We were up at 4.00 am to catch our AATKings bus for a drive into the National Park, to view sunrise over the rock. There is a special viewing area for this. Our driver/guide, Jacob, aged only 20, was full of info as he drove us along. The bitumen road travelled all around the base of the rock, with stops at various points with little walks and photo opportunities.
It grew progressively hotter as the morning went on, ending up at 39 degrees by 11.00 am when the trip ended. We had a packed breakfast with us in a pretty bag: C read out the ingredients for each packet and they all started with sugar. We had been advised to bring 2 litres of water with us, which seemed an enormous amount. In fact, the hot, dry air makes you need to drink and drink and drink some more. The bus carried a backup supply.
We walked to the Muṯitjulu Waterhole, where a bird sat in a tree observing us all. We also saw an ancient “family cave” with paintings on the wall and ceiling. All these are sacred sites for the traditional owners of the land. The final stop provided an opportunity to walk into the base of the Waḻpa Gorge. I was flagging by this time, so I sent C ahead over the rocky ground. It was 30 mins in and 30 mins out for those who managed it.
Back at base, the only thing to do was go to bed for a couple of hours in the blissful aircon.
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| Sunrise viewing platform |
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| Sun’s rays changing the colour of the rock |
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| Cave paintings |
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Waterhole: rain streams down the rock
in the wet season. |
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| Bird watching us and the waterhole |
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| Breakfast |
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| Looking towards Waḻpa Gorge |
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