Vintage VP: Camping In The Outback

Dusk

I am keen on trying all kinds of ways to travel and have been fortunate to take part in some fantastic trips over the years. I thought I would share an old story, a "vintage Viking Princess blog post" one could call it, when I took my sister camping in the Australian Outback. While I was living in Sydney during 2009, my sister came to visit me. Although I was madly in love with my new “hometown”, I wanted her to see more of the country. Since we had grown up watching the Australian TV-show “The Royal Flying Doctor Service” and the movies “Crocodile Dundee” (1 and 2, not 3 as it was a joke), a trip to the Australian Outback to see Ayers Rock seemed appropriate.

We flew out to Alice Springs and checked into a hostel with the name of “Toddy’s." I had been roughing it in various hostels in and around Sydney (before moving into an apartment) and was thrilled the hostel seemed clean and had no bedbugs. My sister, a flight attendant used to staying at swanky upscale hotels and who just had her nails done the day before we left, was not so impressed by the bunk beds and minimalistic interior. We had to sleep there only for one night as we were going to be part of “The Rock Tour”, a company which takes small groups into the Outback. I generally do not like traveling in organized groups. I like to make my own adventures, but this was clearly the best way to get out there. Alice Springs itself is a sleepy town and after visiting the old Royal Flying Doctor’s base, we were pretty much done with our sightseeing. We were warned to not walk around at night in Alice Springs and although we are two Viking Princesses from Sweden, we opted to be safe and headed back to Toddy’s before dusk. On the menu at Toddy’s was camel and as I try to live life to the fullest and try (almost) anything, we ordered it. I have enjoyed kangaroo, shark, and crocodile meat during my travels. Camel was either: A. just a horrible meat in general, or B. they served us a bad piece of meat and called it camel. We survived by eating the french fries which came as a side.

At daybreak, we got picked up by a small van and headed out for our first destination - King’s Canyon. Our travel buddies were people from all over the world including 2 female soldiers from Israel and some "flashpackers" from various European countries. (A "flashpacker" is a backpacker that does not have to suffer very much during the trips, but lives of daddy’s credit card.)

Our tour guide deserves a paragraph to himself: Dan was dressed and sounded like a real Crocodile Dundee/Indiana Jones all rolled into one. He looked the part and only put on an extra little vest when he went to sleep on a small blanket behind the truck, later on in our travels. And his actions showed that he truly knew his stuff about how to survive in the Outback. Needless to say, all the girls on the tour developed a crush on him. Later on we heard a rumor he was in fact a young, self-made millionaire, responsible for opening one of Melbourne's most successful clubs and did the "Rock Tour" on the side. Regardless, he was an excellent Crocodile Dundee...eh, tour guide.

My sister using a swag

We hiked around in King’s Canyon and walked through the sandstone domes of what is called the Lost City. We drove approximately 6 hours that day and finally reached Curtain Springs were we set up our bush camp right in the middle of nowhere. We had all been responsible for gathering firewood and Dan used the fire to cook an amazing chili con carne for us. He also informed us about how to go to the restroom in the Outback. During our drive to Curtain Springs, Dan had mentioned “bush toilets”. Many of the girls were pleased there would be toilets, especially the “flashpackers.” Hm…bush toilets consists of peeing in the bush…and Dan mentioned that when it’s dark, you take a flashlight with you, walk many steps away from camp and do NOT aim the flashlight onto yourself. A girl during another tour had done the opposite and none of the boys could face her after that. “A shame”, Dan said, “the girl was really pretty." When it was time to sleep, it was also time to learn how to use a swag. A swag is kind of a sleeping bag for your sleeping bag. I must admit, I was a bit terrified it would feel like a stray jacket with all that stuff zipped around me, basically being inside two sleeping bags at once, but can now say that sleeping in a swag under the stars was amazing. You had to wear a hat because nights in the Outback can get very cold, but the swag was amazingly warm! And you have to sleep with your shoes under your head - otherwise wild dingoes can see them as toys!

Tour guide Dan

Day two on the "Rock Tour" started out with a visit to the Valley of the Winds at Kata Tjuta, a group of rock formations. Wonderful sights but dear god, flies everywhere!! But the ground was the red dirt the Outback is so famous for and the stones were the same color and the hike was amazing. We spent the afternoon at the Aboriginal Cultural Centre in order to better understand the people who Ayers Rock (or Uluru as is its proper name) is sacred for. We set up camp and raced to the Rock (Ayer’s Rock that is) to be the first van to park and get the best view as the sun was setting. Next to us where people paying thousands of dollars to have a sit down meal with white linen, wine etc. No way! We had the same view! And they had to wave flies away as much as we did. I am telling you, flies LOVE humans in the Outback! That’s why Aussies sometimes sport a funny looking hat with corks dangling in front. Okay, never seen a person actually wearing said hat, but I have seen plenty in stores. I cannot properly describe the changing of colors the Rock takes when the sun sets. It was a magical experience! Back at the campsite, Dan shared more of his knowledge by teaching us how to properly cook a kangaroo tail: burn the hair, scrap off the hair, put the tail in foil and bury in coal, get the meat out by carving at it with a knife. The tail is often given to the best hunter as a sign of respect.

Sleepy me - dawn

The next morning we rose very early and it was freezing cold. This was in May and winter had arrived Down Under. We headed back to the Rock. The sunrise was beautiful in a whole other way than the sunset. You really need to experience both! A walk around Ayers Rock with a bush man gave us more information and we saw Aboriginal Cave Paintings. On various parts around the base you can’t take pictures because it's a sacred place and we honored that. We were also asked if we wanted to climb the Rock. Simply put, the Aborigines are lending the land to the Australians and there is now a rail up the rock and you can climb it. But it’s like stepping on a grave for the Aborigines. My sister and I declined the offer, so did most of our travel buddies.

The van departed the Rock and drove my sister and I to Ayers Rock Airport which was a tiny airport with 2 gates. I had to get back to Sydney and report to work first thing the next morning. The rest of our travel buddies had to drive back to Alice Springs where the tour had started. We left the red center behind and headed back to the metropolitan area of Sydney.