01.03.2023 by Marla on Stuart Highway to Yulara (Uluru, or better known as Ayers Rock)

01.03.2023 by Marla on Stuart Highway to Yulara (Uluru, or better known as Ayers Rock)

We are the last few campers leaving the campground at the roadhouse in Marla this morning. And we are not in a hurry, the route is long, the road is straight, we can't go wrong here, we can't hike. It's too hot at noon, it gets dark quickly in the evening. However, we are initially surprised by the quite pleasant temperatures, it's just before fleece jacket alarm. (only applies to me)

Northern Territory welcomes us with the following notices: no fruits, no vegetables, no seeds, no bananas; you can drive faster here than in South Australia (from 110 to 130 km/h); alcohol restrictions must be observed and compliance with speed limits will be enforced.

So far so good. We drive to the next roadhouse, want to see what's special here. The Kulgera Roadhouse is the first one on the NT side. We get a coffee, I get a fly net and Frank gets new thongs. When I ask what there is to see at the remarkable Lambert's Australian Centre, the clearly Australian-speaking young man waves it off, it's just the geographical center of Australia, a rock, nothing else. You don't have to drive 150 km of gravel road for that. The special thing here, by the way, are shoes hanging on a clothesline.

Next roadhouse is Erldunda, the junction on Stuart Highway to Uluru. The special thing here is an Emu Station, interesting explanations about the animals, and the stopping point for the Greyhound, the long-distance bus.

We are often all alone on the road, it's lonely and that's how we see a truck that has gone off the road today. The driver has made a nice track in the bush, the police carefully direct us past it.

The roads are long here, the landscape is diverse, if you want to recognize it. Others read a book. We reach the Aboriginal land and Mount Conner, many who see the mountain for the first time believe that it is already Uluru, but that is still 100 km away. Yulara is the tourist village with hotels, supermarket, restaurants, and a campground with a pool. Time to swim, eat, and watch the sunset at Uluru. We join the spectators and watch the play of the sun on the mountain. We are sitting in the front row, just like all the other guests. Tomorrow we will hike around the mountain for the third time.