It was January 1st, 2019 that I first set foot in the Australian Outback. It was my 2nd time on this beautiful continent with the first being nearly a decade before. I had just left an incredible New Years's Eve in the wonderful city of Sydney which I had been to previously, so it was now time to explore and breathe in the rest of the country, and what better place to start than the red center?
I arrived at the Alice Springs Airport at about 5pm and within the first two hours I had two tips for this blog, first is the airport closes early, so make sure you have a ride secured. There is currently no uber in Alice Springs and taxi's were scarce. The next tip is one you cannot forget! Flies... there are a lot of flies in the Australian desert vs the Arizona desert where I live. I was being eaten alive! People who lived there or were better dialed in than I was had fly masks... I have been to 46 countries in the world at the time of writing this and never saw a fly mask. Mosquito spray, sure. Mosquito nets, occasionally sure. But a mask! This was a first! One sign I saw along the road trip to the center even proudly stated... Uluru because 1 billion flies can't be wrong!
Instead of wasting money on a taxi I was able to get my camel ride tour to pick me up at the airport, for around $60 they took me out to the camel pasture and I began the 1st day of the year riding camels through the Outback. The company Pyndan Tracks (non sponsored btw) was great, after a scenic ride through the desert enjoying landscape and even a few wild kangaroos we headed back in the hot sun with the flies following us to the base camp. From there the same tour bus dropped off everyone at their hotels. Airbnb's were scarce in Alice Springs so I did opt for a hotel for this one.
I spent my first night dining at the Overlander's Steak House in the heart of Alice Springs, sadly shortly after my trip was over it closed it's doors. Hopefully you can find a great replacement. It was a perfect dinner to end a perfect day. A meat tray of wild boar, emu, alligator, and kangaroo!
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| Rest in peace in restaurant heaven my friend |
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| Game Platter |
The next day was the main reason everyone comes to Alice Springs, the trip to Uluru. I prefer self tours over guided tours, but a large part of this trip was going to be driving the southern coast of Australia, so for the red center I decided to be lazy and go with a tour company. I chose Emu Run based on reviews, price, and convenience as they do their tour almost every single day of the year. They did not disappoint!
The tour included free breakfast and dinner, & my first time trying Vegemite! In the conversation with my great tour guide who unfortunately I can't remember his name right now....
Me: "So what's in Vegemite exactly?"
Guide: "So it used to be made from a mix of vegetables and spices, and now.... well... now I don't know what the hell it is!"
Now the landscape we saw was beautiful! It was the middle of summer but I am no stranger to heat living in Arizona... but the flies....
The hikes during the tour are all fairly easy, drink tons of water as you would in Arizona or anywhere hot and be mindful of fluid loss. Wear great sneakers, but not your clean ones, because they will get dirty, and don't forget... the flies....
The tour bus has a toilet, but anyone knows pissing on a moving bus is no fun, so better off waiting for the scenic pit stops. I got some great photos from them. I would have took more... but... the flies...
And of course you will finally arrive at the red center. Ayers rock is astounding. Be sure to walk when offered rather than be driven around, assuming you are in shape and hydrated. As you walk, be aware of... the flies...
After you get around Ayers, see it, learn about it, touch parts of it even, the tour ends with a fantastic barbecue and champagne to enjoy the sunset over Ayers. Every tour company will be there, so it is crowded, but the good news is, it is very well spread out. You won't feel like you are at a stadium but you will see the other buses and or group lined up around for the sunset as the rock changes color and you sip on some bubbly. More of a reason by the way to have a tour that you don't have to drive. And of course as you drink your sparkling wine... be aware of... the flies...
I can't have imagined a better way of starting the year after finishing it in Sydney than Alice Springs, Uluru, and of course Ayers Rock. If I had more time I would have added a night of camping at the rock, and more time in Alice Springs exploring the desert wild life, either in their own habitat or sanctuaries in the town. But still, a perfect start to 2019 bringing a man from the Arizona desert in the Australian desert. Just don't forget... the... well you know by now :)
Choose the continent!!!!
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