It’shereat KataTjuta thatwegetourfirstupclose
encounterwiththeMars-likelandscape,asweembark
onanearlymorningwalkthroughWalpaGorge.
WalpameanswindinPitjantjatjara,whichis something
elseyoushouldpreparefor.Nomatterhowstilltheair
at basecamp,windwhipsaroundthebaseofKata
Tjuta, particularlythroughWalpaGorgeandtheValley
oftheWinds.
Ourguide,Sam,hasbeenhostingtoursinthearea
fora year-and-a-half.Atbestguess,hereckonsthere
havebeenlessthan 20 dayswithlittleornowindhere.
Somedays,hesays,it’ssostrong,it canbea struggle
tostandup.Incoolermonths,it canbearctic.
Asweheadthroughthegiantcanyon,strucksilent
bythesizeandscaleofthesurroundingcliffs,we’re
surprisedtodiscoverpocketsofemeraldgreenbursting
fromtheearth,instarkandsurrealcontrasttothe
burntorangeground.
Thisis thankstorecentrainfall,explainsSam,
whichis absorbedbytherockandslowlyseepsback
out,creatingvalleysofverdantplantlife.A nearby
waterholeis fullofwrigglingtadpoles,whichwillsoon
seethegorgeechowitha choiroffrogsong.Samlooks
foranimaltracksasferalcamelsregularlyvisitthegorge
toquenchtheirthirst.Theluckiestofvisitorshave
beenknowntostumbleacrossa camelortwoontheir
morningwalkbutsadly,nottoday.
Onthewaybacktocamp(anaffectionate
euphemismforwhatis,infact,a verywell-appointed
andluxuriousresort)westopat a tali[sanddune]to
admirethemanyheadsofKataTjuta froma distance.
Onceagain,it’sa viewyoucan’tpreparefor.
UponreturningtoLongitude,wespendtherest
ofthemorningloungingpoolsideinanincreasingly
futileattempttostaycoolasthetemperatureclimbs.
Bymidday,it’stimetoretreatinsideforlunch,where
anever-changingdailymenuis offered,preparedby
chefTomSaliba,alongwithsomeofAustralia’sbest
wines.Longitudeoperatesonanall-inclusivebasisand
guestsarefreetohelpthemselvestorefreshmentsfrom
severalwell-stockedbarswhenevertheylike.Henschke,
TyrellsandFourPillarsGinarejusta fewofthelabels
onoffer,alongwithLouisRoedererChampagne.
Afterlunch,it’stimefora kipinourtent,which
is againa euphemismfora spaciousandsubstantial
dwelling,craftilyshadedbysunsailsontheoutside
anddrapedinternallywithbillowingfabrictocreate
theillusionofbeingina tent.Intruth,it is a private
villaofferingcinematicviewsofUluru fromthe
comfort of your bed – and air-conditioning.➤Weheadthroughthegiant
canyon,strucksilent bythe
scale of the surrounding cliffs122 GOURMET TRAVELLER