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Friday 3 November 2006 - Uluru (Ayers Rock)
Picked up from Toddy's by The Rock Tour for our 3day red centre trip. Met the group, Dan and Ash, our Rock Tour Guides, Gemma & Karen, Maggie & Gay (65yr old athletes!), 2 Swiss girls, Helen & Rich, Helen & Ben, Tracy, Richard, 2 Japanese, Mekhala, Vikki, Emma and Becki.
Drove through the desert making some stops along the way at various road houses to refuel. Passed Mt Connor (shaped like a toothbrush!), Dan telling us all to look out for the rock, we all thought it was THE rock but it wasn't!
Drove into Uluru National Park and stopped for a sandwich lunch with Ayres Rock right behind us! Over lunch Dan took some time to tell us some of the Aboriginal History of Ayers Rock/Uluru and the Aboriginal Culture. Uluru being the Aboriginal name and Ayres Rock being the English name.
Spent some time in the visitors centre - more Aboriginal History. There was also a 'Sorry' book which was full of letters of regret from people that had taken some of the rock away with them and were now returning it as they felt guilty or they believed bad things had happended to them since, or it had been given to them by others who had visited the rock.
The Aborigines request that people do not climb Uluru as it is a sacred sight to them. Some people go ahead and make the climb (the japansese couple in the group) but the rest of us opted for the 10km base walk instead.
Survived the heat and the flies (thanks to our lovely fly hats!!) getting to see Mutijulu waterhole and some more Aboriginal cave paintings and getting to touch the rock!
No rest, on to do the Mala walk guided by Dan who gave us an insight as to how the Aborigines lived.
Drove to our sunset viewpoint and watched the changing colours of the rock as the sun set. Met up with Desiree and Petra who were on a different tour..... making us jealous as they got to sip champagne with theirs!
Rounded up for dinner at Ayers Rock, well sat on the kerb cooking out of the van.
Last stop with civilisation before heading out into the bush to set up for the night. Pitch black but managed to find some firewood to make the campfire. Dan showed us how to set up our swags - sleeping bags complete with a mattress and a flap to put over your head!! He also spent some time assuring the group that nothing would kill us (after playing that 'Come to Australia! you might accidently get killed!' all day). Only thing he told us to be wary of was dingos coming to steal our shoes!
In our swags fell asleep to the sound of Helen, Rich and Dan playing the didgeridoo. Woke up in the middle of the night, so quiet and the stars so bright! It was amazing!
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