samedi, juillet 30, 2011

Northern Territory: Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon: very nice as usual with canyons, because you don’t see them coming and suddenly here they appear! Nice first short walk inside the canyon and then all around it, on top of it.
So as almost every summer, we would had loved a geologist there to further explain us, but since Aussies put nice explanation panels everywhere, we got most of it (sand compacted with water, different layers of this, etc).Fantastic views from everywhere, and gum trees also in most improbable places. The walk took us more time than we thought because they were lots of candidate places for super hero or skydiver pictures,

and we got great ideas from the family with kids we were following, thanks to them! More trees and spectacular views,
and then the Garden of Eden. Yeah it also took us more time because we took every single proposed detour :-) And finally the other side of the canyon, even more vertiginous!

mercredi, juillet 27, 2011

Northern Territory: Uluru 2 and Olgas


The following morning, we woke up at dawn, to watch the sunrise on Uluru, which is obviously different than the sunset (and from a different place). Far away we also saw the sun lightening up the Olgas (other massive rocks) that were our next destination.

Ok, we look stoned and exhausted on the picture, jetlag (not for me though) and a night fighting the cold explain it I guess. Before heading to see the Olga, another walk around Uluru, its funny faces,

its great benches (I am looking for a good place in the world to be reincarnated as a bench: so many choices…) and paintings.

Then come the Olgas,

which leave us speechless again, and an almost final and further view on Uluru (still great, whatever the distance is).

Time then to hit the road, see some camels on the way and Mount Conner (doesn’t it look a little like some of the ones from Monument Valley?)

mardi, juillet 26, 2011

Northern Territory: Uluru

Given that July is school holiday in Australia (but not August then ;-)) I flew along with the Parisiens to Ayers Rock to start a road trip in center and north-eastern Australia. First stop: Uluru.

Ok you have seen it in every single postcard of Australia, any guide, but when you face it (or see it from the plane) you are just in awe…

So we posed in front of it, made part of the loop around, (note that the Moon is in its first quarter on this picture and not its last ;-))

found where one of our guide took its front picture, and head to the sunset parking,

so amazing that we must have over 100 pictures of the sunset between the four of us.

At night (coldest night ever in the tent! and we have been to Iceland and Scotland the previous summers, well the desert is much colder!), we played ghosts with the camera in front of Uluru again.