Fire, Flood, Pestilence ~

Part 5 : The Red Centre

In a previous entry I stated that for me, life in Australia felt like a constant shift between the familiar, the unfamiliar and the downright bizarre.

One minute you're sipping a cup of Earl Grey tea in a very British café in one of the many botanical gardens all over the country and the next you're chasing a kookaburra who has swooped down and stolen your buttered scone.

When you're in Australia, you are constantly confronted with the very ordinary and the totally alien.

But that was definitely not the case here.

There was nothing at all familiar or ordinary about this place.

Everything we saw here was as alien and anomalous as it could be anywhere.

We may as well have been on another planet.

Yet it is for that very reason that this was not just the single most extraordinary travel experience of our entire trip but probably of our entire lives.

17 January 2020

Our taxi arrived punctually at 6:00 am as booked the previous day.

I cannot say that we were sorry to be checking out of our Bondi accommodation but with the benefit of hind sight it was definitely a contributory factor in our getting to know Sydney as well as we did.

Such was the lack of comfort in this very basic accommodation, that we were all too happy to leave it in the morning and return very late in the evening.

It was the silver lining par excellence during that unplanned, unexpected and ultimately very successful stay in Bondi.

But now we were ready for our next adventure.

We had booked a mini break in Yulara, Northern Territory after our house sit and Blue Mountain trip were cancelled; we were half expecting this one to be cancelled too after all the other cancellations that we had experienced since early January, so we hadn't allowed ourselves to think about it too much before that morning's departure but once we had checked in and gone through security, we started looking forward, with some trepidation, to our 5 day mini break in the Northern Territory.

View of Uluru from our plane

Ayers Rock Airport - one runway in the desert

View of desert from the airport

Hire car collection.,,,,,,in a section of desert

Our first drive in the desert in the Northern Territory with Uluru in the background

What is Yulara?
(Adapted from: pullman.accor.com)

You can read on many sites online that "the tourist township of Yulara, also known as Ayers Rock Resort, was established in the late 1970s in order to curb the negative impact unmonitored tourism was having on the desert environment".

It is written that "up until the late 70s / early 80s, travellers wanting to experience all the mystery of Uluru and Kata-Tjuta, had to be more than a little bit adventurous."

With the nearest town 450 kilometres away, "getting to these mythical sites required meticulous planning, a large dose of patience" and I expect not too much common sense.

Camels were the principle means of outback transport before sealed roads were created and "they were never renowned for their speed and comfort."

As for accommodation, camping was the only option back then, and I expect sleeping in a tent "in the scorching heart of Australia’s Northern Territory" in the pre-glamping era would not have been the most comfortable way to spend a few weeks of one's summer holiday, so the creation of Yulara was a necessary evil as many have referred to it since its development.

We, on the other hand, were extremely grateful for it, as it makes tours of this kind available to older travellers like us who would otherwise have never been able to even consider visiting extraordinary sites such as these in that harsh desert environment.

Having said that, I would like to stress that Yulara was by no means solely populated by senior citizens, in fact the resort was far from full at all when we were there, people tend to travel to this area of Australia in the winter mainly, due to the intense desert heat in the summer that limits what you are able to do there.

But of those of us that were there, older guests were very much in the minority that weekend.

It was still the long summer break so there were several families with young children and lots of young adults who were clearly very happy to use it as a base for hiking, cycling and even riding (on camels and Segways I suppose).
The Lonely Planet online travel guide explains that:

'Yulara is the service village and necessary base for exploring Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, and has effectively turned one of the least hospitable regions on earth into a comfortable place to stay with a full range of modern amenities'.

"Yulara lies just outside the national park, 20km from Uluru and 53km from Kata Tjuta.and is only 18 kilometres (11 miles) away from the rock itself."

"Due to its remote desert location, it was built to be self-sufficient.

Solar panels on every roof, cooling canopies for outdoor climate control and artesian bores drawing water for its many swimming pools".

"As may be expected in a place that exists purely for lodging purposes, the resort features different levels of accommodation from 5 star hotels to serviced apartments, budget hostel style accommodation and camping".

There is a compact "commercial centre in the town square with supermarket, bank, post office, newsagent and food outlets".

Yulara also has "a service station, a tourist information centre, a supermarket, several gift shops, eateries for all budgets and a couple of pubs.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service is available in the case of emergencies as well as a police station and fire service.

Ayers Rock Airport is located a few kilometres from the resort and is linked by daily Qantas flights to Sydney and other major cities across Australia".

We hired a car for the few days we were there as we both wanted to experience driving in the desert; having a car would also give us the freedom to come and go as we pleased re our sunset and sunrise expeditions to Uluru and Kata-Tjuta.

We had paid our National Park fee online, which must be done to gain admittance to it from Yulara.

We had also booked several activities at the resort as well as the recommended Field of Light desert banquet and star gazing talk later, so we were all set and ready to start.

Arrival in Yulara

Yulara and Uluru - photo courtesy of alami.com

Emu Walk Apartments

After a less than comfortable week in our Bondi Beach accommodation, we were more than a little apprehensive as we drove to the reception desk of Emu Walk Apartments.

This was, after all, desert accommodation so it was bound to be basic, we just hoped that it would be a little cleaner and vermin free especially as vermin such as there would be here was likely to be highly venomous.

It was also incredibly hot, 42 or 43 degrees celsius that afternoon so an air conditioning unit would be good or at least a fan that worked.

The short walk to our apartment wasn't very promising; it looked like a typical 1970s housing estate so our expectations were quite low at that point but we could not have been more wrong.

When we opened the door and walked in we were astounded.

It was stunning.

Modern, cool and CLEAN which after the last experience was so, so very pleasing.

It was one of the best flats we stayed in throughout our entire trip even though it was in the desert almost 500km from the nearest town.

Thank you SO much Yulara ❤️

Emu walk apartments Yulara, our flat was up the grey steps and on the left - (photo courtesy of: all.accor.com)

Living / dining room in our flat in Emu Walk Apartments Yulara

Bedroom in our flat in Emu Walk Apartments Yulara

Kitchen in our flat in Emu Walk Apartments Yulara

Outdoor patio in our flat in Emu Walk Apartments Yulara

Desert view from our flat in Emu Walk Apartments Yulara

A Stroll in the Desert

Of course the downside of having such a wonderful apartment is that you never want to leave it especially after having spent a whole week in below par accommodation such as we had experienced in Bondi.

After unpacking, freshening up, resting and even watching a little TV, we made a joint decision to extract ourselves from our lovely, cool apartment and venture out into the desert heat and explore our surroundings.

We walked to the main square where we found a tourist information centre, a supermarket, a pub, a café and quite a few shops.

We went to the tourist information centre to find out sunset and sunrise times and see which activities we could sign up for.

We also explored possible drives in the area maybe to the next town.

Of course we didn't realise then that the next town was Alice Springs; obviously at 4 hours, 40 minutes away from Yulara by car there would be no question of driving there.

The lady behind the counter was clearly very pleased to hear that and proceeded to tell us several stories of 'city folk' driving in the desert.

The most distressing one was of a family from Melbourne where the parents hired a utility vehicle and decided to take themselves and their two children out on a desert drive in pursuit of camels and kangaroos.

Sadly they failed to consider what they would do if / when the car ran out of petrol.

There are no petrol stations in the desert nor are there cafés or pubs or hotels or restaurants, or phone masts or anything but miles and miles of red sand and hot orange sun.

It took over 12 hours for the family to be rescued and that was thanks to an accidental local encounter.

Fortunately they were all fine though the youngest child was a little dehydrated but it was a salutary tale which I dare say this kind lady thoroughly enjoyed telling desert newcomers wherever they came from.

Our next stop was the compact but perfectly adequate mini supermarket where we stocked up with essential provisions including cold beers and a couple of bottles of wine which we stored in our fridge at home, then we set off on a late afternoon desert walk on one of the permitted trails opposite Emu Walk Apartments

Magpie lark outside our apartment

Town centre Yulara NT (photo courtesy of trip advisor)

Supermarket Yulara (photo courtesy of ericaevatohtravels.com)

A walk in the desert

ULURU

On that evening the sun was due to go down at 19:41 pm so if we wanted to see our first Uluru sunset we would need to set off quite soon.

We attached the fly nets to our hats, we checked we had our Uluru National Park permits, we packed water and a couple of cold beers and set off.

If you are planning a trip to the Australian desert in the summer, then please do remember to bring hats and fly nets.

You will need to wear your hats whenever you go out during the day as the dry desert heat is so powerful that you wouldn't last long out in that sun without them and as for the flies; I have never ever seen anything like this anywhere else before.

They look like our common house flies but are about half the size and so, so persistent.

They are desperate for moisture so they try and cram into every available orifice on your face: nose, ears, eyes and mouth and if your net doesn't cover your neck, they will gather there and creep up to your face that way.

We were amazed to learn later that the many spiders, snakes, birds and other desert predators manage to keep the desert fly population low; if this was what a low fly population looked then what would it be like if it were high?

I expect much like a Hitchcock horror film from the 1960s based on our experience of them that evening.

But it was all worth it; seeing Uluru close up for the first time was an overwhelming experience.

When we first arrived it was still in partial shadow but as the position of the sun changed, the colours of this extraordinary rock changed with it.

First it was dark brown, then golden brown, then a deep orange followed soon after by various shades of red, then just as the sun went down it was a combination of them all and so much more.

It was truly wonderful.

We had never seen a sunset like it before.

For the Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, Uluru is considered a sacred site.

On that evening, in that glorious light I could totally see why.

We were never more grateful for the creation of Yulara than we were at that moment standing in the Australian desert with magical Uluru in the background

Approaching Uluru in our hire car

Under cover of fly nets

The desert sky at dusk

Beautiful Uluru

So many flies everywhere - thank goodness for fly nets

Celebrating Uluru in a fly net

Admiring Uluru

Thank you Yulara Resort for helping us get here

The stunning colours of Uluru

The evening sky in the desert

Beautiful evening sky in the desert

The end of a Perfect Day

On arrival back in Yulara, we went straight to the restaurant at the Desert Garden Hotel next door to Emu Walk Apartments.

Although it was just 9:15 pm, we got the distinct impression that this was pretty late for this restaurant.

Of course it may be different in high season, but it was certainly not busy on that evening.

When we first arrived there was another couple at the table adjacent to ours but they left soon after, so we were there entirely on our own from then onwards.

Most of the hot food options on the menu were not available after 9:00 pm so my husband ordered burger and chips and I ordered a salad.

Sadly the salad was limp and warm and the dressing did not taste fresh at all, so I settled for bread and butter and a few of my husband's chips, but when our waitress noticed that I was not eating the salad she approached our table, immediately noticed the problem with the salad, apologised profusely, took the salad away and returned a few minutes later with a freshly made tuna salad and a hot bowl of chips which we shared.

When we asked for the bill we were told that there would be no charge, not even for our two glasses of wine or my husband's burger which were perfectly fine.

We both deduced from that generous act of kindness that the food at this restaurant must usually be quite good; maybe not Michelin star good, but ok for a meal in the middle of nowhere; I expect we just arrived a little too late for them on that night.

But all this did not detract from the sheer wonder of that our first day in Australia's Northern Territory.

It could not have been more remarkable and although we had had a very early start and we were very tired, we still managed a walk around the edge of town so we could admire the many stars in the huge desert sky above us.

It had been as perfect a day as we could have imagined, rendered even more wonderful by the fact that we had three more days of it to go

18 Jan 2020

A day in the life of a resident of Yulara

Breakfast at the Kulata Café

We would have dearly loved a lazy morning in our wonderful, beautifully air-conditioned apartment but as we had booked ourselves into several activities throughout the day, we set the alarm for 8:00 am.

Our first stop was breakfast at the Kulata Academy Café.

We would have been perfectly happy with breakfast in our lovely desert apartment; but we were also very keen to support the Kulata café project as much as possible while we were here.

The Kulata Academy Café is part of a project which supports indigenous young men and women by training them in hospitality and then employing them in cafés such as this one.

This training then enables these youngsters to take their first steps towards successful careers in the hospitality industry.

Beautiful Aboriginal artwork as displayed in the Kulata Café

Beautiful artwork in the Kulata Café

Artwork in the Kulata Café

Kulata Academy Café

Artwork in the Kulata Café

Kulata Café Aboriginal Art Display

Beautiful Aboriginal Art. This print and others like it were for sale in the local gift shop

Breakfast at the Kulata Café was pretty good, even though the extra large muffins were a little dryer than those served in our Bondi café and the flat white was not quite as smooth as the one I had enjoyed in the station café in Newtown, but when you consider the fact that we were in one of the remotest and harshest locations on earth, it was miraculous that there were cafés and restaurants there at all.

Besides, the young newly trained staff at the Kulata were friendly, charming and helpful and the large selection of Aboriginal artwork on walls all around the café was bright, colourful and uplifting, so we were very happy to be there and we would return every day until our departure on Monday.

Aboriginal Weapons

(https://www.aboriginal-bark-paintings.com/aboriginal-weapons/)

Our first talk today was on aboriginal weaponry.

It was delivered by a very charming young man who had brought with him many examples of weapons which would have been used mainly for hunting but where necessary also for warfare.

He explained that he was going to talk to us about five Aboriginal weapons: spears, spear throwers, clubs, shields and boomerangs.

He showed us several traditional Aboriginal spears and explained that they were made in the main from saplings or vines.

A wooden or stone spear tip was attached by using kangaroo sinew or spinifex resin.

The other end of the spear would then be tapered to fit onto a spear thrower.

When completed the spears would be between 2.5 and 3 meters long.

He then showed us several aboriginal spear throwers.

The spear thrower allows a spear to be propelled far further than it could by hand alone.

There were six main types of spear throwers in Aboriginal Australia.

Many of these spear throwers were used for hunting bigger game animals.

They were also used in tribal fighting and even to deflect incoming spears.

We then saw shields and boomerangs: There were two main category of shield types he explained, they were either designed to block projectile weapons like spears or boomerangs or to parry a blow from a club.

Aboriginal boomerangs were predominantly used for hunting game, though a few were specifically used for Warfare.

Most noteworthy, he explained, was the number 7 or the killer boomerang from Central Australia.

It is designed to hook onto the opponents' defensive shields and swing in violently behind them.

Large hunting boomerang

Our Aboriginal Weaponry Instructor

Boomerang and hunting club

Aboriginal spear thrower

Aboriginal shield

Aboriginal spear and shield

Boomerangs for sale in one of the gift shops in the town square

"Art is the proper task of life" Friedrich Nietzsche

Disappointingly the Aboriginal Art class I had signed up for next was cancelled due to my being the only person who had selected that particular time slot.

I was offered two alternative slots but as we were committed to other activities at those times, I had to turn them down.

The Aboriginal artists who were due to run that art session, joined friends or other family members in a shady spot just outside the main square.

Most of the ladies in the group were in the process of producing wonderful paintings on stretched canvases which the community centre / gift shop would later put on display and sell to any tourists who would like to buy them.

I joined several other visitors and approached the group to look at what was being painted.

It was all extremely impressive and the artists were incredibly skilled with their brush work and colour co-ordination.

It was almost hypnotic watching them paint like that on the grass in a field; without tables, easels, chairs: nothing at all in fact except paint and canvases.

Several of the ladies were quite chatty and asked where we were from and what we thought of Australia.

When we told them we were British, we were also questioned on the Royal Family and on why Prince Harry was thinking of giving up Royal duties, we were also asked about Brexit; mainly to explain what it was exactly and why it was happening; soon after that question was asked another lady remarked in an apologetic manner that as they lived in this remote, cut off location they were not always clear on the snippets of news that came their way which is why they weren't exactly sure what Brexit was and indeed why it was.

I explained in turn that very few people in the UK would be able to ask anything at all about Australian issues, except maybe the fires as they had recently been featured prominently in the media, and as for Brexit, even half the population of the UK was perplexed about it most of the time.

To be honest it felt quite surreal to be standing in the intense heat of the Australian desert, 10,000 miles away from the UK, discussing Brexit and the British Royal Family with a group of Aboriginal artists.

After we had been there a while I asked how we would go about buying one of their paintings.

A lady called Anita explained that we could buy them at the gift shop which was attached to the community centre near our apartment but if we bought one directly from them we would save money and the artist would earn more from the sale.

That appealed to us immediately; the only problem was how to choose one from the magnificent selection in front of us.

It was not easy.

In the end we bought four; we opted for a larger one by a very talented artist called Fiona, a smaller one painted by trainee artist Anita and two very pretty smaller ones from an artist called Gloria.

We learnt later that Anita was named after her German great grandmother but Fiona and Gloria had adopted western names as their Aboriginal ones had proved too difficult for most people to pronounce.

We then returned home with our paintings which we displayed in various spots around our apartment so we could enjoy them immediately.

We thought then and we still do, as we admire them every day on the main wall in our living room in Surrey, that they are the best purchases we made during our entire three month sojourn in the Southern Hemisphere.

Artist Fiona who painted 'Crocodiles' for us

Artist Anita who painted 'Salt Plums' for us

Artist Gloria who painted 'The Watering Hole' and 'Summer Leaves' for us. She is pictured here with her father who took a shine to us and sought us out on several occasions while we were there

Crocodiles

The Watering Hole

Summer Leaves

Salt Plums

Salt plums growing in the Northern Territory of Australia as painted by artist Anita

Didgeridoo in the Town Square

Our afternoon session in the Town Square was led by a young man called David from Perth who attempted to teach us how to start playing the didgeridoo.

He had brought several didgeridoos to the day's session so we would all have a chance to showcase our musical skills at some point.

He started the session with a brief potted history about the didgeridoo.

He explained that the didgeridoo is a wind instrument made from hollow wood.

Didgeridoos are also one of the most ancient instruments on earth as they were played by aboriginal peoples in this area of Australia an estimated 40,000 years ago.

Those early ones were made from fallen eucalyptus branches that had been naturally hollowed out by termites.

Modern didgeridoos are commonly made from eucalyptus, bamboo, and agave.

He explained that any enclosed column of air, such as a PVC pipe could be made into a didgeridoo by blowing through it.

The didgeridoo, it seems, is both a pitched instrument and a percussion instrument.

Each didge has one fundamental tone as well as a series of overtones that can be altered by the lips of the player.

The didge can also be played rhythmically, serving as both a bass and a time keeping instrument.

He then started the practical part of our lesson with the first group of five having a go at playing the didgeridoo.

David speaking to us about the didgeridoo

David teaching us to play the didgeridoo

David playing the didgeridoo

Group 2 practises on the didgeridoo

Didgeridoos for sale in the Aboriginal gift shop in the town square

Canapés and Sparkling Wine in the desert

As our coach would be picking us up punctually at the Desert Sands hotel at 6:00 pm we decided to go back to the flat for a cold drink and a rest.

It was very, very hot outside on that day; 44 degrees celsius we were told so you couldn't really be out in it for very long during the afternoon hours.

There is something so totally oppressive about the scorching, dry heat of the desert that you definitely cannot experience anywhere else.

When we told our friends in Sydney that we would be spending a long weekend in Yulara they expressed surprise then concern, and asked us why we would travel to one of the hottest places on earth in mid summer.

I thought of that on that boiling afternoon as we were walking back from our didgeridoo session under that scorching desert sky.

And yet, it wasn't the hottest temperatures that we endured in Australia that summer, we would be subjected to even hotter temperatures than the Australian desert in the weeks to come.

But that dry, piercing desert sun certainly produced the most oppressive, all encompassing heat that I had ever experienced in my entire life.

We spent the next hour cooling off in our apartment with ice-cold beers and our air-conditioning unit on at the coldest possible setting.

We tried to watch a little TV but we soon realised that due to our location, reception was poor so we had to choose between an episode of Bondi Rescue which was bizarre as we were on that very beach just a few days ago, or a documentary on the Giant Causeway in Northern Ireland.

As tempting as Bondi Rescue was we opted for the documentary as we were hoping to visit the Giant Causeway when we were in Ireland later that year (at least that's what we thought then).

We thoroughly enjoyed relaxing on our sofa, drinking cold beer and watching TV.

We had not enjoyed the luxury of a comfortable living space since we left Newtown on 10 January so this was heaven.

But it was time to get ready for the evening ahead, we didn't want to be late for an event like that.

We had been sent recommendations for the evening's attire when we first booked this; we needed to wear long sleeves, long trousers, socks and closed shoes.

It was clear that they wanted us to expose as little skin as possible and so reduce the risk of nasty bites or stings which are always a risk anywhere in Australia but I suppose much more so there, especially as we would be travelling out of Yulara further into the desert to a pretty remote spot.

The bus arrived punctually and as soon as we were in, it set off. We travelled along the usual route from Yulara to Uluru for a while but after a couple of miles the bus turned into an unsealed road and dropped us all off about a mile after the turn.

The expression 'the middle of nowhere' acquired new meaning for me that week; we all use that expression quite a lot without really thinking about it; after all it is a common idiom in the English language but at that moment in that place, its meaning was complete.

This really was nowhere, just desert all around us with Uluru towering over us on one side and Kata-Tjuta in the distance on the other.

It was both daunting and exhilarating at the same time.

We were led up a small hill where we were welcomed at the top with a glass of sparkling wine by servers in formal wear holding silver trays.

We were then invited to mingle, take photos, help ourselves to more sparkling wine or to any of the other drinks provided in the large array on a serving table perched on top of that hill; we were also offered a selection of interesting canapés which included crocodile mousseline, pâté of Wallaby, Kangaroo bites, Emu truffle terrine and other more traditional offerings.

This really was an unbelievable moment.

We had to keep asking ourselves whether we were really there, in the middle of the Australian desert, dressed in our finery (as much as the dress code would allow), sipping sparkling wine and tucking into delicious canapés with servers waiting on us hand and foot.

If that wasn't a surreal moment then nothing is.

The sunset when it came with the gradual change of light was mesmerising.

It wasn't just Uluru that glowed with a golden deep red light that evening but so did the vast expanse of desert all around us; then at that very moment we spotted a camel train being led away in the background. it was as magical a moment as any can be.

Unsealed road in the desert en route to our destination

Deep red shades of the Australian desert

Camel train with Kata-Tjuta in the background

Camel train in the desert

Kata-Tjuta at dusk

An evening in the Australian desert

Deep red Uluru

Sunset over Kata-Tjuta

Sunset over Kata-Tjuta with camel train in the foreground

Changing colours of a desert sunset

Spectacular sunset over Kata-Tjuta

The deep red sky of a desert sunset

'Bush Tucker' à la Yulara

After sunset we were led down a narrow path across a very sandy segment of desert; we then turned left at another less sandy segment of desert, walked for a couple of hundreds yards in that until we came to a wooden chair with a sign saying 'please wait here'; we waited there for a few minutes until two different servers came to collect us; they, in turn, led us straight on through a smaller section of desert until we arrived at our destination.....a section of desert.

But this section of desert had been adorned in grand style as if for a five star wedding reception.

Round tables with white linen tablecloths, white canopies blowing in the wind, fairy lights strategically placed, lanterns, fire pits in the distance (though not real fire I believe).

It was breathtaking!

I did wonder just for a moment if we had accidentally stumbled onto a Lawrence of Arabia film set.

But when I heard the faint base tones of the didgeridoo floating towards us, I knew we were in the right place.

I am not one for poetic language but if I were, it would definitely be inserted here.

Standing in that portion of desert with a dark red Uluru in the distance and the hauntingly beautiful music of the didgeridoo all around us was as otherworldly a moment as we had ever experienced.

For the Anangu people of Uluru and Kata-Tjuta these hallowed sites are not just rocks, but living, breathing, cultural landscapes that are their sacred, spiritual homes.

We couldn't profess to having had a spiritual epiphany that evening, but at that moment the atmosphere was such that we could understand on some level, why these ancient tribes and these extraordinarily mystical sites were so intrinsically linked.

We walked to where our didgeridoo instructor, David from Perth, was playing so beautifully in an area of desert just opposite the dining area, then our maitre d'hôte explained that we would be seated in groups of 10 so if we wanted to be seated with anyone in particular we should approach them now.

We veered towards the large family group from Melbourne whom we had got to know during our sunset drinks; two of the ladies were beckoning us to join them which would have been perfect as we had hit it off with them immediately as soon as we all met, but just as we were about to walk towards them a French couple I had chatted to on arrival came and asked if they could sit with us as I spoke some French and they spoke very little English, then they would at least have someone to speak to for the evening.

We felt so torn.

A raucous night with eight Melbournians would have been so much fun but we also felt we couldn't condemn the French couple to a long evening of silent contemplation, so reluctantly I admit, we agreed to sit with them.

As there were only four of us in our group now we were seated with two other couples from the UK and an elderly couple from Alice Springs.

Everyone at our table was charming, good humoured and polite; our French friends were very chatty and tested my extremely rusty French to its limits and beyond but we thoroughly enjoyed our evening together; I cannot deny though that every now and then my gaze drifted to the ever rowdier Melbourne table where the excellent free flowing Australian wine was clearly having a vigorous impact on those hearty Melbournian vocal chords.

But we too were having une soirée extra geniale on our table, and on reflection, there can't have been many other people there that evening who discussed modern French Literature, the vegan diet in Marseilles, Australian forest fires, the Australian government and Brexit in very poor French, not to mention the simultaneous translations on a variety of subjects when our friends entered into dialogue with others on our table.

The promised 'tucker' was actually an 'all you can eat' desert buffet laid out under the canopies to the side from where we were sitting.

Each table went up in turn and although we were among the last to be invited up, we couldn't believe just how much food there was to choose from.

When you hear the expression 'bush tucker' you certainly don't think of that.

For me 'bush tucker' brings to mind the antics of Paul Hogan in Crocodile Dundee or the aboriginal hunter in 'Walkabout' who teaches the Jenny Agutter character how to survive out in the wilderness, otherwise known as the bush.

But this....this was a banquet.

It may have included crocodile fricassée, desert snake flambé, kangaroo au vin and wallaby cacciatore but it certainly couldn't be described as 'tucker'.

There was SO much food; far more than we could all eat; even though some went up several times for refills.

Every type of meat you could think of was available plus an extensive array of fish, seafood, and ample vegetarian and vegan options.

Everything I sampled was absolutely delicious but my favourite from the few dishes I tried were the lamb chops in red wine jus.

Best lamb ever but then that's hardly surprising considering which country we were in.

Sandy section of desert with Uluru in the background

Path leading to the banquet area

Path to our 'Bush Tucker' banquet

Our table at the banquet

David playing the didgeridoo in the desert evening light

Our wonderful evening in the Australian desert

'Field of Light' art installation

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Munro

https://www.australia.com/en-gb/events/arts-culture-and-music/field-of-light.html

After we had finished eating, drinking, singing, laughing and in my case translating, we were introduced to a star gazing expert who explained that as the sky was overcast and there had even been a few drops of rain, we would not be able to view the stars on that particular evening so he would be happy to speak to us about the main Southern Hemisphere constellations instead and what certain constellations meant to the Anangu people of Uluru.

He then drew our attention to the bright multicoloured lights all around us that had become brighter and brighter as the sky grew darker and explained that this was the 'Field of Light' art installation which was now a semi permanent fixture in this area of the Australian desert.

The creator of this extraordinary artwork was Bruce Munro "an English/Australian artist known for producing large, immersive site-specific installations often by massing components in the thousands.

His recurring motif is the use of light on an environmental scale in order to create an emotional response for the viewer."

This installation, "aptly named Tili Wiru Tjuta Nyakutjaku or ‘looking at lots of beautiful lights’ in local Pitjantjatjara sees more than 50,000 solar-powered stems light up at sunset and glow throughout the night.

In keeping with the desert’s vast scale this is Munro's largest Field of Light installation to date, with the brightly coloured light stems covering an area the size of four football fields.

The award-winning exhibition opened in April 2017 and has exceeded all expectations, proving to be a stand-out drawcard to the destination."

We were told that this epic art piece would now be on show until 31 December 2020 but could be extended further or remain there on permanent display.

When I first read of this artwork prior to booking, I wondered how it or anything else could possibly improve the extraordinary natural beauty of a location such as this but when you are in the desert at night the dark is very dark indeed so an immersive desert-specific light installation is a welcome addition to the desert environment.

It was also extremely beautiful and very creatively designed for that unique location.

The evening ended with our all being able to follow several guides through designated paths across these beautiful fields of light.

It was an extraordinary venture, one which you couldn't even imagine prior to experiencing it.

Our bus was waiting to collect us at the end of a path in the final field.

We were sorry that such a singular and exceptional evening was coming to a close.

We had hesitated when booking it as it is not cheap but when you are travelling for several months mainly on a budget, some adventures are definitely worth investing in and this was definitely one of them.

It is also an experience you can have nowhere else in the world; just in this one unique spot so if you do visit the Australian desert, I highly recommend that you treat yourselves to the Uluru Field of Light 'Bush Tucker' Banquet.

You will not regret and you will remember it forever

Field of Light Artwork in the Australian desert

“We are all visitors to this time, this place. We are just passing through. Our purpose here is to observe, to learn, to grow, to love… and then we return home.” – Australian Aboriginal saying

After our wonderful desert banquet and consequently very late night, we decided it would do no harm to have a slightly later morning.

It was another violently hot day so on that morning we totally appreciated the extra time in our lovely cool apartment.

When we did eventually head out to the Kulata café for morning coffee, we ran into my artist friends Anita and Fiona; they beckoned me over as soon as they spotted me so I joined them on the lawn for a quick chat while my husband ordered coffees and muffins for the entire group.

I was keen to see what new canvases they had worked on since we last met.

Their artistic renderings were as magnificent as ever; while I was admiring them and trying desperately not to buy a fifth one, Anita asked how we enjoyed our evening in the desert.

I told them that it had undoubtedly been one of the most magical evenings of our lives.

She then asked whether we were aware of the fact that this entire section of Northern Territory had always been considered sacred ground by their people.

I explained that I had read a little about that prior to arriving but I would definitely be researching it further now that I had seen these wonderful sites for myself.

I then asked them how they felt about the ever increasing number of tourists that were now coming to this area all year round.

This may have been low season due to the extreme heat, but the resort was by no means empty.

Anita cheerfully explained that they are very happy to welcome visitors; she gracefully added that this is a unique area of the earth which should be experienced by anyone who is drawn to visit it.

Fiona is a lady of very few words but at that point she added quite forcefully that "tourists must learn to respect this land when they come here. They should not leave their rubbish on the ground when the leave; it is not respectful".

The manner in which Fiona uttered these words certainly suggested that this had been done on more than one occasion.

It seemed unthinkable to me then and still does now that people would endure the effort and expense to travel to this unspoiled yet remote corner of the earth for the very reason that it remains as uncontaminated by 21st century life as anywhere can be; then whilst there they would discard their empty beer bottles, plastic bags and even dirty nappies, out of car windows, at picturesque picnic spots and, as I later heard, on the slopes of sacred Uluru.

The word disgusting doesn't quite cover it really.

The ladies also commented on how some tourists got into difficulty in the past climbing Uluru; there were many accidents, even fatalities with people climbing the rock with the wrong shoes, no protection from the sun and occasionally even inebriated.

As from 26 October 2019 Uluru can no longer be climbed.

I am pleased that the authorities have taken steps to ensure that the spiritual significance of these ancient sites is now prioritised above everything else but I cannot help but feel a little disappointed in humanity that such a law was even required.

The sheer existence and wonder of such a unique iconic corner of our increasingly over crowded world, should in my mind, be more than enough to command our respect but it should also awaken in us an instinctive primeval desire to protect it not only for the continued collective benefit of all humanity and its Anangu guardians but also for the site itself and for the purity and clarity that it offers in an increasingly confusing and contaminated world.

The sheer wonder of Uluru

The Yulara Camel Farm and Sanctuary

(Newsweek.com // euronews.com)

Our one and only trip during daylight hours on that day would be to the Yulara Camel Farm and Sanctuary.

We had seen many news reports and read article after article on the ordeal of animals caught up in raging wildfires all over the country, the Northern Territory was no exception but the main threat to the animal population in the desert on that black summer was drought.

We had read several weeks ago that due to unprecedented drought conditions not seen in Australia since records began, that on 8 January 2020 the South Australian Department for Environment and Water would embark upon a five-day cull of camels which would be the first of its kind in the area.

Professional shooters would kill between 4,000 to 5,000 camels from helicopters, "

Although it was stated that this would be ......".in accordance with the highest standards of animal welfare", we were still deeply saddened that it had to be done at all.

In the end it was more than 6,000 camels that were shot dead in an aerial operation in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) area governed by Anangu Aboriginal Australians, who approved the cull due to the desperate suffering of these animals who were dying of dehydration all over the dessert.

Struggling to survive a drought such as they had never experienced before, some of these desperate creatures had caused problems in built-up areas after heading from the "arid landscapes" of their desert homes, towards areas populated by humans in search of water.

"Extremely large groups" of camels had been gathering in and around communities and APY hotspots, officials said.

The camel extermination campaign lasted five days and ended on Sunday, said Richard King, head of an indigenous area in the northwestern tip of Western Australia, home to some 2,300 people.

King explained that weakened camels were found trapped in wells, where they often died, therefore contaminating water reserves which were valuable to the local population, as well as wildlife.

"The ongoing drought, which is not easy to manage with the local fauna, is causing severe stress for desert animals," he noted.

Feral camels were transported to Australia in the 1840s by colonists who used them for their explorations or to transport goods before constructing the rail network.

With approximately 750,000 feral camels, Australia now has the largest camel population in the world, so managing them in a crisis such as that was not easy.

The Camel Farm and Sanctuary in Yulara, was founded in 1998 by Northern Territory tourism pioneers, Nick and Michelle Smail.

It's primary purpose was to provide a home and an activity for as many of the desert camels that they could house and offer camel tours to visitors in the area, which is why these animals were imported to Australia in the first place; they felt that it may also discourage tourists from using cars, motorbikes and more recently quad bikes in the desert.

The new owner, Chris Hill, took over the business on 1st March 2011.

The business has now grown from a small operation in 2011, conducting three tours per day, to the largest working camel farm in Australia operating five tours per day.

It is now home to over 60 working camels from the wilds of Australia, the majority caught and trained by Chris Hills himself.

We were able to visit the farm free of charge until 1:00 pm officially, but if you are in appropriate desert attire and you wish to stay longer, no one at the farm turns you away.

What we found particularly interesting was the sanctuary section of the farm which provides shelter for many local animals that had been subjected to desert drought or that had suffered fire damage.

Although we had seen no evidence of fire in the Northern Territory ourselves, by that date in January 2020, nearly 10 million hectares of land had been damaged due to uncontrolled fires for the past five months all over Australia and more than 2,000 households had been burned, while around half a billion animals had perished.

Camels at the Yulara Animal Farm

Rescued baby camel Eva brought to the sanctuary when her mother died in the drought

Baby camel Eva

Rescued kangaroos relaxing in the shade

Feeding time for Eva

Percy the camel, ready for a day's work in the desert

Working camels in Yulara

Desert Farm Hands

Our visit to the Yulara Camel Farm had far exceeded our expectations as so much else had done already on this wonderful tour of Australia.

We hadn't expected to see quite so many camels there and certainly not so many rescued animals.

On arrival we were directed to a ticket booth where we were asked if we were there for the next camel tour, we explained that we just wanted to see the animals and look around the farm.

At that point we were directed to an entrance to the left of the ticket booth and all we were told was to shut the gate behind us.

There was clearly no charge to visit the farm.

Once inside we were able to go wherever we wanted and even have direct contact with the animals.

The farm certainly wasn't over staffed so they welcome volunteers with open arms.

We were asked to bottle feed two baby camels at one point, then replenish the water troughs in the kangaroo enclosure, help groom two adult camels and on one occasion I was even handed the reins of the lead camel in the camel train which was being saddled up for departure.

Considering my contact with camels up to that point had not been extensive, I think I coped with the challenge well.

Although the farm closes at 1:00 pm during the hot summer months, we were actually there till 3:30.

I am sure we could have stayed longer had we wanted to but the heat was so intense at that hour of the day that we decided to return to the resort and cool off in one of their pools.

Just as we leaving the enclosure, one of the helpers cried out: "are you kids back later? We could do with a few extra camel trail guides this evening".

I don't know what surprised us more, being called a 'camel trail guide' or 'kids'.

We unanimously agreed on the latter later that afternoon.

Late Afternoon by the Pool

There are quite a few pools at the Yulara resort but we selected the one at the desert sands hotel as it was the closest to our apartment.

It was just what we needed after several hours out in the desert.

What rendered the experience even more exceptional was the arrival of a flock of beautiful pink and grey parrots who settled into all the trees around the pool for the rest of the time we were there.

We learnt later that they were actually a type of cockatoo known locally as PIYAR-PIYARPA - GALAHS. Such a beautiful sight to behold

The camel train at Yulara farm preparing for the next tour

Camel train being led to the mounting block

Time to climb aboard

Relaxing by the pool at the Desert Sands Hotel with parrots in the trees all around us

Pretty galah parrots in the trees above us

The lovely pool at the Desert Sands Hotel

Kata-Tjuta

Our first evening in Yulara was spent admiring the spectacular sunset over Uluru so on this our final evening here we would travel to Kata-Tjuta and watch the sunset from there.

Kata Tjuṯa, which literally means 'many heads'; is a group of large, domed rock formations or bornhardts and is located about an hour's drive from Yulara.

Kata-Tjuta is also known as the Olgas.

This was our longest desert drive of all; for part of the journey we followed the same route as when we drove to Uluru on our first evening here, which is where most of the buses, camper vans and cars appeared to be heading to this evening.

Once we turned towards Kata-Tjuta, we were entirely on our own.

We may have met one car coming in the opposite direction but absolutely nothing else.

We had wanted to experience driving in the desert.....the total isolation and nothingness of it all......we were not disappointed.

Even our phone signals became fainter after a while.

Apart from this one road there was nothing but desert all around us: no petrol stations, no cafés, no emergency services, nothing. If your car broke down on this road then you would be very unlucky indeed.

Fortunately that did not happen to us.

Although the drive took longer than expected, we eventually arrived safely at the viewing point at Kata-Tjuta.

Sadly it was at the very moment that the sun was setting so we did not have long to admire the sunset colours of Kata-Tjuta and we certainly did not have as long as we would have liked to photograph it.

So our sunset experience there was short but by no means was it any less dramatic than our previous one.

However, what did appear to be different there, at least based on the experience we had of it, was just how red Kata-Tjuta became.

So red that all our photos of it appear unreal.

Uluru had changed from one colour to another as the sun descended lower into the sky, but Kata-Tjuta just went from a deep shade of red to an even deeper shade of red.

It was a remarkable sight to behold but a totally impossible vision to photograph. It really was as deep a red as the photos in this section denote and that evening more than ever before, we fully appreciated why this is called the Red Centre..

We had seen one other vehicle at a parking bay at the viewing point in addition to ours, a large utility vehicle; but the driver and passengers were nowhere to be seen.

A solitary dog seemed to be wandering around by the side of the road for the entire time we were there so we wondered if it belonged to the owners of that car and whether the dog had become separated from its owners and was waiting for them to return; but after several other 'dogs' joined it and they all ran off together, we realised that they were not dogs at all but dingoes.

Luckily I had resisted the urge to go and check whether that first one we saw had a collar on with the name and number of its owners, but we were pretty close to it at one point.

I don't know what I expected dingoes to look like but definitely not like that.

Be aware: dingoes look just like domestic dogs, not like hyaenas, not like coyotes, not like wolves; so if you do stumble across one in the Australian outback (be it desert or bush), it would definitely be prudent not to approach it.