The Red Centre

It was sad to start a tour without my new friends. Sam and Daniel were doing the same tour but sadly with a different company. My tour was packed with 21 of us. It changed the feel of the group but regardless was fun. It took Ben, our tour guide, a little time to relax around us but when he did he was great fun. Our first day was spent driving as we headed straight to Uluru. It was amazing to finally see Ayer's Rock. It's so much bigger than I imagined. It's around 12 km or more around the base. There are many different faces of the rock as well. Each turn as you walk around the bottom brings a new sight. It was lovely. We learned a bit about the stories that go with this sacred site. The indigenous people would prefer people didn't climb it but of course they do. People have died going up and I saw parents bringing small children. Crazy! Not to mention it's a site that has a lot of history to the people of the area. Many of the stories explain the appearance of the rock but they also have a moral or explanation for things such as being honest. It was so interesting. The Australian goernment finally gave the land to the local tribe in the 1980's. A big step. As the sun set behind us we watched this amazing rock turn to a deep red. And I saw Sam and Daniel! So exciting. I also ran into Nora, who I originally met in India and was on Sam's tour. It was another night in a swag which I was excited about. I saw some shooting stars and felt totally enveloped in stars. So amazing.

An early start got us to a look out where we watched the sun rise beside Uluru as well as the Olgas. I thought we'd be a bit closer to Uluru but it was still a beautiful sight. We then drove to the Olgas where we did the Valley of Winds hike. It is amazing. In the middle of these rocks is a valley of green. Though it's not sacred like Ayer's Rock, it is a men's place. Boys were brought here to be tested to see if they would become men. If they returned home they were men. If not then fate had decided. Seeing the lush greenery in the midst of the dusty red earth rock was surreal. I also saw my first salt lake which had only a bit of water left. Tonight Ben made a traditional Bushman's meal. Bread and potatoes in a large cast iron pot placed in the coals. And then there was steak and sausage. Kangaroo steak that is. It was quite tasty, very lean, and a lot like beef. Another marshmallow roast and night in a swag. People could also choose to sleep in tents but why not sleep in the open air? Especially when the night sky stretched like a bowl over your sleeping space.

The next morning was extremely chilly and we woke with dew covering our pillows and swags. It was difficult to leave the warmth of the sleeping bags. Today we did a 7 km climb in King's Canyon. Another canyon-like rock formation. The stairs at the beginning were killer but after that it was lovely. An area in the middle is known as Garden of Eden as it is a stream surrounded by green plants. When the area was first discovered by "white"men they felt that it looked like Eden in the midst of the desert. After this we had lunch and then a long drive home. It was an active tour and I enjoyed seeing so many beautiful sights. It was such an experience.

We met for dinner, though the group wasn't quite as tight as the last one. I also planned on meeting with Sam and Daniel but they arrived extremely late and I missed them. :( The next morning was an early ride to the airport so I didn't get to explore much of Alice Springs. I saw so many amazing things so I am definitely not complaining!