Adelaide to Alice Springs - Saturday 17th NovemberSpent Friday in Adelaide -33 degrees plus so spent most of the day in the shade in the Royal Botanical Gardens, the Art Gallery or the Library.Not really a culture vulture - just like the air con.!Good start to our trip to Alice.Stopped almost as soon as we started to stock up on drink and snacks - despite all this walking I shall be about three sizes larger when I come home.Really good wine over here for not much money.I suppose it makes a difference that they only have to bring it twenty miles in from the vineyard as opposed to shipping it halfway across the world.Sopped at Quorn for lunch then on to Kannyaka Ruins.This was a very prosperous copper mining town with a population of 70 plus families but due to very severe drought they had to abandon their homes and leave the area.This seems to be very commonplace in many of the townships north of Adelaide.A bit further on climbed a rocky outcrop to some Aboriginal caves.These belonged to the Yourambulia people.I find it interesting that the Aboriginal people survived in this arid landscape for thousands of years yet so called civilised individuals with everything in their day that was available to them, could not last very long at all.Perhaps it was the thought of having to eat all those grubs that put them off.Arrived at our accommodation at Parachilna about 5 00 pm to find a swimming pool - sheer utter bliss.Some didn't even bother to get out of their shorts and tops before they were in.Parachilna has a population of five but a very thriving pub - helped out somewhat by travellers who use the lodge overnight.Had a BBQ for dinner - ostrich sausages, emu burgers and kangaroo steaks - really tasty. Watched the sun go down, yet another amazing sunset with fantastic colours.Later went over the pub and met the locals.Jared who is a shearer's driver and his mate Tony who shears over three hundred sheep a day were interesting guys to talk to telling us some of the tales about the Outback.What I didn't expect to find in an outback pub miles from civilisation was that Jared was a golfer with a handicap of five and at one time thought of turning pro.so that provided another half an hour's conversation.One of the locals took a shine to Yvette, our tour leader, and kept offering to buy her drinks, producing rolls of$1000 bills from his pocket.His efforts were in vain though as she couldn't drink as she was driving early the next morning.So if anyone is looking for a rich man head to Parachilna.At 10 30 pm we all piled out of the pub and went to the rail line that runs through the town (no gates, no fence - just a question of mind your back when the train comes)H & S has yet to hit outback Australia!The idea was to watch the 10 30 train roll through town - the only train of the day - and reputed to be the longest train in the world.However having waited until 11 00 we decided that like British Rail, it was running late.So we packed in and went to bed - never did hear it go through.I expect the locals were teasing us.Sunday, 18th NovemberUp early and drove for two hours on a dirt road through Flinders Ranges to Wilpena Pound.Went through Blinman, the highest town in Australia.It has everything any other town has- a church, school, hotel, general store, car workshops but no people.It used to be another copper mining town with a population of 2000, now down to 20.How they survive is a wonder to me.Wimped out of climbing another mountain and went through the gorge, saw emus and kangaroos.Drove on to Rawnsley Park, a sheep station where we stayed overnight.Yet another swimming pool quickly invaded by twenty or so very hot individuals.The young family that were using the pool seemed somewhat startled by such a large influx of people in the middle of nowhere - hardly surprising.The sky at night is so inky black and the stars are amazing.Monday 19 NovemberUp very early again.Left by 0600 hours for long drive to Coober Pedy (nine hours).On the way stopped at Woomera town, run by the Ministry of Defence, and the site of nuclear testing that was started in 1947 as a joint project between UK and Oz.The MoD denied that the town existed until 1982 when its existence was acknowledged and members of the public were allowed in. Apparently they denied that nuclear testing was taking place but in order to protect local farmers fallout shelters and also told them when it was going to take place.Unfortunately, they failed to tell the indigenous people, the Aborigines resulting in quite catastrophic injuries to these people.It was thought that everyone would flock there.Roads were built, street lighting installed.There is every facility that one could desire, swimming pool, theatre, squash and tennis courts, shops, a very green football pitch, museum etc but nobody came and there are now only 300 residents.Nearby is Lake Hart, a salt-water lake, that was used for nuclear testing and to this day there are still unexploded missiles in the lake.Some stupid tourist has removed the sign that advises one not to venture too far out - just as well we had a local knowledgeable guide with us.According to our guide, the other stain that detracts from Woomera's appeal is that there is a detention centre there for illegal immigrants.Some children are born there, been educated and are still incarcerated.Unless you had wheels of some sort there is no point trying to get away from there as you are miles from anywhere over very arid land.Arrived in Coober Pedy, an opal-mining town.Had a fascinating talk about mining opals, saw one being polished then had a tour of one of the mines.There was the inevitable shop selling opals at the end of the tour but resisted even looking.The local church is built underground; it is quite beautiful and very peaceful.Slept underground in a small cave - never realised that sounds carried so well underground.Quadraphonic snoring from somewhere else amongst the guests, gave myself and the girls I shared with a fit of the giggles but we eventually managed to get to sleep.Tuesday 20th NovemberLeft Coober Pedy at 0500 hours.Drove to Stuart Range and the Breakaways to see sunrise and have breakfast.It was great until the flies woke up and realised breakfast (us!) was being served.Long, long drive through very arid land.One's first site of Uluru is strange.It is such a widely photographed monolith that you feel you know it very well.But the reality bears no resemblance to the photos.It was not as red as I have envisaged but sitting as it does in the middle of nowhere it was a site to behold.Eventually arrived at Yulara, our campsite where we were to stay overnight.No camping is allowed anywhere near Uluru (Ayers Rock) now.Drove up to the rock.I am glad I was impressed - it was a very long journey otherwise, had I been disappointed.Walked around a section of Uluru and heard some of the Aboriginal stories connected with the rock.Then sat drinking sparkling wine watching the sunset with the rock in the background.Unfortunately there were about a thousand other people all with the same idea and what I thought would be a peaceful, quiet, moving experience was in fact a noisy affair.Trouble is we all want a piece of the action and there are just too many of us.Wednesday, 21st NovemberUp early yet again at 0430 to see sunrise over Uluru.The experience was similar to the previous evening - masses of people.However having said that the rock is quite magnificent and very imposing.Later walked around the base.A 9.5 km walk.I for some reason thought the rock was just an oval smooth shape.How wrong was I?It has multitudes of faces, different colours and indentations and gullies.Parts of it are sacred to the Pitjantjatjara people and one is requested not to photograph these sites.Nevertheless, despite the signs being in many languages, tourists were still snapping away.Equally, the walk over the top of the rock is open although the owners request that visitors do not climb out of respect.It's a personal decision obviously but no one would like it if visitors came and climbed all over St Paul's or Westminster Abbey so why are we climbing all over the Pitjantjatjara people's sacred site.The Australian government had a handing back ceremony and returned Uluru to its owners.However it appears that part of the deal was that the walk over the top remains open for the next few years - seems a bit hypocritical.Don't know why they insisted on that unless they think it draws the tourists who provide an income and they won't come if the walk is not open.Who knows?Saw a Parenti lizard on the rock; it is the second largest lizard in the world.After Uluru went to Kata Juta for a walk amongst the gorges in the Olgas.There are more than thirty-five mounts and I thought they were spectacular.After lunch a three hour drive to Kings Canyon.Went past Mount Connor, it looks very much like Uluru and is sometimes called Foolaru as tourists think it is the real thing at first.Stopped at a super campsite out in the bush called 'George's Hilton'.On the way we stopped for firewood so we could have a fire that night.I will never forget the sight of six grown men trying to smash up a six-inch thick trunk of a tree that had been found.First of all they jumped on it, slipping off and nearly injuring themselves.Then when that did not work they rummaged in the toolbox on the bus, found a hammer and attacked it with that.Twenty minutes and one small indentation in the trunk later they had to admit defeat. Result: tree 1, men 0.We think they had got too carried away with the tales of the hunter/gatherers to which they had been listening.By the time the rest of us had stopped crying with laughter they had loaded the rest of the wood on the trailer and off we went.Thursday, 22nd NovemberArrived at Kings Canyon at 0630 to walk before the day became too hot.Hard climb (at least for me) to the top and then a fabulous walk all around the perimeter.Took about three hours but enjoyed every minute of it.Climbed down into the Garden of Eden where there was a watering hole in which some people decided to swim.It was truly spectacular and I think for me the highlight of this particular trip.I was quite proud of my efforts.Five hour drive to Alice Springs, supper at Bojangles with the rest of the group and so to bed.Great trip, good company, very tiring but well worth the effort.