Change In Plans

SUNSET DINNER AT ULURU

Greetings from Uluru!

After the hike yesterday, we had a nice afternoon. Zola got his Pokemon book - a 212-page “first annual” compilation of all facts relating to the world of Pokemon. After an hour, he said, “I thought I knew everything about Pokemon, but I don’t know anything. This is awesome!” Tallulah got the wooden echidna puzzle (an echidna is like an Australian porcupine, but cuddlier). She assembled the puzzle 20 times or so, before returning her attention to her Little Pet Shop.

In the evening, we bent a “no kids under 10 rule” a little, and signed up for an outdoor dinner in the desert. We had iconic sunset views of Uluru and of Kata Tjuta as we drank champagne on a sand dune. Once the sun set, even the flies went away.

For dinner, we seated ourselves at a table of people who seemed least likely to mind that we had kids. India made friends with a young interior designer from Omaha. The two of them swapped ideas on boutique hotels, post-modern architecture, and clean lines for two hours.

The rest of the people at our table were awesome: travelers from Australia and all over the world. We had a swirling discussion about economic development, India (the place), the nature of corruption, the human condition, the appropriate role of religion in society. It was my idea of a wonderful dinner-party conversation.

Late in the evening, the staff turned out all of the lights, and we marveled at the night sky. They had an astronomer with a bright flashlight point out the constellations and planets. It was magical.

Both kids fell asleep at the table, and had to be rolled into bed when after the bus ride back to the hotel. It was a very nice end to our day at Uluru.

We are packing now, and heading to the airport in an hour. Tallulah and I are hoping to go for a swim once Zola finishes his on-line math lesson.

Overall, I don’t think we would recommend the Uluru trip to another family, at least not during the Australian summer. Apparently there are no flies in the winter months.

Flies notwithstanding, a number of other factors made this a relatively low value-for-money experience:

• The extortionate prices of the hotel group that has a monopoly on accommodation, transport, and attractions (eg, $45 for a 10-minute shuttle bus ride out to the rock),
• The multiple ant infestations in our hotel room, as well as in the restaurants, and in other public spaces
• Complete lack of control over our time and movement, driven by assembly-line procesing of the tourist hordes. There are no taxis, and practically no one drives here.  Anyone who has been to Disney World knows exactly what I mean
• Basically competent, but impersonal and inflexible service at the hotels, restaurants, attractions, etc.  See “Disney World” comment above.

We were very spoiled by our experiences on Kangaroo Island and at Angorichina Station.  That said, the numbers of people coming to Uluru has declined year after year during the last decade.  I don’t think we are the only people to come away thinking it wasn’t so great.  Maybe I am just not in touch with my spiritual side, and I never felt the magic.

We booked the Uluru part of our Australia trip at my insistence, and despite India’s significant reservations. Smart woman, good travel instincts.  Live and learn.

More adventure awaits: Sydney, Lord Howe Island, New Zealand.  Onward.