An outback

How to find serenity and tranquillity in the middle of Australia with a group of friends

BY SHAFEEn MUSTAQ

You know those moments in your life when you step outside of the moment, look at yourself and think, this is perfect. This, I can now tick off my bucket list. Well, I had a moment like that recently when I went on a trip to Uluru. The aura of spirituality and peace out there in the middle of the Australian desert is an amazing feeling which everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime.

We city folk are a closed off lot. We get into our black office attire, hop on a train and shuffle off to work in an endless cycle of striving to achieve financial security. But sometimes it helps to take a break from the rat race and appreciate the enormity of the country we live in. While it is tempting to hop on a plane and fly off to Bali to enjoy the sand and surf, experiencing the real Australia is a much more rewarding experience. Besides my trip to Hajj, this has got to be the most fun I have ever had on a trip.

We flew out to Alice Springs from Sydney on at the unholy hour of 6:40am. After a three hour journey we landed at Alice Springs airport which is so cute and quaint, and if you blink you will miss it. We hired a car and drove into Alice Springs (all of which is still smaller than Sydney’s CBD) and stocked up on supplies for the next five days. This saved us from trying to find halal, or substantial food on location (considering petrol was $2.12/L, you can imagine how expensive food was).

From Alice we drove the 446km that is the Stuart highway and reached Yulara (where Uluru is), making cabin number 7 our home for the next few days. Over these days we experienced Uluru up close and personal.

The actual climb was closed due to forecasted rain (and then actual fog and rain) but the base walk was equally awe inspiring, and 9.8km doesn’t feel so long when you frequently stop for pictures and rest. If you can’t do the whole walk, you can always drive along the looped road around the rock and take the shorter walking trails which lead to some amazing watering holes and art on the rock itself. Walking around the base means you also do not injure any sensibilities, as there is a sign which states the Aboriginals request that the rock not be climbed as it is of spiritual significance to them.

Once we completed our time at Uluru we drove 25km to Kata Tjuta (previously known as the Olgas). Kata Tjuta is a group of rock formations that can be clearly seen from Uluru, and when paired with Uluru, they form the two major landmarks within the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The park entry fee is $25pp for a ticket that is valid for three days. At Kata Tjuta, there is a walk called the “Valley of the Winds,” which is a challenging trail around the rock formations and takes approximately 3 hours. If you are able bodied then this is a great experience.

The one downside to all great experiences in the Northern Territory are the horrible flies. If you are planning to go, make sure you invest in a fly hat ($6-7 from the local IGA at Yulara), which will save you much needed energy used to swat away the hordes of determined, and unrelenting flies which follow you from the moment you step out of the car.

Both Uluru and Kata Tjuta have sunrise and sunset viewing areas which are located a minimum of 10km from the actual rocks, so make sure you finish your walk with enough time to get to the viewing areas for sunset (or sunrise as the case may be).

Our final challenge was Kings Canyon. Kings Canyon is part of the Watarrka National Park in Northern Territory, Australia.

Sitting at the western end of the George Gill Range, it is 323 km southwest of Alice Springs and 1,316 km south of Darwin.

We headed out early in the morning on a clear skied day