Uluru and Kata Tjuta

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Well I'm back in Alice after a few days seeing some of the most famous rocks in the world! We drove out to the Ayers Rock Resort on Monday and spent the afternoon walking through Kata Tjuta which some of you may know as the Olgas. This rock formation was created at the same time as Uluru (Ayers Rock) and is just as impressive, with many domes instead of one single mass. The Aboriginal name for it means Many Heads. We did the Valley of the Winds walk which is only open if the temperature is forecast to be 36 degrees or less - it was bang on in the shade that day so we were allowed to walk, although it rose to over 40 in the full sun. The walk was really hard work but worth it for the views, and I thought of myself ten years ago complaining that "I don't do hills" as I scrambled up incredibly steep rock faces in the heat. Mum and Dad will never believe that I did it!

After the walk we were rewarded with a journey to the sunset viewing area at Uluru to watch the sun go down over the rock. We were advised to take photos every few minutes and you can really see the colour of the rock change in each picture. All the other tour parties had come out too and they had tables full of champagne and canapes, but our boxes of wine and nibbles tasted just as good and really made the time special. This was a definite highlight of the last week or so.

The next morning we were up very early (breakfast at 5am!) to watch the sun rise over the rock, and see it turn from dark red to bright orange. The viewing area was packed again but the atmosphere wasn't so magical this time. It was still worth getting up for though! After the sun had risen we walked the 9.5km round the base of the rock before the day got too hot, and Luke showed us some of the Aboriginal rock art that's painted on it. It's far more interesting close up than you'd think it would be, with lots of different rock formations and even a permanent water hole.

That afternoon we moved to Kings Creek Station for another two nights of sleeping outside. When I got into my swag on Tuesday night after a delicious meal cooked in the coals of the campfire, I lay on my back and looked up at more stars than I've ever seen before. Sirius was right above me with Orion to his left (upside down!) and the great band of the Milky Way stretched across the sky. It was amazing to lie there in the cool breeze of the evening and just star gaze.

Yesterday was our final challenge - a walk up and round Kings Canyon. The initial climb of 170 vertical metres was an absolute killer, but worth it for the stunning views and cool winds at the top. We climbed down into a hidden waterhole called the Garden of Eden and ate morning snacks halfway round, and after the whole 3.5 hour walk I was tired and sweaty but really exhilarated to have completed it. In the afternoon I went for a camel ride! Australia actually has more wild camels than anywhere else in the world now and exports them to Saudi Arabia and Brunei. The ride was fun but quite painful and I was glad to get down!

Today we packed up camp and came back to Alice for our last night in the Northern Territory. It's on to Cairns tomorrow for a taste of the beaches and rainforest. I can't wait!

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