Change In Plans

Greetings from Uluru (formerly known as Ayer’s Rock), in the heart of Australia.  We left Di and Ian down at the sheep station just after dawn, and flew up here early, in a semi-successful attempt to avoid turbulence.

The flight was quite beautiful.  The landscape was so hot, dry and harsh that all of us were happy (with the possible exception of India, during the bumps) to be cruising over it at 8,500 feet and not driving through it.  Australia is big.

Last night, Ian put “Top Gun” on for Zola to watch while the adults were having dinner. To be honest, Ian and I both excused ourselves several times during the meal, “to make sure Zola was doing OK.”

Despite a heavy dose of fighter-pilot culture, Zola made no machine-gun or missile noises in the plane with Felicity this morning, Maybe if she had done a few power dives or barrel rolls or something.

We flew over a few interesting places:

• Roxby Downs, where uranium is mined.  Average age of residents is 28, and the average income is about $275k.  Men move there for about five years, make money, and get out.
• Lake Torrens, a huge (6,000 square kilometer) lake that has had water in it only once in the last 150 years.  You would think they would have to come up with a new name for it.
• Anna Creek Cattle Station, the largest cattle ranch in the world.  It is larger than Israel.  Because of the drought, it is no longer possible to keep cattle there.  In November the last head were sold, and they have more or less shut down.  It sounds as though the owner has had some personal problems as well

We refueled in Coober Pedi, the Opal Capital of the World.  Most of the opal mines appear as small (10-foot diameter) holes in the earth, with piles of white sand next to them.  From 8,000 feet, the sand piles look like little pimples against the red desert floor.  As parents, India and I immediately worried about kids falling down the open holes, which are scattered everywhere across the landscape.  Probably not a lot of kids running around in the desert.

Coober Pedi is also famous as Australia’s “underground town,” where a lot of the buildings were built subterranean, to escape the heat.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have time to explore town.  Our objective was to be at Uluru before the turbulence really got bad, so no dillydallying.

While we were at Coober Pedi airport, a Royal Australian Flying Doctors plane came in and parked next to us. We expected to see the door spring open, and a white-coated doctor jump to the tarmac, bag in hand. It turned out that they were only refuelling as well: no Medevac from Coober Pedi today. This service is uniquely and deeply Australian, as central to the culture as kangaroos, billabongs, and Australian (ie, “no”) Rules Football.

We crossed into Northern Territory state, and landed just before noon.  We had an amazing fly by of Ayer’s Rock and the Olgas (a big neighboring rock formation) before we landed.  It will be fun to explore them tomorrow.

At the airport, and at the hotel, Zola and I laughed when we saw many of the guests wearing mesh screens over their faces.  They looked like confused beekeepers.  Once we realized how unbelievably bad the flies are, we ran to buy mesh screens for all four of us.  The flies don’t seem to bite, but they seek moisture from your eyes, mouth and nose.  I haven’t taken mine off since 2 o’clock this afternoon.  Also, it is very hot: 45 degrees Celsius in the late afternoon.  Local kids had the day off from school, so I think this heat is unusual.

We ran into Sir Richard Branson, of all people, at the airport.  He was sweaty, but did not have a fly-protecting mesh over his face.  Maybe the flies don’t bother him. 

We were wildly spoiled by the fantastic time we had at Kangaroo Island, and then with Di and Ian. Brutally hot, covered in flies, we are not feeling the magic here at Uluru yet.  We will suspend judgment until we really have a chance to look around tomorrow.