Day 08 - Alice Springs to Yulara [450 Km]

It was a short day but we still left at 8.00am (most of the people were at the bus by 7.45 - keen!). Last night's dinner was again at the golf club so only a short walk to the room. 

Called in at the Wallara Station 188Km from Alice (a toilet stop really). The shop and the surroundings were interesting - lot of history about using camels for transport (including a statute of a camel on crutches). The place is also unique in that it used a lot of old toilet seats for furniture!

Not-quite camel... The water containers are shaped like this to be carried by camels.

Toilet seats put to use!

Lunch was at the Erldunda Motel located where Stuart Highway meets the Lasseter Highway. This is an important junction with plenty of travelers in cars and caravans stopping for fuel and food.

Road trains stop here too. The monster below was pulling three trailers (that is, 16 axels with four tyre in each giving 64 tyres on the single vehicle!). They are used for heavy load transport everything from livestock and fuel to ore from mines.

From there to Yulara was one long road running through dry dusty country.

Most of the people in the bus were nodding off, bored with the featureless land. The first bit of excitement was when the driver pointed out a landmark that we had been waiting for - Uluru! 

Except that it wasn't - it's massive a butte on a private property that looks a bit like Uluru (good enough to fool those travelers who haven't seen the real thing). It is in fact even called 'Foolaru'! (Cruel!)

We pass close to the real thing as we approach our night's accommodation but will have to wait till tomorrow for a closer look. But a night of rest would be most welcome.