Last you heard from us, we were heading from Kings Canyon to Uluru. After about a four-hour drive, we arrived at Yulara and checked into the Ayres Rock Resort. This place offers the only accommodation available at Uluru/Kata Tjuta but it provides everything from high end units to a campground with each separate enclave containing a pool, eating and shopping facilities, etc. We stayed at the mid-range Outback Pioneer.
The next day we headed off to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) which are a series of huge rounded “rocks” about 40 km away from Yulara and we went for a hike into Walpa Gorge. Along the way, we saw kangaroo droppings but no kangaroos. The walk was hot but at the end was a green waterhole and palm trees. The scenery was awesome but the flies were awful. Thankfully the flies don’t bite.

That evening we went to a “Sounds of Silence” dinner where we were bused out to a sand dune. Our evening began with champagne and appetisers as we watched the sunset over Uluru and Kata Tjuta. We struck up a conversation with a couple from the UK and when we were taken to our tables we sat together with two couples from NY and a couple from Prague. By the time we ate dinner, we were sitting in darkness (except for lighting at each table) and it was hard to imagine that we could have such a fabulous meal out in the middle of nowhere. During the meal we ate to the sound of the diggeridoo (sp?). Between the main meal and dessert, all the lights were turned off and we had an astronomy expert tell us and show us the stars, galaxies, etc. that are seen in the Southern sky. About 10 p.m. we boarded the bus back to the resort. It was a magical night.

The next day we were up at 4:30 a.m. to join a group of a dozen people walking around the base of Uluru (aka The Rock). As we began walking there was a breeze and the sun was just rising. The 13+ km walk took about 4 hours but that included lots of stops for tales about the aboriginal sacred beliefs, photo opportunities, and a break for breakfast in a sheltered area near a waterfall. The tour guide also pointed out lots of interesting flora and fauna along the way. We had bought fly nets to wear on this walk and wouldn’t you know it, the flies weren’t too bad that day. We walked by the area were some people still climb The Rock and I couldn’t imagine it. Since the temperature was over 36 degrees that day (it rose to 39 degrees), the climb wasn’t open.

When we returned to the resort it was time to head off for our plane to Cairns. Stepping off the plane in Cairns was a shock as the air was so humid, especially after the dryness of the Red Centre. At first it was a welcome change but after we started to feel sticky we began to appreciate the dry heat more.

On our first day in Cairns, we explored the city and went for a long walk along the promenade (water and beaches). We saw all sorts of different birds including pelicans and parrots galore. On the beach we saw small crabs with one large bright orange claw. We passed under a grove of mango trees until we realized that above us the trees were filled with flying foxes (humongous bats) – either their guano or sounds gave them away. We saw beautiful colourful flowers everywhere and I had fun photographing the Christmas displays that look so out of place next to palms and other tropical plants.

On our second day, we tour a heritage railway train up to a hillside town called Kuranda. The ride up went through tropical rainforest, past waterfalls and travelled through 15 tunnels as the tracks climbed to the town. The town is centred on markets, so it’s a shoppers delight. We also found a trail and walked through the jungle. We were very surprised that so far the only bugs we’ve encountered have been the flies. After a few hours in Kuranda, we took a 14 km skyrail (cable car) down. The ride was scary but the views down into the world heritage rainforest and out to the ocean made it all worthwhile. Part way down we got off and went on a short rainforest tour with one of the Park Rangers.

The next day we had another early start and drove to Port Douglas (about 65 km north of Cairns) to catch an 8:15 a.m. sailboat trip to the Great Barrier Reef. We chose a group that wasn’t too large (16 people) and catered to novice swimmers like me. After a 1-½ hour sail on a catamaran called Sailaway IV, we arrived at the Low Isles. We transferred to a glass-bottomed boat and saw lots of huge green turtles swimming below. At Low Isle we suited up (wetsuits, flippers, masks and snorkels) and went out to explore the reef. One of the guides made sure she stayed with me and I had a great time on my first snorkelling experience and saw colourful coral, amazing fish, gigantic clams and turtles that were close enough to touch. After this all day trip, we found a funky waterside restaurant called the Soul n’ Pepper where of course we had to eat local fish (barramundi) for our dinner.

The next day we started our 2-week drive south to Sydney and on the first night we stayed at Townsville where we walked The Strand – a 2 km long beachside park oasis – and ended our day with pizza, a local brew for husband and a Strongbow for me. The next day we were at Airlie Beach, the entryway to the Whitsundays area and its 74 islands.

More to come later.