Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 well the last travel thread went down well so i thought I'd do another one. I had 100,000 flyer miles burning a hole in my pocket so I wanted to use them. My wife and I are pretty damn good at signing up for credit cards to get the bonus frequent flyer points, getting them and then ditching the cards asap. This way we can generally squeeze one small family holiday in each year using points to pay for flights (we're already at 59,000 towards the trip next year). This year it was Uluru in central Australia. Son was happy Bob's burgers - for some reason only ever get to watch it on flights readers of the christmas thread might recall me talking about Whyalla - here it is from the air typically when we go to the central Australian deserts we have a few days of rain before we arrive. Ground getting pretty red 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 landed in Alice springs Arrente country - just one of the 250 indigenous languages in Australia red dust is pretty hectic Crossing Todd river to hotel - bear in mind this is the desert Hotel having a bad day with partly collapsed roof sun came out and kids wanted to watch the fish. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 grimmest asian takeaway store in Alice springs mall. dude was super racist refusing to serve the indigenous while I waited for my food - very uncomfortable. misty morning - Alice springs is in. basin in the McDonnell ranges so these mountains are round the entire city quick smash out some energy at playground monster birds nest Alice springs can get a bit rough lots of these camera spots around the town but this was the most hectic I saw to give you an idea where Alice is located the kid looks happy with the C'n'B combo first graff I spoted hitting the road 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 heading to Standley Chasm indigenous info for those interested. you see a lot of this stuff so much of the northern territory is given to indigenous groups (rightly so) and they like to keep their spiritual places to themsleves daughter rocking the fly net sicne the blowflies were so intense after the rains schnitzel getting harassed by flies the chasm. Minion on the way out. time to hit the road to Uluru 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 driving back through town saw some of these guys who are police but belong to the army ( google image search photo wasn't going to take happy snaps of them) these guys are for anti terrorism or something but also help out similar to a swat team and bush trackers in the rougher remote communities. saw the train heading back to my city central australia is pretty fucking empty between here and kulgera were three roadhouses and that's about it. Finke river didn't get any rain then it was just this but it was fun dropping the hammer with the higher speed limits. You need them if you over take a road train. They might be like a usual truck but with up to 4 trailers in tow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 (edited) the hirecar was a 2020 commodore RS - sweet ride for people like me used to mazdas etc. I got it to 160km overtaking a road train but I seriously lost my nerve after about 5 seconds at that speed Erldunda Roadhouse had an emu cages and lots of indig folks selling artworks or sitting under trees. they don't like photos so no photos. then more country toliets Crashed BMW - a copper I spoke to later said that it hadnt been ransacked much because BMW parts don't too well with other vehicles otherwise it would be a shell. ( "guess the wheels don't fit a holden or these local cunts would have had them off quick smart" were his actual words. Mt. Conner - we were pretty bored by this point so we got excited thinking it was Uluru arrived late afternoon car was spattered Edited March 10, 2020 by Schnitzel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 (edited) heading to Uluru breakfast lily pads and flowers for @SMdoubleXLsince she likes plants. Ground is pretty red getting closer to the rock can't climb it any more since it's disrespectful to the traditional owners schnitzel selfies with fly video showing how bad the flies were IMG_8822.MOV Edited March 10, 2020 by Schnitzel 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 (edited) few more pics from Uluru hard to see but rock art I didn't want to be that guy but I did say to soem other tourist to not photograph the site since one of them was leaning on the sign as he did so. cock Edited March 10, 2020 by Schnitzel mcmuffins 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 anyway Uluru was a giant rock but the kids had the shits so we went on to Kata Tjuta ( the olgas) these were a little bit cooler I thought because I'd never seen them much before. it was hot as fuck up there kids refused to go further so I canned it here. then we went back to resort to escape the heat family effort drawing schnitzel at Uluru went back for sunset to see the rock but missed it by minutes somehow phone took this pic No longer Arrente Country Now Anangu Country they had a thing called the field of lights which is this big art installation. I was a few drinks under by the time we got there so I wasn't taking much care with pics gave up after a while and walked around quietly farting in the darkness. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty_habiT Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Those flies were like... sweet, this person brought moisture and smells with them.... this kicks ass in the desert! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty_habiT Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 The comodore you rented turbo? I bet it is. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 Just now, Dirty_habiT said: Those flies were like... sweet, this person brought moisture and smells with them.... this kicks ass in the desert! it was mad. there was a french girl in a camper van walking around with nothing covering her face who was completely not bothered at all. I was saying "i bet she's been drinking some booze" since apparently they don't like the alcohol that escapes your pores My wife replied with "or she's not wearing knickers" which caused me to nearly crash the car it was so unexpected 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 1 minute ago, Dirty_habiT said: The comodore you rented turbo? I bet it is. unsure. Gotta point out 160 was kilometers per hour not miles (roughly 100 miles per hour) 160miles per hour would be balls out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty_habiT Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Fastest I"ve ever been was 135mph racing a 80s model 300zx in my Eagle Talon on I-30 in Dallas. I beat him by inching him out. It was likely turbo if it felt like it had an "aggressive" acceleration feeling to it after a certain rpm. Like if you floor it from a stop it probably doesn't "pick up" until it gets past a certain RPM. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 Everybody says you have to see the rock at sunrise so I got up really early. too early in fact - the park wasn't open. I was the lead vehicle in a line of about 50 by the time it opened. the guy in the green had was. professional photographer who was there with the cop I mentioned earlier. One of his cameras was taking photos eeverry fifteen seconds or somthign and had been sicne 4:30 am. he showed me all these picture of the milky way and the celestial sunrise etc. made my pictures on my iphone look so stupid. meanwhile his brother told me about working as an outback cop and how it was different to working in the city. he would lie to Indigenous drivers he caught speeding and give them "unactivated tickets" meaning a warning and a threat that if they got caught doing anything else within three years the fine would become active. Total bullshit - either get a ticket or a warning. Pretty good idea - gets him a lot of better driving rather than fining indigenous people who aren't able to pay and end up accruing enough fines to go to jail. He was great fun and really bogan going on about "stupid cunts driving old shitheaps" and "I just tell them cunts to fuck off" while wealthy tourists looked on unhappily. he told me to sneak again tomorrow morning at the rock to a cave where there was unreal cave paintings just off the track but I had no time. started filling up when the sun came right up I realised I'd forgotten my fly net then the after effects of beer and wasabi peas by the bucketloads kicked in and I had to leave quickly 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 1 minute ago, Dirty_habiT said: Fastest I"ve ever been was 135mph racing a 80s model 300zx in my Eagle Talon on I-30 in Dallas. I beat him by inching him out. It was likely turbo if it felt like it had an "aggressive" acceleration feeling to it after a certain rpm. Like if you floor it from a stop it probably doesn't "pick up" until it gets past a certain RPM. Yep starts off and increases speed but then after a moment pins you to the seat. Was nice to have full guts in a car after years of the family SUV. A real shame General motors Holden is shutting down in Australia. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirty_habiT Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Man that looks like a bad ass thing to see. .... the rock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 another day in the car. I'm not sure what New Mexico or Arizona are like but this area is empty fresh one wish I had taken mkore pics of the body count on the dashboard walked into this pub and man did I stand out it was 100% Indigenous in there and they all stopped and stared Bought some emu food for the kids to feed the birds back to Alice 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 (edited) saturday night in Alice springs we rolled to the gap view pub you know the type - sports bar at front filled with groups of men watching footy, bistro filled with old ladies eating food before hitting the pokies, out the back a beergarden with a pool, big screens to watch music and movies for the kids, converted shipping containers serving pulled pork sliders etc. , groups of girls on hen's nights or whatever. AND IT WAS SUPER WHITE My son made an obstacle course out of the kids furniture all the kids were on it By contrast the Todd Tavern at the opposite end of the same street was dire most windows with security grills, grimy, dirty, scary as fuck, police guarding the bottle shop and it was SUPER BLACK. P.s. one of the few pics that includes an indigenous person was fucking weird it's like two different worlds superimposed on each other yet not interacting at all. every indigenous person I met who wasn't working (which was 95% of them) has this 1000 yard stare that goes straight through you and the non indigenous locals have the same to the indigenous. Edited March 10, 2020 by Schnitzel 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 (edited) sunday morning hotel views cage top hiluxes some white fulla graff by jimmy DVATE and TIKLZ ( TIKLZ is the main graff cat in the NT from what I've heard of him) life cycle of the bogong moth I'm guessing some Black fulla graff Under the bridge near hotel where some guys were sleeping until I accidentally woke them up. anzac hill view over the town flags - Australia, Northern Territory, and the Aboriginal Flag ( which should be our flag since it doesn't involve the fucking union jack of the UK) sneaky pic indigenous family wandering through town graff 4u2c from Adelaide plus some melbourne guys dropped off the car after 1362 km (846miles) in 4 days missed the drag queen festival....bummer back to adelaide with a jail front and centre little fucker paid the price for hitting up my corona virus stash Edited March 10, 2020 by Schnitzel wolfhound 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 anyways hope you dug it. Now to go on with my day at work.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aimer Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Looks like a good trip mate! Did you get a chance to check out Kings Canyon at all? I've been looking at doing the trip in the next year or 2 to go see Uluru and everyone said Kings Canyon is a must see while you're there Hadn't heard of The Olgas before, will have to chuck those on the list too 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 @aimerno time for Kings Canyon and I dont think the commodore was legal to drive on anything but the most basic roads. It's well worth it but coming from WA you guys are used to emptiness in a big way. I wouldn't like to drive it from Perth. That would be a long way on some pretty empty roads. I'm deffo going back it's so different to the rest of AUS (or at least the Sydney, Melb, Adelaide triangle I usually see) the Olgas are only 40k's from Uluru so you knock them off at same time! also want to go to the Bungle Bungles have you ever been there? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delv Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 @SchnitzelSolid thread mate. I'm Melbourne based and so my access to indigenous culture is minimal. I spent my youth in central QLD so I know a bit about the culture there but more about the division between white and black folk in that area I'm wondering....what do you think would have happened had you walked into the indigenous pub? As I've gotten older I've found I've wanted to learn more about the culture. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aimer Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 @Schnitzelyeah it's a fair drive from Perth haha that's whats put me off so far, haven't done the Bungles yet but they're on the list too. Want to try and tie those into an Kimberleys/El Questro/Kakadu trip have done pretty much the whole WA coast from SA border up to Derby and some cool inland stuff like Karijini so that trip should knock off the last of it with some cool outback spots too @delvits always spun me out the lack of Indigenous people I come across whenever I visit the east coast, they have an awesome culture over here especially the groups around the traditional landmarks 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 2 hours ago, delv said: I'm wondering....what do you think would have happened had you walked into the indigenous pub? As I've gotten older I've found I've wanted to learn more about the culture. @delvBeing honest not much. I would have gotten a few looks on the way in, bought a beer and probably been completely ignored. Might have met the local bullshitter , or maybe been told told to fuck off. Maybe some pool or snuck a cheeky 50 in the pokies. but not like I was gonna get lynched. I did go to the bottle shop for some ciders but didn't wander into the bar. I've just never been around many in Sydney or even now in Adelaide. I've definitely wanted to learn more about the culture as I've grown up it seems weird that nobody appreciates how incredible the story of indigenous culture is: we've got 250 languages as diverse as say chinese and finnish. whole belief systems. a race of people who adapted to every facet of this country and coped really well until us whiteys fucked it all up completely. and dont forget the question that will never be answered - how did they get here? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
delv Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 @Schnitzeli think you've inspired me to find out more, locally. And take it from there. Again, top thread. Appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMdoubleXL Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Great trip. Thanks for sharing. Amazing landscape and water lilies are always awesome. 👌🏼 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theprotester Posted March 10, 2020 Share Posted March 10, 2020 Solid thread Australian tourism council approval Makes me want to head east. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schnitzel Posted March 10, 2020 Author Share Posted March 10, 2020 9 hours ago, theprotester said: Makes me want to head east. I wanna head west we'll tee up a 12oz mid Nullabor meeting or at least a high five as we drive past each other! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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