After the Great Ocean Road I debated for ages whether to go up to Alice Springs and see Ayers Rock. Nearly decided not to, but in the end was very glad I did! Travelled by overnight coach from Melbourne to Adelaide and had a day to wander around there. It seemed a nice enough city, if a bit quiet! Had a stroll through the botanic gardens and a mooch around the art gallery. Best thing I saw there was the Immagration Museum.

Next day I had an early start to begin the 2 day drive to Alice Springs. Once again I realised just how vast Australia really is! Most of the day was simply spent on the road. Stopped briefly to look at some salt lakes, but otherwise the scenery was pretty much the same. Flat and dry! We broke the journey for the night at a place called Cooper Pedy. This is an opal mining town which gets so hot that most of the homes are built underground, into the cliffs. We got to stay in an underground hostel whihc was a really cool experience. In the morning we had a tour of of an opal mine and an underground miners house. Apparently it's still possible to find opal just lying on the ground there! On the way out of Cooper Pedy we went past a place called the Breakaways. It's a bizarre landscape, similar to what I think Mars would look like.

Arrive in Alice Springs in the early evening afer another full day driving. There's not much to the town!Few shops and bars and that's about it. Very early start the nixt morning to head off on my 3 day tour to see Uluru (Ayers Rock), the Olgas, and Kings Canyon. Despite the fact that Alice Springs looks close to Uluru, I can safely say now that it's not! After 5 hours driving through desert we had our first glimpse of it, and it's pretty impressive! Out guide walked part of the base wlak with us telling aboriginal Dreamtime stories about the Rock and the surroundings. The childrens dreamtime story they tell about how the Rock came into being was that there were 2 boys playing and making mudcakes. As they were making the mudcake they threw any rocks they found in the mud over their shoulders, and these became the Olgas. When the boys had finished the mudcake it was so big they couldn't get down off the top. So they had to slide down the side, digging their fingers in the mud as they went. And this is how Uluru came into being and got the grooves and dents it has in it now. I did walk around the whole base but it was exhausting! Makes you really appreciate how big it is though, and just how hot 40 degrees really is! We watched the sun set and got to see the Rock change colour through all the shades of red. That night we got to sleep out in swags under the stars. Without a doubt it's the best way to sleep.

Next morning was another very early start to get back to the Rock before sunrise. I think sunrise might be even more spectacular than sunset, but it's a close call! After lots of photos we headed off to the Olgas for a walk through the Valley of the Winds. The huge pillars of the Olgas are pretty amazing sight, especially when you're walking between them. Then we headed off to our second campsite and some chill out time around the pool. Sleeping in swags again that night, and cooking popcorn and marshmallows on the camp fire.

ANOTHER early start, though at least we got to have breakfast after sunrise this time! We had a morning hiking around Kings Canyon, and I think this was the best part of the trip. You get to walk right around the top of the canyon, and stop for a swim in the Garden of Eden swimming hole. Then it was back on the bus for the long drive back to Alice Springs. We were going to stop for photos at the 'Welcome to Alice Springs' sign, but unfortunately someone had pulled letters off so it just read 'lice Spring'. Next day I flew back to Melbourne for the 3rd time! Just can't keep away from Melbourne!