Another 5am wake up call but this time there's breakfast. So. Much. Breakfast. I've definitely picked the right trip. After a shower in the dark and several pounds heavier, Angus whisks us off to see Uluru one more time, but this time at sunrise. Prize goes to the first person to spot a fly once the sun's up.. Personally I think I should have won a prize for choking on and then digesting 2 flies this trip. Eughrrrr
Flies aside, though, the silhouetted Rock is just, wow. Here I am, on the other side of the world in the middle of nowhere watching the sun rise above this natural structure millions of years old. No sound and no people for miles around. If ever there's an experience to make you realise how small you and your life is, this has got to be one of them.
Then we are off back to the camp site for BBQ lunch, this time it's sausages. Man alive, not about to lose any weight this trip that's for sure. By the time we are on the road again, we're all pumped and ready to go. There's dancing in the aisle, fist pumping, mad hysterics, music from Mumford, Florence, Disney, Five, Macklemore blaring out, and Angus dons some highlighter eye shadow and red freckles to take on the girl's singing part in Barbie Girl by Aqua with the rest of the bus taking on Ken. Not sure things can get any better.
That is until we arrive at Kata Tjuta. Another rock formation made as a result of the same shifting of the earth that caused Uluru but very different. I mean, it's still orange rock, but instead of being one mass, this is a series of rocks broken up creating huge valley-like crevices that we climbed up and through. I'd come to the Red Centre to see Uluru. What I wasn't expecting was the rest of the trip to be even more impressive. The scale of kata tjuta is awesome, and the 4 hour hike through the rocks, up the steep slopes, through the rock heads and natural grasses, this is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen and I'd never even heard of it before.
With all the rocks, there's only one thing left to do... A Where's Wally photo. The photo is still cracking me up just looking at it. Good sport Anders takes the leading role complete with hat and glasses - can you spot him doing his finest Wally wave? Hopefully this is t a 'you had to be there' moment and you can appreciate this example of comedy GOLD.
By the end of the walk I'm close to death... Drunk 2 litres of water and I'm still parched. But plenty of time to cool off in the pool at the camp site and then again on the bus on the way to our final stop, Kings Canyon. 3 hours south of Uluru and Kata Tjuta. More tunes, more comedy, more sleep.
That night we set up camp in a cattle ranch, but sadly no Hugh Jackman a la Australia walking around. We did, though, have a camp fire, toasted marshmallows and burritossss so I didn't feel too hard done by. Sat under the stars again, gorging on marshmallows, beer and talking about books. I think this might be heaven. Made all the more hilarious by the two English girls on tour providing a continuous source of amusement. The concensus is that they should have their own sketch show. The first I think should be Zoe takes on the bugs in the shower; I didn't need to see her to be cracking up in my own cubicle as a giant stick insect and cockroach made themselves present in hers...
I then make my debut in a travel documentary. Oana has decided I'm the 'image of travelling'... Needless to say I didn't tell her about my mini hair dryer luxury tucked away in my bag... A few cringe answers later and I'm watching the sunset fall once again over the outback.
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