Birthday in the Red Centre

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This was a birthday unlike any other!

Got up at 5:30am for our "life changing experience in central australia". Things were looking good (literally) when we met our cute tour guide Anthony who happened to have good taste in road trip music and had a Crocodile Hunteresque way of randomly screeching the van to a halt and running into the wilderness whenever he spotted a lizard. A camel ride early in the morning was also an unexpected treat!

Then (after 6 hours of driving) came the three hour King's Canyon hike. It starts with "Heart Attack Hill" which is not just a clever alliteration. It's a kilometre straight up and it almost killed me. I was so hot and dehydrated and tired and fly-assaulted that I had to really concentrate to appreciate the incredible views that were surrounding me. I probably wouldn't have survived the hike (I honestly considered getting the others to go on without me and send a helicopter) if it wasn't for the Garden of Eden, a glorious waterfall mercifully located about halfway through. After soaking in the chilly water for about 15 minutes I felt 100 times better and refreshed enough to finish the walk.

That evening we slept in swags (canvas bags with mattresses in them, like portable beds that you put your sleeping bag in) around a fire in the middle of the bush under the stars. Thankfully, I didn't see any spiders or snakes.

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Photos

Camels
That's not me on the camel, but it's the one I rode.

Dingo
This dingo was just hanging out on the side of the highway as we drove by!