Queensland: rough road and roos

After hundreds and almost thousands of kilometers in the outback we were about to reach the Queensland coast and we were a bit sad because we thought our days of meeting with roos would be over and we had only seen a few of them.

Then we hit an unpaved road, “rough road” as the signs said, which sometimes seemed to us a bit of an understatement. And here started a great safari day, 4 pairs of eyes looking desperately in the trees for roos.

At first it was only road trains and zebus (this one happened to cross just when I wanted to take a picture of a road train).

But eventually they all showed up, and we saw dozens of roos, staring at us, then jumping, then staring again! We love roos :-)

Northern Territory: Devils Marbles

After Uluru and Kings canyon, we picked up our new best friend Campervan in Alice Spring, and hit the road for roughly 1700km of pretty much nothing: bush, outback, desert, call it however you want, it is big and flat but it is true that along the way you observe some changes along the vegetation. So anything worth to be seen on the road (telegraph stations, gas stations ;-) kangaroos staring at you) was highly appreciated. In the north of Alice Spring stand these funny rocks along the highway: the Devils Marbles.

Great shapes, incredible how they broke (what water infiltration can do!) and how they stand looking to be in an unstable equilibrium. Night fires (that is at 6pm, you don’t want to drive by night there and hit a roo) in camp sites along the highway.

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!

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?)