Well, firstly I would like to apologise for the ultimate lack of blogging for the past month. As much as I would like to say it's not my fault, I have just been too lazy sunning myself...though to be fair in the outback there is no phone signal let alone no internet signal so my laziness has only just been the last few days!

What a trip so far! Let me retrace my steps a bit and take you back to when we left Adelaide! The 19 hour coach really did feel like a 119 hour coach journey. One of the things about driving in the desert is the fact that there really is nothing there. You might drive past a shack every 600km but that's about it. Oh, and all the kangeroos (or splangeroos - splattered kangeroos) you pass on the road. Word of advice - do not drive at dusk. The bus hit a few over night when we were driving to Alice Springs, but it had kangeroo bars on the front so there weren't any dents - they are big things!

Finally arriving in Alice Springs after even having a few stowaways on board (!) Vick and I had a very early night as we were to be picked up from our hostel at 5.55am the next day. This would be positively a lie in compared to the next few days. Our trip was to take us to that big red rock in the middle of Australia, also known as Urulu. I have never actualy realised it's significance to the Aborigine people out here - it's pretty sacred that's for sure! Next we were to be taken to Kings Canyon, another big red thing in the middle of the flattest land you will ever come across.

So let me start you from the beginning. A 3-5 hour (I was sleeping a lot of the way so I can't quite remember) drive took us to Urulu. That's one thing that started to sink in then is the pure vastness of this country. 22.68 million people live in this country, and yet you effectively fit England, France, Germany, Spain, Poland and a bit of Italy just into the desert itself. That means very very very few people live in this wide expanse of red and most people live on the coast. So you would think, oh Urulu is next to Alice Springs right because that's it's nearest town? Nope. Still a good lengthy drive through nothing is needed before you get there. Actually it may have even been a 7 hour drive I'm not sure. Time just warps into one long thing when you are driving through the same terrain and views over and over again.

We spent the afternoon walking around Urulu and learning about the aborgine history about the place; how there were specific women quarters and mens quarters and quarters where they would sit the young adolescent boys for days and not allow them to say anything or move anything to teach them to become good hunters. We learnt about their creation time stories which are painted all over the walls. The aborgine don't have a written language and so they record their stories by painting drawings on the walls on all the caves. Some of these paintings have dated back to 35000 years! I think I remember them saying that are the longest living tribe on the planet, so a lot of respect goes to that.

As for the current situation of aborigine people it's actually quite sad. Both Vick's and my degrees have taught us how westernisation came so quickly over here that it had negative effects on a community that had spent their past years growing up and living off the land itself. Many are now alcoholics, and as much as I hate to say but we did feel uneasy walking down the streets where there were plenty of drunk beggers and drunk men that would just look at you either in disgust or as if you were a piece of meat. The people who weren't drunk were so uninterested and just outright ignored you in almost a rude manner, so it was clear that the conflict isn't quite over, and I have mind to think that it never will be. After all, we did come into their home and just take it from them - with quite a lot of violence with it too, so it's understandable they didn't want anything to do with us. Plus the fact we were walking all over their sacred lands and looking into the mens caves (which women were never supposed to do) and vice versa. But anyway, Vick and I came to learn, and so we respected the area as much as we could by not taking pictures of certain caves and not walking past the designated pathways etc.

That evening we were lucky enough to have Champagne (or sparkling wine) with a few nibbles and dinner watching sunset over the rock. The picture with this blog is similar to what we saw as when the sun catches on it the rock really does glow a very orangey/red colour, much more vibrant than its daytime glow. Unfortunately the clouds came over (in the dersert where it 'never rains') and a few spitter splatters of rain came over. Thankfully it had stopped by the time we reached camp as we were to literally sleep under the stars in something called a swag.

Now there are very few, if any occasions I can recall where I have slept outside at night and been too hot. This time was one of them....I think it was around 35 degrees when we were heading to bed all dotted around a campfire. The clouds from earlier had meant the heat from the day had got trapped underneath and so, yes, it was pretty steamy, but by the time midnight had past it did get cooler and so I was wrapped up a bit like a catapillar in my swag. For those of you who are wondering what a swag is, its a ground mat, liner, sleeping bag, pillow and bivvy all in one. You can completely submerge yourself in it, or like me and vick, sleep ontop of it in the heat of the night!

A 4am wake up with necessary the next morning (though it was still night) as we were to eat breakky and head up to a look out to watch sunrise over Urulu. It was actually pretty easy getting up at 4am when technically you are already outside and just lying on the floor. Nothing like when your alarm goes off in the middle of winter at home and you are nice and snug as a bug in your big duvet.

Sunrise was, well, I have no words to describe it. This giant slab of red in the middle of a neverending flat plain, sillouetted black and gradually glowing red against a backdrop of a purpley, pink, molten gold sky. Does that help you picture it? It was pretty awesome. Just out of this world. One of those moments where everyone stops talking just in awe and appreciation of such a beautiful moment. One that will stay with me forever, so those cold mornings where I don't want to get out of my cosy duvet I will remember that and hopefully it might help some bit!

We drove from there to a canyon, forgive me I can't remember the name but it had something called Karalanga Lookout - or something that sounds like that if not spelt that way! It was a 8.5km walk that we had to do before 9.30 in the morning as otherwise it would get too hot. The lookout was a welcome break after trekking uphill for a very long time - and already reaching temperatures of 36 odd degrees it was a welcome break to have a morning snack (at 8.15 in the morning).

Unfortunately this was the end of a woman's journey as she fell and snapped her ankle. It's hard to take pictures and look where you're walking, and she did just that and rolled over a rock. Pour lady, although she was laughing and I'm not too sure what she thought was funny....she might have hit her head I think. This stunted everyone elses walk a little bit and we all had to wait up the top of this lookout (I'm not complaining the view was yet another spectacular one) until they finally managed to find enough signal to radio the park ranger so he could call for a helicopter to rescue her.

We were all sent down whilst the guides stayed up with the lady, and when the helicopter arrived they had to stretcher her all the way back down that hill that we had all huffed and puffed up. Lucky another one didn't break their leg too! Nonetheless they got her off safely and she was airlifted to alice springs for surgery. We then made our way back to the campsite, packed up our stuff then bundled into the bus for another long drive to Kings Canyon. Well I say long, it's actually a short drive of around 3 hours.....

We made camp again and enjoyed kangeroo steaks and beef sausages on the campfire. We also made damper (aussie bread) that we cooked in a big pot covered in ashes on the fire. Delicious. The stars poked their heads out that night as Vick and I drifted off to sleep, and we spotted the southern cross in the sky - I have learnt that the stars on the aussie flag are actually the southern cross so there's a bit of trivia for you. Another 4am start was necessary for our 6.5km walk around Kings Canyon. It was definately necessary because there was a very steep 100m climb at the start which I would not have wanted to do in over 30 degrees! They actually close most of the paths off after 11 because there is too much a risk for a persons health. You are also packed like a donkey with water bottles so you've gotta lug them up as well!

Part way through Kings Canyon is the Garden of Eden, the most tranquile water hole within all the red cliffs with swallows nesting on the walls, trees growing up and in the wet a waterfall would have been there too. It was, yup you guessed it, another spectacular sight - perfect for morning tea and biccys! Vick and I can actually say we have jumped across a canyon now because we stepped over the narrowist part of it (it was a big step for my legs).

A 7 hour drive back to Alice Springs was perfect to reminise over what we had done the past few days and to soak in all the memories. It was also a chance to catch some kip before a few drinks with the rest of the tour group that evening which turned into some fairly funny games!

A wonderful finish to a wonderful past few days.