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Published: June 20th 2015
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On Mon 11 May we drove 450kms from Alice Springs to Yulara to spend 3 nights in the Desert Gardens Hotel. On the way we passed the Outback Backpacker Crapper and a monument to the two officials and two competitors who died during the first Northern Territory Cannonball Run in 1994. After a rest and a quick shower it was time to get ready for Dinner In the Desert. We were taken by coach from the hotel out into the desert for our first official view of Uluryu. We were served canapés and Fizz and listened to a didgeridoo being played as the sun set over Uluru. We were then led down the sand dune to a roped off area where there were tables dressed in white linen and candles - a desert oasis! We were seated with a couple from Western Australia and a couple from Korea. The starter was served at the table; pumpkin tortellini in beef broth. There was a buffet for the main course with unlimited red and white wine and also a wide variety of desserts during which we were given a talk on the night sky by a local astrologer. After dinner there was tea,
coffee and port for anyone who still had room for more! We also had a short demonstration of Aboriginal dance from a group of young men to end the festivities. It was a really good evening, well organized with excellent catering.
On Tue12 May we had breakfast before setting off for our guided Mala Walk - a base walk of Uluru with an indigenous guide. There are chains which enable you to climb to the top of the rock but the Indigenous People request that you don't climb as the rock is sacred to them. Numbers of climbers are being logged and the hope is when it drops below 20% of visitors the climb will be closed. Interestingly a month after we were there, a man fell into a crevice while climbing, was seriously injured and had to spend the night there until he could be airlifted off. We were shown rock art and plants which aboriginal men and women use to eat or to make tools. We were shown Senior Men's areas and Women's Areas and told Dreamtime stories of how Uluru was created. We also saw the kitchen area and an area where the elderly went when
they could no longer travel. We were also told if the Aborigines wanted to know if something was edible they gave it to the elderly to try first! I was prepared for the heat but not so prepared for the flies which are a constant issue in the Red Centre. Lots of people wear hats and fly nets and if you are spending any time there it's a good investment. In the afternoon we set off to Kata Tjuta to do the Valley of winds walk. There were some lovely views from the first lookout 'Kara'. We would have stayed longer but the heat and the flies were a bit oppressive! We headed back to Yulara and stopped to watch the sunset over Uluru. The afternoon had been overcast so we weren't expecting anything spectacular but our patience was rewarded. As the sun began to drop below the cloud cover we were able to watch this majestic rock change colour. The sunset was also fairly impressive. We returned to the hotel and ate in the Restaurant. On Wed13 May went to visitors Centre which was really interesting with a lot of interactive displays and an art gallery/workshop. Afterwards we drove
around Uluru and then returned to the hotel to do some planning. Sadly my brother called that evening to say that my lovely Auntie had passed away. It was not totally unexpected as she was 92 and had been ill for a while but it was still really upsetting. She was like a second Mum to us, the last of the previous generation and the closest link we had to our Mum who passed away in 2006. We then had to decide whether to put our trip on hold and fly home or carry on. The consensus from home was that she would have wanted us to carry on and so the decision was eventually made. My last promise to her was that we would visit her brother's memorial in the Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery in Rangoon, Burma (Myanmar) and I have a poppy she gave me which we will leave in her memory. On Thu 14 May we checked out of the Desert a Gardens Hotel and went shopping for food before driving to Kings Canyon. On arrival at the Kings Canyon Motel we were met by a Dingo at entrance! The temperature in the Red Centre can vary
from 30 degs in the daytime to 10 degs in the evening so we took our waterproof jackets and Tom's jumper and went to the viewing platform to see sunset over Kings a Canyon - it was absolutely freezing and a fairly uneventful sunset. We decided to eat in the restaurant to defrost! We ordered Grilled Barra and Chips with Salad for me and Battered Barra for Tom. Took so long we got a complimentary dessert, a Blueberry brûlè Cheesecake! On Fri 15 May we drove to Kings Canyon to do the Rim Walk which took about 3 hrs. It was absolutely fantastic ! The initial climb is like going up steps and once you get to the top you have so many brilliant views. The landscape constantly changes and there is so much of it. It's one of the best walks I've done and definitely recommend it! The flies don't seem to like the altitude so that's also a bonus!! That evening we had a romantic Dinner under the Moon. There were only 3 couples and we were taken a short walk along a path to another little oasis with tables set around a fire pit. We had a
waiter and our own chef who prepared Michelin Star quality food in a tiny outdoor kitchen. We had Fizz and Amuse Bouche: Kangaroo, Crocodile, Salmon and Vegetarian canapés. The entrée was Beetroot followed by Barramundi, then Pork Belly on Red Cabbage, followed by Steak and puréed potato and dessert was deconstructed Lemon Tart with coffee - Amazing evening!
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