The Outback Way - Northern Territory Australia
Our Trip to the "Red Center" of Australia
Hello Elementary Friends,
Happy Nearly October!
Before I get started on our trip to the Red Center, I would like to introduce you to two friends! This is Mary-Ellen and Lindsay. They both work at Beaumont Road just like we do! Mary-Ellen is a Year One teacher and an Assistant Principal and Lindsay is the Facility Manager. Mary-Ellen is serving as my official school sponsor while I am here, and she has helped me SO much. She was one of the very few people that I shared my fears about having my own classroom after so many years. She helped me feel a sense of confidence and that I could do it. From her I have solidified my commitment to provide mentoring support of our new teachers and those who have been out of the classroom for a while. It is so critical both for the teacher and for the students in the class! Lindsay has also been so supportive over the past months and even cooked for us this past Saturday night! We have been trying to talk Mary-Ellen and Lindsay into considering an exchange to Colorado sometime in the future!
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| Thank You Mary-Ellen and Lindsay! |
And now ... On Sunday (25 September) Mitch and I traveled from Sydney to Ayers Rock, Northern Territory, Australia for a visit to what is called the "Red Center" of Australia. We had previously been to the "outback" of New South Wales, but this was by far more vast, desolate, and incredible than that! It was an experience that will be hard to explain in words because of so many feelings that it elicited, but I will "give it a go" (as they say here in Australia)!
Here are photos of the "Rock" from my airplane window as we made our descent toward the Ayers Rock Airport:
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| Definitely a Very Large Rock Coming Up Out of Nowhere! |
Before I get into the details of our travels in the Red Center, here is a video that gives you an up close look at this amazing natural landmark.
After arriving at the Ayers Rock airport, we went to the rental counter to pick up our car. We were planning on driving from the airport, take a quick look at the rock, and then make our way to Alice Springs where we had a hotel room for two nights. The lady at the car rental counter was quite alarmed that we were making the drive. We told her that we had tried to get accommodations near Uluru, but could not get them. The closest town is Alice Springs which is 450 kilometers away (about 280 miles)! She told us that we better get on our way because the kangaroos would be coming out between 4:00-4:30 and that it is very dangerous to drive on the Lasseter Highway after dark. So, the look at the rock up close would have to wait until Tuesday morning. We knew we would have the drive, so we had borrowed a book on tape from the local library. What we did not know was that the book would be so boring that it could almost put you to sleep, and that there are NO radio stations that have coverage after about 20 km out of the town! So - Mitch and I had to actually talk to each other to pass the time - or I could twiddle my thumbs and look out the window at what some call vast nothingness. I choose not to call it that because it holds significant fascination to me.
Next, the land between Uluru and Alice Springs is desolate, but they have had some rain lately, and the desert has come to life! Here is a look at some of the flowers that we saw:
Finally, I just love how the people of the area have taken their desolate landscape and made it into something intriguing and exciting! Here is the road sign on our way to Alice Springs:
Monday, 26th September, 2016
Today we took a guided tour of the MacDonnell Ranges west of Alice Springs. Here is a little bit of information on the area:
The MacDonnell Ranges, a mountain range and an interim Australian bioregion, is located in the Northern Territory, comprising 3,929,444 hectares (9,709,870 acres). The range is a 644 km (400 mi) long series of mountains located in the center of Australia, and consist of parallel ridges running to the east and west of Alice Springs. The mountain range contains many spectacular gaps and gorges as well as areas of aboriginal significance.
The ranges were named after Sir Richard MacDonnell (the Governor of South Australia at the time) by John McDouall Stuart, whose 1860 expedition reached them in April of that year. The Horn Expedition investigated the ranges as part of the scientific expedition into central Australia. Other explorers of the range included David Lindsay and John Ross.
Here is a map of the area that we explored while in the Red Center of Australia:
Our tour started with a visit to a memorial to John Flynn just outside of Alice Springs. Mitch said, "I guess I should know who John Flynn is," just as we were approaching his memorial.
Here is some biographical information on John Flynn who was very instrumental in providing numerous services to the people of the Outback.
John Flynn (25 November 1880 – 5 May 1951) was an Australian Presbyterian minister who founded what became the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the world's first air ambulance.
Always thinking of the needs of those in isolated communities, in September 1910 Flynn published The Bushman's Companion which was distributed free throughout inland Australia. He took up the opportunity to succeed E. E. Baldwin as the Smith of Dunesk Missioner at Beltana, a tiny settlement 500 kilometres north of Adelaide. He was ordained in Adelaide for this work in January 1911. The missioners visited the station properties in a wide radius of Beltana, and their practical and spiritual service was valued in the isolated localities. Flynn used it as an opportunity to look at the potential for something bigger. By 1912, after writing a report for his church superiors on the difficulties of ministering to such a widely scattered population, Flynn was made the first superintendent of the Australian Inland Mission. As well as tending to spiritual matters, Flynn quickly established the need for medical care for residents of the vast Australian outback, and established a number of bush hospitals.
By 1917, Flynn was already considering the possibility of new technology, such as radio and aircraft, to assist in providing a more useful acute medical service, and then received a letter from an Australian pilot serving in World War I, Clifford Peel, who had heard of Flynn's speculations and outlined the capabilities and costs of then-available planes. This material was published in the church's magazine, the start of Flynn turning his considerable fund-raising talents to the task of establishing a flying medical service. The first flight of the Aerial Medical Service was in 1928 from Cloncurry, Queensland. A museum commemorating the founding of the Royal Flying Doctor Service is located at John Flynn Place in Cloncurry.
John Flynn's image is currently on the Australian $20 bill.
Next Stop: Simpsons Gap
Simpsons Gap is a stunning gorge carved out of the West MacDonnell Ranges by Roe Creek, where water flows through a small gap in the range.
A number of scenic gaps pierce the West MacDonnell Ranges. One of these is Simpsons Gap, site of one of the most prominent waterholes in the region. Simpsons Gap is one of the most prominent gaps in the West MacDonnell Ranges.
Simpsons Gap West Macdonnell near Alice Springs features the towering cliffs of Simpsons Gap, a permanent waterhole, and opportunities to spot resident wildlife. Simpsons Gap is one of the gaps in the ranges west and east of Alice Springs. It is open all year round usually from sun-up to sun-down so the opening times differ in relation to the seasons.
Known as Rungutjirpa to the Arrernte Aboriginal people, Simpsons Gap was the mythological home of a group of giant goanna ancestors. Several dreaming trails and stories cross at this important spiritual site.
At dawn and dusk you might see Black-footed Rock-wallabies along the walking track into the gap.
These Black Footed Rock Wallabies were jumping all over the rocks!
Stop #3 - Standley's Chasm
We then made our way to my favorite stop of the day - Standley's Chasm.
Standley Chasm (Angkerle) is Aboriginal Land and is part of the Iwupataka Land Trust and is bordered by the West MacDonnell National Park. A relatively short and easy drive from Alice Springs, Standley Chasm cuts through the tough quartzite to form a picturesque natural alleyway. Surging flood waters over thousands of years are responsible for this beautiful site, which is at its most impressive in the middle of a sunny day. As the light shifts across the cleft, visitors are treated to a magnificent display of colours and forms. The reliable trickle of water has ensured the survival of species from a time when Central Australia was a lusher place.
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These trees are everywhere - appropriately named the "Bottle Brush"
Stop #4 - The Ochre Pits
What in the world are ochre pits? Well - I found out today!
The Ochre Pits are a popular tourist destination in Australia's Northern Territory, approximately 100 kilometres west of Alice Springs along the Larapinta Trail.
The pits consist of several layers of multi-coloured, layered rock that was traditionally used by Indigenous Australians in ceremonies and played an important role in the continent's economy, being traded with neighbouring clans and "countries" in every direction on the continent.
The mine belongs to the Western Arrernte people. Prior to European settlement of the area in 1880, only certain men were qualified to collect the ochre.
It was considered some of the choicest ochre - soft to touch, vivid, with a slight sheen to it. The colours range from gold to crimson.
After the ochre was mined by the Western Arrernte, it was ground and mixed with Emu fat for ceremonial body adornment.
The ochre is still used today by the local Aboriginal people and according to our guide, they can be seen in Alice Springs on occasion with their bodies painted for various ceremonial purposes.
Stop #5 - Ormiston's Gorge
Our next stop was Ormiston's Gorge for lunch. It is always nice to find a watering hole in the middle of a desert! There were even people swimming there today!
Final Stop - Glen Helen Outback Station Resort
Our final stop of the day was at the Glen Helen Resort. This property was once a very large outback cattle station. It now offers tourists a taste of the outback hospitality. It sits on the Finke River which we found out is the oldest river in the world!
The Finke River has long been cited as "the oldest river in the world", particularly by tour operators, and in popular books and brochures. In places such as the James Range, the Finke flows through deeply incised meanders. Because meanders only form on flat plains, the river must have formed before the ranges were pushed up; this happened in a mountain building event referred to as the Alice Springs Orogeny which peaked between 400 and 300 million years ago. Therefore, some parts of the river's course must have already existed around this time.
So - Mitch just had to put his big toe in the oldest river in the world!
We then headed back to Alice Springs with new knowledge that the Outback holds some very interesting and beautiful secrets - if you just know where to look!
Tuesday, 27 September 2016
We started our day very early because we wanted to be able to spend as much time as possible at Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. We beat all of the tour buses on the road, so we had the road pretty much to ourselves. I hate to say it, but Mitch's foot was rather heavy on the accelerator. We made the 450 km (280 miles) in just over 4 hours. You do the math! We were glad, however, to have some time to truly appreciate this marvel of nature!
Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock is a large sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory in central Australia. It lies 335 km (208 mi) south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs, 450 km (280 mi) by road ( SO it is legitimately in the OUTBACK!)
Kata Tjuta and Uluru are the two major features of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park. Uluru is sacred to the Pitjantjatjara Anangu, the Aboriginal people of the area. The area around the formation is home to an abundance of springs, waterholes, rock caves, and ancient paintings. Uluru is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The indigenous people of the area have occupied the land around Uluru for thousands of years, but the European explorers and settlers claimed the landmarks and gave them the names of Ayers Rock and Mount Olga. These actions were reversed over 30 years ago in what is referred to as the "Handback." Each year on the 26th of October there is a ceremony honoring the return of Uluru and Kata Tjuta back to their original owners.
Here is a video highlighting the 30th anniversary of the "Handback" just last October (2015).
Here are some photos of Uluru:
We then headed back to Sydney with yet more of a sense of awe, wonder, and gratefulness for the beauty of this earth that we all call home!
Coming Up Next Week:
1. I will travel to Melbourne to see one of my idols - Dr. John Hattie! I know I am a nerd to have an educational researcher as an idol, but I do! I will try to make my learning very visible for you next week in my blog when I tell you about him! My educator friends (who are nerds like me) will know that Dr. Hattie is most known for his work entitled "Visible Learning!"
2. Then, on Saturday (1st) we will fly to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. I know that it seems like an unusual place to go while we are living in Australia. A lot of people that we have met here have been to Vietnam and tell us it is wonderful. Plus - the airfares are really low as well as accommodations. We have always wanted to go to Asia, and what better time to do it than while we are on this side of the world!
So, until next week, friends, please go and enjoy one of these things that I am really missing this year!
1. High School Football
2. College Football
3. Broncos Football
4. Colorful Fall Leaves
5. Tex Mex Mexican Food
6. Hot Air Balloons over Chatfield Resevoir as I drive to work
7. Fall Craft Fairs
8. Halloween Hoopla
9. Homecoming Mums (just kidding)
10. Planting Pansies for the Cool Weather
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