September 14 - After a sleepless night (When will I learn that I can’t drink coffee!!) we rose at 5 o’clock and caught a shuttle to a camel farm – what else would one do at five in the morning! The sunrise ride on camel back through the desert was truly spectacular! The young cameleers, as they are known, were exceptionally knowledgeable regaling us with facts and tales the whole way. My lovely camel, Jill, was also affectionately known as “Jilly Bean”. David’s mount’s name was “Trigger” and the one behind me was “Diesel.” In total there were about 10 camels in our “train.” All of the camels on the farm except a couple of babies were once wild. There are over 700,000 wild camels in Australia. They were brought over in the early days to ... read more

September 13 – Uluru Today we head for the big red rock known by two names – Ayers Rock or its aboriginal name Uluru. I’ve always been drawn to rocks – big ones like the Rockies near my home and small ones like I used to play with as a child. This rock has its own special allure. Mostly, one just marvels at its very being. How did such a large monolith come to be in such a flat, remote area? Did aliens land millions of years ago and leave a space craft, or perhaps it was a life form, now dead, or in some kind of stasis. The shape is unlike any mountains I have seen. It looks very much like a large, dusty red caterpillar laying in the middle of the desert. Ridges cover ... read more

Following breakfast the next morning, the train arrived at our destination in Alice Springs. A shuttle took us to our hotel, the Cheifly Alice Springs Resort where we had a few glitches – they had no record of Judy and Mal’s booking, and the car rental place wasn’t answering the phone (again!) All was eventually resolved, and we headed off to the Olive Pink Gardens. These gardens held many desert plants and animals. Like the Canadian prairie scrub, one must look closely to appreciate how nature adapts to such a harsh environment. The next day we visited the sprawling Alice Springs Desert Park. It was a cross between a zoo, botanical garden and educational centre. Truly worth the price of admission, I saw more species of birds in a few hours than I have ever seen. ... read more

September 9 – Today we boarded a very comfy bus and headed for the train station. There, sitting on the track was ‘The Ghan’. Sleek, shiny and over 40 carriages long, it was an impressive sight! David and I were assigned Cabin 9/10 (I figure somewhere in there was Platform 9 and ¾’s – it was truly a magical place.) The tiny cabin was designed to include everything one could need including two fold away berths, a closet, a safe, a fold-down table, places to stow luggage, and a washroom the size of a small closet that converted to a shower. David, of course, discovered more little details and figured out how everything worked within the first few minutes of boarding. The Ghan travels the length of Australia from the ‘Top End’ in Darwin to the ... read more

September 9 - Yellow Water Cruise– Some places defy description, but I’ll try. We left our lovely croc accommodation at 5:45 a.m. and drove to Gagudju Lodge Cooinda where we were bused to the river boats. Our guide, Murray, was a typical Aussie – laid back, with a dry sense of humor and a voice that I’d pay to lull me to sleep. His deep understanding of the area was gained when he moved to the area over 40 years ago and began working in the forestry service often with the aboriginal people. Departing from the dock, we were met with an other-worldly scene as the rising sun lit up the mist and smoke from fires in the area, and the trees reflected off the glassy water. Everywhere we looked there were birds – singing, squawking, ... read more