Far From the Middle of Everything: Stars, Stories, and Sun for Days

Toto, I don't think we're in Melbourne anymore! Stepping off the plane in Alice Springs the sun was out in full force and the air, warm and welcoming. This is exactly the week I need. Not exactly a holiday but not exactly work either. Inspiration and illumination a plenty.

I'd describe Alice Springs as a big outback town with all the charm and ambience of 'the bush' yet with this odd, contrived tourist overlay on it. Shops close early, the pubs start to fill in around 3:30pm and everything just moves slower than back home. It works.

Our party was a youthful mob of friendly postgrads, mingling well with the handful of various other young travellers with which we shared our tour. The first day in Alice was relaxing and informative thanks to a rousing trip to the Reptile Centre complete with proper outback bloke Rex promptly opening up the glass and taking out the Western brown snake within minutes of our arrival. I'm pretty sure my colleagues came in just a few minutes after he explained how freak'n deadly this thing's bite is (fatal in 30 minutes without treatment). To say the least, I was impressed. This was what I have been missing! His presentation was amusing yet informative and really drove home the reality that Australian snakes are quite easy to avoid incident with, armed with a few simple tricks. Don't walk in tall grass with exposed legs and feet. Be aware of your surroundings and if you see a snake simply back away from it calmly. There, life safe. Too easy.

Out there, it's the dryness that will get you first. It was pretty much the most perfect weather you could ask for but there is always the constant need to keep hydrating when in the desert. Despite my best efforts, I did manage to get a little dehydration sickness towards the end of one day.

I should point out that this was my first, and probably only, purchased packaged tour. All the plans sorted, all the adventure minimised. Don't let that fool you, adventure is a place of mind. It starts with turning off your phone, running out of money, and forgoing your typical caution. This trip really only had the luxury of one of those things. The trip was centred on that magical, misunderstood monolith that serves as the only non-manmade icon of this distant and sometimes forgotten land. Sad to say but I was just looking forward to getting out of the city for a few days, away from the impaired landscapes and short sighted perspectives. Sometimes you need to get out far enough to see a real horizon line, broad reaching and deeply cleansing.

It wasn't all smooth sailing. There was one little burst of excitement when the bus decided to refuse to start. After it was established that the starter did not appear to be operational, our guide decided it only made sense to try one thing before calling for help. So about six of us got behind the trailer attached to our bus and gave it a nice hard push. Sure enough, it started up! Luckily, that seemed to be the only time it decided to play up. It's funny how perspective is everything, not a single person complained or expressed negativity through the whole event. It really was the almost ideal tour group.

The afternoon at 'the Rock' was an emotional day for me. I can't really explain why. Here is a place that some of the oldest civilisations on earth have used as a focal point of congregation to teach, learn, and grow as communities. Ancient riverbeds glued together by time and energy then cracked apart slowly to present the features now reduced to a postcard snapshot. This place is so much more than that. The scientists and stewards of this harsh land sure know that. These ponderings interest and excite my mind to not end. Land, country, community; these are all intertwined components of the intricate way of life out here. Shouldn't that be the same everywhere? Uluru and Kata-Tjuta stand as icons of the power of the centre and the story being told here is one of collective consciousness as well as deeply complex laws. A few days was a good introduction but it was exactly that.

This trip only served to further solidify my desire to see the rest of this diverse and unique country. At this point, I can't say when but in the coming months to years I have to pack up a vehicle and traverse the far flung and magical corners of Oz. I want to make another chapter in the story of my life, a sort of outback ode to Alexander Supertramp....minus the tragic ending. Maybe I'll figure out a few more things and get a bit stronger. Maybe I'll just get a sun burn, who knows.