A massive Christmas night storm and heavy rain that has sparked damaging flash floods in Central Australia is being described as a once-in-a-half-century weather event
Weather shuts Uluru national park
The downpours also caused the closure of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.
Rangers closed the park around 9:00am due to the risk of flooded roads and the potential for car accidents, said park manager Mike Misso.
"There's a lot of water coming off the rock and what that does is just channels across the ring road around Uluru, some of those roads there were flooded by about 300 to 400mm of rain. [It is] quite spectacular but very hazardous road conditions," he said.
A quarter of the community of Kintore was evacuated after it was drenched by 232mm of rain in the 24 hours since 9:00am yesterday taking the December total to a record 373.4mm.
61.4mm fell from 8:00pm to 9:00pm on Christmas night alone, which BOM labelled a one-in-50-year rainfall event.
Northern Territory police said it had caused significant flash flooding woes for the 400 people living in Kintore, which is located about 520km west of Alice Springs near the Western Australia border.
It is quite spectacular to see water running off the rock. Back in the early 1980's (when the road in was still dirt) my husband and I was the first car in after the park being closed for 3 days I think it was, after heavy rain and the first afternoon we were there (and you camped up near the rock then) another storm came across and it is something to see with the water running off and not being able to see the top of the rock for cloud. Great memories.
In 1987, we were on our first trip outback. We camped at Curtin Springs and drove into Ayres Rock the next day. It rained overnight and the rock was in full cascade. Spectacular. When we got there, we couldn't even see the rock from the resort. We had a pie and whilst eating it, the sky cleared, so off we went and climbed the rock. We were near the top when it all socked in again. Winds, rain. Couldn't see a damned thing from the top. Even the visitor's book was so soggy that the biro wouldn't work. Our 11 yr old daughter kept getting blown off her feet. My wife had to stay on the upwind side of the chain on the way down, my daughter on the downwind side and me about 6 feet further downwind to catch her when she got lifted off the rock. Quite a harrowing experience. We got down, soaking wet and exhausted, and drove round looking at the cascades and then went back to Curtin Springs for the night.
Next day, we decided that it wasn't a good place to go to so we headed back towards Alice. About 2 miles down the road, I looked in the mirrors and saw clear blue sky and a bright orange rock. We stopped, had a look and turned around and drove into Ayres Rock for a few days then. Glorious sunshine. Awesome colours, water still cascading all over the rock. We went to the Olgas - much better - and enjoyed our few days there. We went back in 1991 and in June this year. In 1991, we had our daughter and her friend with us. They had flown into Connellan Airport and we met them there at 11:30. Naturally, up the rock (after lunch). This time it was HOT. Everyone coming down the chain told us that there was a guy selling Coke at the top. Ha Ha! When we got to the top, sure enough there was a guy who had loaded I think 2 slabs of Coke in his rucksack and was selling them at $2 per can. I doubt that he would get away with it now...
This year, the rock is as big as ever, but somehow the colours never matched up to what we experienced the first time. The place is so overrun and commercial these days it has lost its appeal to us.
-- Edited by erad on Tuesday 27th of December 2016 09:22:16 AM
Thanks to those who have witnessed the Rock "In full flow", so to speak,
It must have been a mighty sight, We have been thinking of heading out to the Rock for a number of years now but,
as we live in W.A. it's a heck of a long way to go and what are the chances of timing it just right to see it as shown in the above Pictures. ???
We have heard of many people being ripped off with the high prices charged to get entry to the park, and wonder if it is really worth the massive cost of fuel included to travel that far,
K.J.
-- Edited by kiwijims on Tuesday 27th of December 2016 01:01:21 PM
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From Coast to Coast, We'll see it all.......One Day
I would think the chances of timing it right to see it with water flowing is very low, many years it never happens. But I still think its worth seeing at some point, and of course there are many other things to see in the centre such as Kings Canyon and the MacDonnell Ranges, which are as good or better than Uluru. We spent a few days at Uluru but a few weeks in the general area and didn't see everything. If you were lucky/unlucky enough to get there when it was raining many other things such as the MacDonnell Ranges would be inaccessible as those roads close. The park entry fee is $25 but that gives you 3 days entry, which I personally don't feel is excessive or a rip off.
Just looked up camping site fees and a powered site is $50 over the winter months for 1-2. There is also a stay 3 nights pay for 2 going. We hope to pass through that way next year. Have been there 3 times. In the 1970's on a coach tour. There were 100 of us in 2 coaches on that trip. Safari tents. In the 80's, hubby and I in a car and 3 person tent (that's the time it rained) and when we climbed the rock the next day there were only a handful of people up there and a guy was flying a kite. Lovely to watch. Then in the 1990's, again in a car with a 4 person tent, hubby, me and 2 children. This time the camp ground had been moved away from the rock and there were entry fees and camping fees. Next year all being well hubby and I will go again in our motorhome.
-- Edited by Gaylehere on Tuesday 27th of December 2016 09:32:00 PM
It sure would be an amazing sight! I was there in June this year, I imagined then how spectacular a sight it must be. I'm sure those of you lucky enough to experience it would never forget it.
