**Our Trip & Itinerary**

We traded our swim trunks for fly nets as we arrived in the Red Center of Australia near Uluru. We spent eight days in the Northern Territory, focused mainly on Uluru and Alice Springs with a brief, but very eventful, stop in Darwin. We thoroughly enjoyed our time near Uluru and Kata Tjuta, and recommend it for anyone visiting Australia. It can be a bit of a pain to get here, and absolutely comes with unavoddable higher costs, but it’s a truly special place.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta

Our journey to the Red Center began with a quick flight to Alice Springs, where we picked up our rental car to continue on to our final destination of Yulara. While the drive is a long four and a half hours, arriving in Alice Springs is the most affordable way to travel to Uluru. Plus, the drive is a perfect way to get an impression of the landscape – from scraggly trees to dark orange earth. On arrival, you’ll notice how Yulara is a network of hotels, restaurants, and shops that are all owned by the same company. As such, the hotels are quite pricey, no matter which one you decide to stay at, so we simply bit the bullet to see Australia’s most iconic wonder. That said, despite being in the “cheap” part of the complex, our accomodation was lovely – spacious room, modern design, direct pool access, and very clean.

For our first full day in Uluru, we wanted to make a beeline for the famous Rock to beat the heat, so we got up just before dawn. Plus, we had heard that Uluru looks different in every change of light, weather conditions, and time of day, so we wanted to visit the site each day at a different time. We drove as pale yellow and blush began to rise from the horizon, watching the Rock alight as we approached. Simply driving into the nearly empty parking lot was impressive, as we could suddenly feel the monstrosity of Uluru and how profound its presence actually is. One thing to note about the Red Center is the abundance of pesky little flies that will persistently sit all over your body in search of moisture in the dry climate. As a result, you’ll find that your face is the most popular spot for them to rest, making any excursion without a net unbearable. These can be purchased at any pharmacy in Alice Springs or simply when you get to Yulara. While the nets keep them off of your face, be aware that they do not offer complete relief, as the flies will continue to circle your face and buzz right by your ears, no matter how hard you swat. I managed to block out the constant humming, but Jackson progressively got angrier throughout the day…Despite the frustration, our first day experiencing Uluru was beautiful and fascinating. As you walk the base of the rock, you’ll find helpful signs that explain the cultural relevance of the area to the Anangu (Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara people), the traditional landowners and custodians of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Additionally, please be respectful of any signage prohibiting the use of cameras or other filming equipment, as certain areas around Uluru are sacred to the Anangu and it is believed that their sanctity will diminish if captured. In these zones, take care to enjoy the beauty of the Rock using your eyes only. As you move around Uluru, the colors change from dark purples and maroon in the shade to vibrant ochre in the sunlight. The crevices, curves, and various holes in the Rock add even more dimension, creating an ever-changing sculpture of the Earth. Simply breathtaking. Once things heated up (and that’s putting it lightly), we made our way back to the hotel and spotted wild camels along the side of the road! These majestic animals were brought over from India and Afghanistan in the 19th century to assist in the exploration of Central Australia and now roam the country as the largest feral population in the world. Since our afternoon was fairly open, we relaxed at the hotel by taking a cool dip in the pool and working on some travel tasks. Feeling the pull of the Rock as the afternoon dimmed, we drove back to Uluru for sunset. Here, we enjoyed our ‘girl dinner’ with views of the formation as it became illuminated by the hues of sundown. As the sun disappeared, the rock suddenly turned to an incredible artwork of mauve and plum.

The next day, we decided to explore Uluru’s sister formation, Kata Tjuta (The Olgas). These castle-like structures are actually taller, wider, and longer than Uluru. Yet, they are made of completely different materials – Kata Tjuta is a conglomerate rock formation, composed of boulders melded together with coarse sandstone and fossil deposits, while Uluru is purely sandstone and once formed the bedrock in a prehistoric river. Once again, we got up before dawn to arrive at the viewing platform before sunrise and watched as the soft morning light poured over its many features. Challenging my meniscus injury once again, we hiked part of the Valley of the Winds trail to the Karu Lookout, which was fairly easy and paved. The lookout gave us a view through the rock formations and a lone tree perched on the top of one of its ridges. The sun out there is so bright that said tree is silhouetted in a rainbow halo at that hour. Next, we took on an even greater challenge with the Walpa Gorge hike, where we were met with a rough track and a fair bit of uphill over the loose rock. Despite the spicy temperatures and struggle, we were thrilled to reach the Gorge, which offered shade from the sun in the small oasis it created. It is said that rock-climbing kangaroos make a home of the caves and crevices in between the two largest domes at Kata Tjuta, finding refuge in the desert watering hole. Later, we visited the national park cultural center to learn more about the life and traditions of the Anangu people, including the spiritual significance of the land and its formations. The Anangu people have inhabited the lands around Uluru for at least 30,000 years, so the stories that have been passed on to the current generations speak of the world’s creation. In the Anangu’s story, the Earth began as a featureless place, until ancestral beings emerged and traveled across the lands. It is believed that the ancestral beings created Uluru’s caves, cliffs, and fissures in their journeys and are physical evidence of their actions in the “Dreaming” and their time on Earth.

That afternoon, storm clouds rolled in, bringing thunder and heavy rain to the Red Center for the first time in three months. While most people remained at the hotel or fled the Rock, we took the chance to drive out in the wet just before sunset. We reached the Mutitjulu waterhole and discovered an entirely new landscape compared to just the previous day. Where the watering hole was previously just a puddle, rainwater now formed a massive pool at the Rock’s base, breaching the existing banks and spilling into the landscape beyond. The rain came down so heavily and so quickly that the path was flooded and streams extended their arms into the arid landscape. While the Rock was astounding to witness the day before in its desert glory, the thunderstorm brought new life to the landmark. It was almost as if we could hear the Earth drinking deeply, releasing a sigh of relief into the cool, damp air. This new life awakened the wildlife around Uluru and suddenly, we were able to hear the chirping of kingfishers, honeyeater birds, and wrens. Mains frogs sang into the air, joyously exclaiming as they emerged from their burrows beneath the desert ground. Not only did it feel like Mother Nature was alive and flourishing, but it was almost as if we could feel the spirits of the Anangu people walking the Earth to enjoy the storm’s riches. Drenched and feeling grateful, we drove around Uluru to see the entirety of the rock in the rain and watched newly formed waterfalls cascade off its terracotta face. ‘Magical’ doesn’t begin to describe it.

Upset that our time in the Red Center was beginning to come to an end, we wanted to soak up Uluru one last time. So, we woke up early once again to return to the Mutitjulu waterhole. Still bloated from yesterday’s rainfall and overnight storms, the pool had begun to find the shape it would hold until the next rain, inviting flora and fauna to drink from it. Still feeling the buzz of life around us, we quickly drove to the sunrise viewing platform and watched ribbons of amber dance between the clouds. With a coffee in hand, we then drove back to Alice Springs through heavy rain.

Alice Springs

We stayed at a quirky hostel called Alice’s Secret just outside of the center of town. Tucked behind a painted metal gate, the hostel has cute rooms, each one with its own personal touch. Given the fairly long drive back to Alice Springs, we didn’t have much time that afternoon, so we wandered over to the Botanic Gardens close by. We made our way up the rocky trail at the heart of the gardens and discovered the rock wallabies emerging from their shady spots under the boulders. As we were nearing sunset, we found ourselves alone with dozens of wallabies, nibbling away at shrubs just feet away from us! After watching them silently for a while (and sneaking closer each minute), we decided to grab some dinner. On the way down, we were (literally) jumped by a red kangaroo who was startled by us and sprang down the hill. Alice Springs is full of surprises! For dinner, we had delicious burritos at Loco Burrito.

The next morning, we had a massive and yummy breakfast at Page 27. This is a very popular spot, so make sure to get there early if you can! Desperately needing to walk off the hash browns from brekkie, we went on our long-awaited art mission. As it was a Sunday, loads of galleries were closed, but thankfully a few of them were open for the day. We explored Jila Art first, but felt the artworks weren’t our style. Instead, we went next door to This Is Aboriginal Art where we had a lovely chat with Stan, whose daughter owns the gallery. He proudly explained to us that the gallery is part of the Aboriginal Art Association of Australia (AAAA), meaning it provides artists with ethical payments for their work and maintains strong community relationships. With this peace of mind, we were able to choose our favorite artworks and narrow them down to our final choice - a beautiful piece by Patsy Ross. So exciting! For now, we’re carrying the canvas with us, rolled into a cardboard tube, but This is Aboriginal Art offers direct worldwide shipping if needed. Based on Bill Bryson’s recommendation in ‘A Sunburnt Country’, our last stop for the day was the Alice Springs Desert Park. Here, we explored the three different landscapes — woodland, sand country, and desert rivers — as well as the animals within them. The bird houses were so fun, some of them allowing us to walk through the enclosure and feel them whizz by us! The park is also home to plenty of kangaroos, dingoes, and large lizards. Our highlight was watching the bird show, where owls, frogmouths (these are really creepy), curlews, and eagles flew right above our heads! The nocturnal house gives you a great chance to see endangered or threatened species like mala and bilbies, another definite highlight to our day.

Darwin

Let me tell you, Darwin was…an experience. While the surrounding areas of the city have notable sites like Litchfield National Park and Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge, the city itself unfortunately falls to the bottom of our favorites list. To be fair, we should have looked into the area more to determine where the attractions were and if we would require a rental car to reach them. Indeed, if you make the trek out to the North-West, do book a rental and avoid spending much time in the city.

Darwin is “rather boring”, as said in Bill Bryson’s words, and doesn’t offer much to do. There is a lack of museums and the center of town (if you can call it that) only mildly awakens when the bars open their doors. Alongside the lack of things to do, the sticky heat didn’t motivate us to leave the hotel room. Darwin’s late summer reminded us of Singapore’s climate, where you feel the need to shower as soon as you step outside. Mostly, we wandered around town and discovered a number of great restaurants. Coffee and breakfast food are exceptionally tasty in Darwin, but our favorite was Coffee Man. Here, we had a delicious salmon benedict and truffle-mushroom toastie alongside an iced mocha to help with the sweltering heat. Not to mention, the staff here was lovely and in good spirits, despite the humidity. If you’re looking for a great view with your meal, you can find plenty of restaurants with marine interiors and fresh seafood with views of the harbor by the waterfront. Although it was tucked away in a quiet alleyway in the heart of town, Ella by Minoli was the best dinner spot. This modern Sri Lankan restaurant is cozy and serves an amazing range of delicious sharing dishes – we shared three between us, each with different spice profiles and moorish sauces.

Unfortunately, homelessness is a significant issue in Darwin and leaves a heavy cloud over the city. According to NT Shelter, the “Northern Territory has 12 times the national average rate of homelessness”. The Northern Territory also has the highest rate of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experiencing homelessness (Australian Bureau of Statistics), resulting from Australia’s fairly recent history of indigenous mistreatment and the inequalities these communities continue to experience. What is left now is a cycle of alcoholism, drug abuse, homelessness, and intergenerational trauma that has left 30% of the indigenous population below the poverty line (NACCHO).

During our stay at the Argus Hotel, we witnessed the profound impact of the continuing disparities between the indigenous community and Australians. While watching Masters of the Air in bed on our last night, we were startled by the fire alarm. Grabbing our essentials, we headed outside, expecting someone had run the shower too hot with the door open to set it off. Instead, we opened the staircase door to the ground floor to a naked woman shouting profanities at guests and the receptionist. Once we got a chance to process what was going on, we observed that she had thrown beer bottles inside the lobby, overturned potted plants, and set a pile of her clothes on fire outside. As she shouted at no one in particular, locals yelled back profanities, highlighting the sad truth of very real, very relevant racial and societal tensions between the two. The women wandered off before the fire department and police could get there and we were bid to return to our rooms. After about half an hour, we could hear the screaming commence on the street, where we peeked out to see the woman had returned to the hotel. She was promptly arrested by undercover police and dressed in the clothes she had discarded.

Having traveled Australia for nearly two months now and having made an effort to understand local culture, we hope we have a better understanding of how this generational trauma has come about and impacted the usually close-knit indigenous communities. The history between the native peoples of Australia and colonialists is layered and dark, making it difficult to fully comprehend the devastating effects and tough to explain in a simple blog post. We have listed additional sources for more detailed, deeper reading below, if you’d like to learn more.

While the Europeans arrived in Australia in 1788, First Peoples have inhabited the land for 60,000 years – so long that historians are not actually sure how they arrived on the continent. With the arrival of the First Fleet of the British Invasion, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders naturally resisted the threat imposed on their cultures, land, and communities, resulting in the ‘Frontier Wars’. These wars (and many other conflicts to come) resulted in the displacement and exile of communities to missions or reserves on islands off the Australian coast, massive battle casualties, and massacres that left a generational mark. As we dove further into the history that lingers in modern Australia, we discovered one of the many terrors of colonialism: the ‘Stolen Generations’. It is estimated that between 1910 and 1970, up to 25,000 Indigenous children were forcibly taken from their families and ‘assimilated’ into non-Indigenous homes, often to be trained as domestic servants. These children not only suffered the effects of neglect and abuse in their new homes, but the long-term trauma of losing the connection to their families, cultures, and identity. According to Future Learn, many are still searching for links to their families today.

Reconciliation in Australia has been, and still is, a lengthy and difficult process, as the damage done has touched generations of Indigenous people and requires a national effort. This process has also been a long-time coming, since it was only formally acknowledged with the formation of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation in 1991. This council aimed to accelerate the reconciliation process over a 10-year period with the focus of understanding the country, valuing cultures, sharing history, addressing disadvantages, improving relationships, freedom of destiny, and a formal documentation of the efforts. While the formalization of this process was a recognition that issues needed to be addressed, as well as a nation-wide mobilization to support the effort, some argue that ‘reconciliation’ is an incorrect term for what needs to be done. Given that a peaceful state has never existed between the Indigenous and non-Indigenous people of Australia, one might consider the need for ‘conciliation’, which more accurately highlights the willingness to end a disagreement and move on from it peacefully. While this is indeed a more accurate term, there is a need for much more understanding, acceptance, and support for the history and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Inslander people. Monuments, promises, and coexistence are simply not enough. The severity and depth of issues that still exist,and are visible, today are a clear demonstration of why more needs to be done. Still, Indigenous people of Australia experience a lack of medical and disability services, a decline in education services, high unemployment, a shortage of supporting staff, decaying infrastructure of rural communities, failing family support networks, high crime rates, and homelessness – all exacerbated by transgenerational trauma. (Creative Spirits)

During our time in the Northern Territory, the trauma and discrimination we had been learning about in museums around the country was finally made reality. While this post is more so a reflection on our experience and learnings, we did make the most of our time in Darwin and hope you still choose to visit the Northern Territory. Despite our personal experience of the city, Darwin is an emerging city and deserves to be explored, especially if you’re combining it with the great national parks that lie on its doorstep. Take this post as a reminder to stay mindful, informed, and open to the experiences of First Peoples and how they navigate modern Australia after nearly 250 years of inequity, racism, and disruption.

Consider the below sources to learn more about the history and displacement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people:

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