Ayres Rock or Uluru

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So we drove on the bus for 285 miles of mostly desert. We checked in to our hotel. We went for a short swim at the pool. In the evening, we drove over to the viewing area of Ayres Rock and had some Champagne and watched the sun set on Ayres Rock. It was spectacular. After that, we drove to the Earth Sanctuary World Nature Center for a barbeque and talk about the indigenous peoples and the stars.

The next morning, we were supposed to get up at 4:00 am and watch the sunrise over Ayres Rock. We knew it was going to be cloudy and we decided to sleep in. So far on this bus trip, we have had to get up around 5:30 am or 6:00 am every morning. Stacy has been a little bit cranky!

When we finally got up, we joined our group for a walk right by Ayres Rock. There was a little drizzle so I wore my rain jacket and Stacy used her umbrella. We then went over to the visitor center for a while. Later we took a 1.6 mile hike at Walpa Gorge. This gorge is in the Olgas, which is a group of huge rocks near Ayres Rock. We then headed back for another sunset and champagne by the Olgas.

The next morning, we packed up and walked over to the town center to see an Aborigines woman. She showed us different stories about her tribe by drawing in the sand. An interpreter then explained what see she was drawing and saying. After that we drove to the airport and got on a plane to Cairns. Cairns is in the north east corner of Australia and looks a lot like Hawaii. Same weather too. Hot, humid with tropical breezes.

We went out last night and had a really nice Italian dinner. This morning, we departed our hotel and got on the Kuranda Scenic Railway for a ride to the top of the surrounding mountains. We stopped in the village of Kuranda for awhile before taking the Skyrail back down to the bottom. This looks like a ski lift, except it goes over the rain forest. Then the bus picked us up and dropped us off at Hartley's Crocodile Adventures. Guess what was there! Yes, crocodiles. Also kangeroos, Wallabys and Koalas. In fact, I got to hold a Koala for a photo.

They raise crocodiles for their meat and skins here. It is quite the commercial success. Then it was back to the hotel for some dinner and some much needed rest! Tomorrow we go snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef.

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Photos

Ayres Rock
A sacred place to the Aborigines

During the sunset
It keeps changing colors as the sun sets

Hiking in Walpa Gorge
The flies were relentless. They were small and tried to fly up your nose, in your mouth and ears. The net worked great. No more flies now.

My interpretation of our trip.
The Aboriginies woman showed us how to make these paintings

Holding a Koala
This is a photo of the photo that they took of me. You can see he has his claws dug into my shoulder. They were sharp!

Another Koala napping in a tree
They sleep for around 22 hours a day. The rest of the time they eat leaves.

Stacy and I with the Koala
By law, the Koalas can only be handled by people for 30 minutes a day. So they swap them out.

The croc show
This croc is about 12 feet long. He is feeding it chickens.

Comments

[Mike McIntyre]

Which one is Bob?
At first I wasn't sure where you were in this picture! Looks like another great adventure for you two. I wasn't getting any emails, but I'm now able to follow your adventures. Be safe, looking forward to more of your excursions.

[Judy]

Crocks
I don't know about crocodile meat, but alligator sausage is good. Have you tried the crocodile?

[ANTON STINAUER]

LOOKS LIKE ANOTHER GREAT ADVENTURE INTO THE WILD !
You are missing the start of the winter rainy season in sunny Calif. 11/2 inch of rain in the 24 hours. WOW a lot to see in Australia. Is a tour of the Australian Space port at Woomera on your itinerary??