Tjukayirla Roadhouse to Yulara 2018
Tjukayirla
Dingo
Location: The Great Central Road, Australia
We saw a dingo actually in the wild.
Spot the dingo in the second photo. I wonder if they are that colour for camouflage in the grasses??
Camels
Location: The Great Central Road, Australia
We saw some camels. Taleah opened the window to see better and said they smell terrible. 🤢🤢
Pete's Place for Day 9
Location: The Great Central Road, Australia
Time to pull over and set up for tonight. Missed the turn off track and had to do a U-y and go back.
Basically an old gravel pit for road building. No one else here. Temp 20°c but warmer in the sun. The flys are friendly here.
Took the drone for a fly again.
Oh no the breeze just gusted and the fire is in the wrong place. Stay turned, going to re-assess. 🔥🔥🔥
All good the breeze is going away from the van now and dying down.
Cooked dinner and had marshmallows for dessert before bed. Temp is steadily dropping. Now 10°c at 8:30pm. See how we get up on the morning. 😴😴😴
GPS: -26.52800520144477, 126.02970784530044
Leaving Pete's Place
Location: The Great Central Road, Australia
All packed and leaving for Warburton.
GPS: -26.527829714783838, 126.02982318028808
Warburton Roadhouse
Location: Warburton Road House, Great Central Rd, Warburton WA 6431, Australia
Bit of a stop for fuel & a bit to eat. We weren't going to buy anything but the food smelt too good. Tasted OK too.
The fuel was $2.15 per litre. Took 62 litres.
All good so far. Quite a few cars heading west. Three cars had done their back windows. No Stone Stompers. Now have their windows taped up.
Those we spoke to said the road was rough. We are expecting the NT section to be less maintained that the WA section.
GPS: -26.1318189, 126.56855110000001
Expenditure:
Fuel $132.33 AUD
Food $32.00 AUD
Behind the Ranges
Location: The Great Central Rd, Australia
Day 10:
Drove past Warakurna Roadhouse. This is our stop for tonight.
A bit hard to take in the view from our front door. What an amazing postcard view. Just watching the shadow rise up over the ranges as the sun sets.
Going to put the 40 litres from the jerry cans in the car. That will get us through to Yalara without a problem.
All done. Diesel is always such a messy job with dust a little splash or two. 😖😖😖
Had roast chicken in the webber with spuds and brocolli. Kids are contemplating over the number of marshmallows that are left.
Not sure what time zone we should be on here. Probably central time I expect. If so, it is already 9:00pm.
Stay up a bit longer to star gaze. Still gob smacked by the sheer brightness of the stars.
We watched Mars rise. It was so red that we thought was another camp fire. As it ascended it became a rose gold colour vastly different from all the other stars.
We could hear dingoes howling again. This time before we went to bed. They were much further away than the previous night. I expected that the kids to be scared of the howling, but weren't. Go figure! 🤔🤔
GPS: -24.91875343359894, 128.77250025048852
A New Time Zone
Location: The Great Central Rd, Australia
DAY 11: Beyond The Ranges campsite sunrise.
Ready for the last 250 kms of dirt and corrugation. The kids don't seem to want to get up this morning. It is a tad warmer at 8°c this morning. The sun Is starting to warm up everything now it has risen.
GPS: -24.91873518975858, 128.77249522134662
Docker River
Kaltukatjara NT 0872, Australia
We did not stop. We had been warned about stopping here as it was risky sometime. So, we drove on through.
GPS: -24.874167000000003, 129.083611
Docker River
Kaltukatjara NT 0872, Australia
We did not stop. We had been warned about stopping here as it was risky sometimes. So, we drove on through.
GPS: -24.874167000000003, 129.083611
The Olga's
The Great Central Road, The Olga's, Australia
Impressive!! 🤗🤗
A massive conglomerate of red rock bulging out of the red dirt. It just keeps getting bigger as we approach by road.
Going to look at The Valley of the Winds first.
Not much parking. Had to park away and walk.
GPS: -25.2883464118678, 130.72374628856778
Valley Of The Winds
Valley of the Winds, Petermann NT 0872, Australia
On the way to Yulara you basically drive right past The Olga's so we decided to have a quick look. We did the Valley Of The Winds trail. About half the total walk.
GPS: -25.275188699999998, 130.7459075
Yulara
Yulara Visitor Centre, 127 Yulara Dr, Yulara NT 0872, Australia
Well we have arrived. Not very caravan friendly. Signage is poor & streets are narrow. Followed a sign for caravans & long vehicles and ended up I a carpark for cars. Very tight to get out.
Julie gone to the Visitors Information Centre situated on the middle of some building complex. I am parked in a culdesac off the parking area. No Parking Zone. 😇😇😇
GPS: -25.241052200000002, 130.9836077
Daley's Campsite
25°13'31.7"S 131°00'03.4"E, Yulara NT 0872, Australia
Massive ques at the caravan park. NSW school holidays start next week, so things not looking too good. Not answering the phone. Goes to message bank and is full.
This overflow site is red dirt, dusty an less than ideal.
Need to unhook and go for fuel. The Shell did not look like it was caravan friendly.
GPS: -25.225477500000004, 131.00094140625
Uluru Sunset
Uluru, Petermann NT 0872, Australia
Decided we would check out the sunset just in case we decided not to stay another night here. Not so impressed with to available information.
Crikey a 1-3 day family pass is $65.00 or $25.00 per adult.
The sunsetting over the rock was a sight. Not sure if worth $65.00.
Drove around the road around it as it was getting dark. It is a big rock.
GPS: -25.344427699999997, 131.0368822
Entry Fee 65.00 AUD
A Shower & Less Dust
Ayers Rock Campground - Ayers Rock Resort, Yulara NT 0872, Australia
Managed to get an unpowered site in the overflow section of the caravan park. Still on red dirt but not as dusty & we get to have showers instead sponge downs.
More dust in the van this time. Looks like we will be cleaning everything from now on.
The hot water heater is blowing fuses. Maybe get it looked at in Alice Springs. Starting to make a list of things to get fixed.
Never known Aidyn to want a shower so bad. 🚿🚿🛁🛁
Now planning the next two days. Wanted to ride our bikes around Uluru but it is long ride along the road unless we take the caravan. To hire bikes there for 3 hours would be $185.00. 🤑🤑🤑 We are starting to think this place is all about the money and not the scenery. Although the caravan park is reasonable.
GPS: -25.238556000000003, 130.9921604
Expenditure:
Accomodation 50.00 AUD
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