Uluru Tour - Day 3

Day three with still no showers and another 5 am wake up we headed to Ayers Rock again to watch the sunrise on it. Again it amazed me that as the sun shone on the rock it became alive with vibrant red color. After breakfast it was time again to walk around part of the base of the rock as the hike up it was closed due to the intense wind. Some of us were so exhausted from the weekend and with the wind and flies decided to head to the cafe in the cultural centre to relax and read. A few hours later we headed on the road back to Alice Springs. Stopping along the way there was a camel farm that does camel rides and camel safaris. For $5 you could have a short camel ride around the yard. Well why not, we smelt as bad as the camels anyway from not showering for 3 days so I talked Casey into it. They got the camels to run part way which made you feel like you were going to fly off these very tall camels. It was a lot of fun and a good laugh. Our tour was over and as soon as we arrived home we enjoyed a very refreshing shower. Later all of us met in the hostels restaurant for dinner. We had a great time and met some really awesome people which made it even more incredible

Uluru Tour - Day 2

The next morning we were up again at 5 am with it very cool and well before sunrise. We went to watch the sunrise at the Olgas which are these beautiful rolling huge rocks. It was amazing watching the sunrise with Ayers rock beside the sun in the distance, then watching as the sun hit the Olgas as they transformed in color. After sunrise we had breakfast then off to the Olgas to hike the trail “the valley of the winds” which takes you through these majestic rolling rocks. One of the amazing things was the sound of these birds that echoed their beautiful songs through the valley. After the beautiful walk through the Olgas we headed to Ayers Rock. We had a choice between walking around half the base of the rock or climbing Ayers Rock. The climb up Ayers Rock is at a 40% incline with a chain you hold on to while climbing up. The rock was 380m high and took them about 1 hour to hike. Well I decided to walk around the base as it seemed more leisurely to me while Casey was up for the usual challenge and hiked the rock. He said it was the most exhilarating thing. At the top you could see everything; it went on as far as the eye could see. The hike around the base was nice but the flies could drive a person insane. After the hike we were off to go to a perfect place to watch Ayers Rock at sunset. When we arrived there were so many people there it was crazy. As the sunset behind you the colors on the rock changed every moment with the rock red as ever and the sky around it changing from blue to pink to violet it was breathtaking! As soon as the sunset the rock was no longer vibrant but dull. It’s amazing how the sun can bring life and such beauty to things....just like the Son. We had dinner once the sun was gone and then headed to a spot in the outback about 20 minutes away to sleep under the stars again. This night there wasn’t a cloud in the sky so it was a definite star gazing night and the moon shone so bright that you could see everything so clearly it was amazing!!

Uluru Tour - Day 1

Friday morning (July 27th) 5 am and we were up getting our belongings into storage with our small bags ready to head off on our Ayers Rock tour. We jumped on the bus with about 16 others from the hostel and headed to Uluru. It was still very dark and cold at the same time with no heat on the bus. We snuggled up and slept for the first few hours till the sun rose. Our first stop on the tour was Kings Canyon which was about lunch time. The hike was about 4 hours long and the beginning of it was the steepest and the hardest of the whole hike. It was beautiful with enormous Canyon’s with sharp sudden drops. Half way tucked away in between an area of the Canyon’s was a swimming hole with ice cold water and a wall of rock surrounding you. Casey of course jumped right in and encouraged our guide and an English girl named Liz to take the plunge too. They said it was so cold it took your breath away but worth it as it cooled them down nicely from the heat of the day. After the hike we headed to find our campsite which was about another hour or so hour drive in the middle of the outback. We arrived and set up camp which was a big fire with our swags around. Yep this was sleeping under the stars with your sleeping bag tucked into a swag that had a thin mattress. We also had dinner which was pasta with a camel Bolognese (definitely not my favourite).The night was warm but unfortunately you couldn’t see the stars because of the clouds.