A very hot day today - a forecast maximum of 38 degrees celsius - so we started early.

An 8.00 am walk at the bottom of Uluru. A guided walk (the Mala walk), with a ranger telling us stories about the rock. It was lovely, Uluru was huge and awe-inspiring. We walked mostly in the shade, so that was nice.

Then it was off to Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) which lie about 50 km to the west of Uluru. We stopped at a lookout on the way and saw the amazing group of domes which comprises Kata Tjuta.

Totally different, as, unlike, Uluru, the Olgas are made up of conglomerate rock whereas Uluru is solid sandstone. But still very beautiful. By this time it's getting much and much hotter. We walked up the Valley of the Winds to the first lookout, and were surprised by the lush green valley before us. It rained heavily here around christmas, so instead of finding red sand everywhere, we find greenery.

After the Valley of the Winds we headed for Malpa Gorge, where Mirne promptly decided she'd had enough. Craig and Lisanne continued the walk, and were again impressed by the greenery in the gorge, the birds and the steep sides of the gorge walls.

One overwhelming factor of the day remains this: the FLIES. Never in our lives have we experienced flies like this. They are persistent and many. Enough said.

Back to the campground, as by this time it was 38 degrees, and time to relax by the swimming pool :-)

Then off again to view something totally different, but very special. A Field Of Lights. This is an artistic installation which is comprised of 50,000 lights set in a field with Uluru in the background, with the beautiful night sky above us. So we were bussed to the location, drank sparkling white wine, ate canapes and watched the sunset, followed by thousands of twinkling lights, changing colours constantly.

Back to Harvey, where we had a drink, watched the stars, before crashing in our beds.