Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Kjuta (The Olgas)

My time in Alice Springs was not without excitement. I was given a full tour of our operations in and outside the town (small city really). It was an eye opener to glimpse the unique working environment in Alice. You see there’s a small, but very vocal, environmental community that is dead set against anything that has to do with nuclear power. They think that by mining uranium from the land nearby, Alice will become a post-apocalyptic wasteland ruled by an anti-semitic Mel Gibson in full leather. Solar arrays are present outside the city but they provide very little of the total power used. Of course, they have no qualms about getting their energy from coal. This being the environment equivalent of shaking hands with Nelson Mandela while simultaneously clubbing a seal. But I digress….

After my company tour I disembarked on my own private little road trip. Little might not be the proper terminology. Sizeable….large, or even gargantuan might better encapsulate the sort of distance that was covered in one day. My journey started in Alice springs and would take me across 500km of desert before arriving at the Olgas, giant sandstone domes that jut out from the surrounding flatness. Within these domes is a hiking path that allows you to experience their size and grandeur up close. I couldn’t resist. 7.64km and 2 hours later I had found my way through the “Valley of the Winds” and taken over 100 photos. The views were spectacular and the serenity of the location was unmistakable. I think I managed to go during an off day because the whole time I was in the park I didn’t feel like I was being rushed or crammed in. I also rarely heard an Aussie accent as the park is a larger draw for the international crowd.

"The Olgas rise in the distance. This was about 5 km away when the photo was taken."

"A view from between a couple of the domes. They were huge once you were up beside them and offered some very picturesque lookout points."

"By this point I was most of the way through the Valley of the Winds hike and was still just trying to snap as many photos as I could. It seemed like such a unique landscape that my finger wouldn't leave the shutter button for long."

Next stop was the more famous Ayers Rock, or as it is now known, Uluru. This behemoth is much like the domes of the Olgas except it’s joined into one large hunk of sandstone. One can’t truly appreciate its size until attempting to climb it, which I did. I had to, it compelled me to scale its smooth, weathered face. Unfortunately for my conscience there’s a sign at the base of the climb saying that it should be reserved for the local aboriginals as a rite of passage. I had seen the aboriginals in Alice Springs. Whatever tradition they once held to is gone, replaced by poverty and malice. After personally justifying the climb, I began my ascent. About 15 minutes later I was asking for a third lung and hoping my heart didn’t explode. Ok maybe it wasn’t that bad, but I did try to climb it way too quickly and found myself needing a few breaks along the way to suck in enough oxygen to keep my muscles from burning like too much tiger balm combined with icy hot. Not even Shaq could have withstood that kind of burn.

"The generic photo of Uluru taken from one of the main view points."

"The Olgas from the top of Uluru. You can also notice just how flat it is around these huge chunks of rock."

 "Ridge filled roof of Uluru."

Once I finally made it to the top and surveyed my surroundings it was an impressive view. There’s a reason that hunk of rock sticks out so well, it’s the only thing there. Flat desert was all I could see in every direction. The Olgas loomed in the distance as shadows against the horizon. After giving myself a few minutes to take in the sites and catch my breath, it was time to start the descent. I’m happy to report that down was much easier than up. It did involve tiny baby steps and leaning really far back….but was relatively painless.

"Sunset photo of Uluru. While I was watching the sunset I chatted it up with a Dutch family. Why is that important? I ran into them again in Cairns a few days later. It's a small world."

"I took this during the drive back to Alice Springs. I looked out my window at the sky and realized that it was lit up like a Christmas tree. When you are truly in the middle of nowhere with no ambient light it's amazing how bright the stars are. This image gets a lot fuzzier when you look at the blown up version. That belt of stars that cuts diagonally across the image also cut all the way across the sky. I had to just stop and star gaze for awhile because it was just too amazing to pass up."

Goodbye to King River Camp

The sun rose for the last time on my tent at King River Camp this morning. Temperatures have finally been dropping over night and most found themselves begging for the sun to rise quicker. I did not count myself among them, it was +18C at 6am.

It's been a great two months and while I'll likely never see this place again, it's provided enough memories to last. This camp more than any other place has felt more like a home since coming across the pond. The crew is filled with good blokes who work hard during the day and chillax at night. They've educated me into the idiosyncrasies of Australian lore. They also taught me how to properly kick a footy (I will be bringing back a proper ball so I can spread the game to Canadians) and all the wonders that come from a sport that looks as chaotic as lineups in Walmart at Christmas time. Someday I'll be back and I'll check out a live game at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground).

What strikes home the most for me is the fact that I will never see the outback like this again (unless I work for Cameco Australia again, chances are pretty slim for another opportunity). Like any explorer at heart, I always like it when I feel like I get to tread on ground that barely anyone ever gets to see. For instance, seeing Tor Rock. A handful of people in Darwin can probably claim to have seen it and they're the closest city by far. Every time we go mapping there's always one moment where you think to yourself, "I bet no one has ever seen this place before". Or how about the chopper rides over Kakadu National Park? People pay hundreds of dollars for those same rides and their chopper doesn't even set down on the landscape.

I've also learned a lot about how things are done in the Australian geological world. Considering that was my main purpose for coming here it's a good thing it worked out. Industry here is a totally different animal from Canada and certainly takes some getting used to.

My Cameco Australia tour of duty finishes in Alice Springs. Those will be touring days though so really my vacation starts this afternoon when I hop on the bus at Cahill's Crossing (still hoping to see some salties there today).

Less than fives days from now Ashton will take her first steps on Aussie soil (or pavement or as they say 'bitumen', whichever you prefer). A fact not lost on me. It's going to be a great way to round out my time here and it should go a long way to keeping me out of the doghouse for abandoning her for most of the summer month. I kid....but seriously, it should help. I haven't seen her since May 30th. It'll be August 8th when she lands here.

Some randoms for a King River sendoff.....

 "We ran into a group of 5 wild pigs when we were out in the rhino yesterday. Luckily that rhino is intimidating enough to scare them off without any worries. You wouldn't want to run into a group of them like that on foot. Here's a photo of a lower jaw that was found by camp."

 "The local didgeridoo band. Rhythm (mine), lead (Patty Lee) and bass (Leigh Davies) didg."

"Brumbies eating in the bush off the main track. The white one on the right wouldn't turn to face the shot. I've seen it right by the road at night and it's about 5ft at the shoulder. Not massive, just lean and strong."