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Hi everyone, well we survived swagging it for a few more nights and we're now in Alice Springs in a proper bed.
We started our tour in Darwin and then had three days down to Alice Springs a night there and then 3 nights in the red centre before coming back to Alice.
It didnt start too well with us getting up and being sat outside the hostel for 5.30am!! (like we'd been told to do!!) only for the bus to drive past us empty and then return with all the other passengers an hour later!! Why could he not have just picked us up on the way!! So because of this we were the last in the bus and didnt get to sit with each other, but also it was the most useless bus ever, it had tiny seats and would have been bad enough if you had to squash in it just going down to the shops but to spend 6 days with all your camping stuff was a nightmare!! Anyway we squashed on (there were 24 of us!!) and off we went. The dreaded right lets all pass the microphone round and introduce ourselves took place! Im
so tempted to get up one day and say my names Amy Richardson and I'm an alcoholic...whoops wrong meeting!! (actually the amount we have been drinking that statement may end up being true!!) We found that there isnt really much in between Darwin and Alice, but we did go to Katherine Gorge (yes another gorge!!) which was nice but no canoeing due to there being some crocodiles having a late holiday in the water!!
We saw the Daly waters pub which is full of everything you could imagine and the walls are covered with photos and things that people have left..theres also a thong tree (these are flip flops to me and you) which is basically a tree covered in thongs...strange..so anyway we had to leave something so i contributed a 5 pound note that we wrote on and stuck on the wall (couldnt afford anything more...and the 50p just wouldnt stick!!) The whole group also adopted the 6 irish girls and guys Irish flag..we all wrote on it and stuck it up in the pub, so we all left a bit of us there .
Ermm..what else, oh yeh Nat bought a didgeridoo that is on its way home
Kings Canyon
Spot the iittle people and you can see how big it is!! as we speak (thank goodness we dont have to carry it round everywhere!!) and i bought a small canvas painting of witcherty grubs and honey ants. These were all original items bought from a little gallery in Ti Tree, so we've both got a little piece of genuine oz now .
That was about it for the first three days, really not much going on, but it did get us down to Alice Springs. The camping was luxery for me and Nat too... flushing toilets, showers and even tents (like proper ones that were already put up for us), we did sleep under the stars though and the swags were just as comfy as ever .
We had a night in alice springs before getting up early again to do the next bit the red centre...we changed groups so got a seat next to each other this time although still no room as it ws the same sort of bus...great!! But off we set (obligatory hello im amy...blah blah blah..). First stop was a camel farm, with the option tyo ride one, however as i'd experienced this before i wasnt rushing to do it again...so i opted to stroke the
pet dingo instead .
Our first day we went to Uluru...me and Nat opted to do the base walk right around the rock as its disrespectful to climb up it (and also it looked quite high and steep!!) the people that do climb up it get called mingas too...this is the aboriginal word for ants!! It was huge and alot of the sites on it are sacred so sorry not many pics as you cant take them. Its really amazing how its just stuck there, it just appears out of nothing. I thought it was in the middle of the desert but its actually quite green cos its semi arrid (little fact there). So we did the basewalk and headed to watch the sunset...you know one of the most amazing sites you'll see ever...everyone goes on about it...well we were poised there with our champagne (in colourful plastic cups!) and nibbles just waiting.....and waiting....but nothing it was cloudy!!!! not one single ray of light could get through, complete disappointment!! But at least we had the sunrise to look forward to in the morning.........nope.. guess what...cloudy again!!! My camera decided to develop a lens error at the time of the sunrise
anyway but the pic that Nat got just sums it up!!!
so we didnt really see the rock in all its glory but it was still impressive.
While we were there we also walked around the domes of the olgas (which looks like homer simpson lying down from a distance ).
Our last day in the centre took us to Kings Canyon....we tried to see a sunset there the night before and had a mad dash in the bus up dirt tracks to get to the viewing spot in time (it isnt a 4x4 and it wasnt very comfortable!!) we just about made it and saw a slight glow .
So yeh Kings canyon...we were told that the first bit was called heart attack hill!! so as you can imagaine as we donned our trusty boots we weren't looking forward to it that much, but as it turned out it was quite cloudy. which makes it easier and the hill wasnt half the size as some of the ones in Thailand so we were fine. Kings canyon was really nice and we stopped for our lunch in the garden of Eden (not The garden of eden.... apparently the fig leaves are just way to small to have been used as clothes here!!). We got told lots about the area and the bush tucker and things...unfortunaltey no witcherty grubs were found (pheww!!) but apparently they tast like peanut butter..so maybe they're not so bad after all!!
Being in Australia of course we had a long drive back...6hrs!! but i think im getting used to it now cos i didnt flinch at all when they told us!!
We had a good few days and now I've seen ayers rock i guess i can come home thats what you come here to see dont you ... ...still a few more bits to see i think..
So we're back in Alice Apprings staying in a lovely little hostel..looks just like someones house!! we have to go outside to the toilet and showers..but after camping for the past month thats fine by us .
I'm doing quite well writing this blog as I am writing it feeling very hung over!! we decided to go for a 'quiet' drink and meal with the tour group last night, you know just to say bye and everything...yeh well...what can i say there was music and dancing and we finally got in at 2:30am (although we saw some of the others this morning and they'd got in at 5:30am..so we had an early night!!).
We had the most delicious meal last night....it was tender and covered in plum sauce and came with chips and salad and just melted in your mouth...mmm best meal we've had in oz so far.....it was kangaroo!!! Sorry Skippy lovers but it did taste really nice . I've become less emotionally attached to food i think now and i really enjoyed it, tasted a bit like duck yum!
So we're just about half way round oz now and infact 6 months today we will be landing in Heathrow!! Still got loads to do though, Adelaide next and hopefully wine tasting in the barossa valley (where jacobs creeks from) .
I'm currently surrounded by shopping bags..the food kind...so I'm going to go and put those away and then do all my lovely washing...there is a funny smell just hovering over my backpack which i really think i shoulg get rid of now im not living outside!! So I'm going to do that .
Oh and by the way it was thunder and lightening here yesterday when we arrived...tipping it down!! and so im sat in a jumper!! i think winters here already!!
So thats all for now i think, if i think of anything else I'll add it on.
bye for now x x x
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