sand dune in between Ayers Rock and another legendary formation called The Olgas. From there, waiters and waitresses greeted us with champagne and appetizers of kangaroo (sorry Dad!) and crocodile while we watched the sun set in the desert. Shortly there after, we were taken to our tables where we literally had dinner in the middle of the Outback. Beautiful tables with white linen were placed on the red sand of the desert and we spent the next three hours enjoying dinner, literally, in the middle of nowhere. Our “dining room” and the “kitchen” were roped off and that was all that protected us from whatever was roaming the Outback after dark. Our tables were lit with beautiful pillar candles and for the remainder of the evening we feasted on Australian delicacies (and some specialties that were a bit more familiar!) while we were guided through some of the historical culture of Central Australia. Ironically enough, we found ourselves sharing a table with three other Canadians…one from Toronto and one from Ottawa. The rest of our dinner guests were from Brisbane and the U.K. So, in between all of the banter about soccer and rugby, you’ll be proud to know that the Canadians managed to throw a little hockey trash talk around the table by night’s end!!
Finally, just before dessert, we blew out all of the candles and an astronomer joined in to walk us through the night sky…a sky that I am convinced can only be seen from very few places in the world. The moon set early in the evening and the sky was so free of light pollution that we were able to see two galaxies with the naked eye…it was incredible. I wished on no less than four shooting stars and saw the rings of Saturn through one of the telescopes that were provided for us. Our very noticeable winter constellation of Orion is currently sitting quite low on the horizon of the Southern Hemisphere and though he’s upside down, it was delightful have a familiar face join us for dinner!!
Steve and I joined one hundred other guests tonight to experience the award winning “Sounds of Silence” dinner. This excursion is considered one of the top tourist attractions in the country and I can say without a doubt that what Central Australia lacks in tourism marketing, they make up for with fine dining.
A tour bus picked us up at our hotel lobby and drove all of us out to a sand dune in between Ayers Rock and another legendary formation called The Olgas. From there, waiters and waitresses greeted us with champagne and appetizers of kangaroo (sorry Dad!) and crocodile while we watched the sun set in the desert. Shortly there after, we were taken to our tables where we literally had dinner in the middle of the Outback. Beautiful tables with white linen were placed on the red sand of the desert and we spent the next three hours enjoying dinner, literally, in the middle of nowhere. Our “dining room” and the “kitchen” were roped off and that was all that protected us from whatever was roaming the Outback after dark. Our tables were lit with beautiful pillar candles and for the remainder of the evening we feasted on Australian delicacies (and some specialties that were a bit more familiar!) while we were guided through some of the historical culture of Central Australia. Ironically enough, we found ourselves sharing a table with three other Canadians…one from Toronto and one from Ottawa. The rest of our dinner guests were from Brisbane and the U.K. So, in between all of the banter about soccer and rugby, you’ll be proud to know that the Canadians managed to throw a little hockey trash talk around the table by night’s end!!
Finally, just before dessert, we blew out all of the candles and an astronomer joined in to walk us through the night sky…a sky that I am convinced can only be seen from very few places in the world. The moon set early in the evening and the sky was so free of light pollution that we were able to see two galaxies with the naked eye…it was incredible. I wished on no less than four shooting stars and saw the rings of Saturn through one of the telescopes that were provided for us. Our very noticeable winter constellation of Orion is currently sitting quite low on the horizon of the Southern Hemisphere and though he’s upside down, it was delightful have a familiar face join us for dinner!!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
It was 38 degrees celcius today in the Outback and I’ve decided that I have developed quite the love/hate relationship with this place. On the one hand, it’s one of the most outstanding places that I’ve ever seen…It’s beautiful and stunning and mysterious and unique. On the other hand, it’s very clear why it’s so untouched by man…It’s harsh and cruel and demanding and ruthless.
We haven’t had a lot of time in Yulara (the region around Ayers Rock) but, truth be told, I don’t know that I could spend much more time here. We leave tomorrow for the Great Barrier Reef and the very thought of water brings comfort to my soul. The Outback has this quiet eeriness about it that I can’t quite explain. It’s as though the land is very well aware of who calls the shots around here. The Outback is never conquered…it’s only visited. And even then, that only happens when you’re given permission.
We drove out to visit another area today called King’s Canyon. It took us three hours on a road with nothing more than a single gas station only to discover after twenty minutes on the trail that we wanted to go back to our hotel. Numerous animals died along the highway during the night and the temperature soared come daybreak. It left a gruesome display of the power of nature and a swift reminder that man only possesses the illusion of power.
In a weird way though, it’s almost comforting to know that there are still some places on this planet we call home that simply can’t be controlled.
We haven’t had a lot of time in Yulara (the region around Ayers Rock) but, truth be told, I don’t know that I could spend much more time here. We leave tomorrow for the Great Barrier Reef and the very thought of water brings comfort to my soul. The Outback has this quiet eeriness about it that I can’t quite explain. It’s as though the land is very well aware of who calls the shots around here. The Outback is never conquered…it’s only visited. And even then, that only happens when you’re given permission.
We drove out to visit another area today called King’s Canyon. It took us three hours on a road with nothing more than a single gas station only to discover after twenty minutes on the trail that we wanted to go back to our hotel. Numerous animals died along the highway during the night and the temperature soared come daybreak. It left a gruesome display of the power of nature and a swift reminder that man only possesses the illusion of power.
In a weird way though, it’s almost comforting to know that there are still some places on this planet we call home that simply can’t be controlled.
For more pictures for our trip in the Outback, click here.
No comments:
Post a Comment