What an amazing 3 days! We started on Wednesday morning by getting up at 5.00am, along with the majority of our dorm. After a breakie of toast an jam we headed outside at 5.50am to await our pick up. After about 20 minutes there was still no sign of the bus! We started to panic, however the lady on reception called the agency who assured us they had our booking and at 6.30am a flustered guide arrived and our safari began!

After leaving Alice Springs we drove for an hour or so along the Stuart Highway where our first port of call was a Camel Farm in the middle of nowhere! We took the chance for a ride on a camel in the outback! We firstly took a leisurely walk around then the guide decided to get the camels to run back! Quite a painful experience but so funny - especially when our camel, Mona, started trumping! Following this we were soon back on the bus heading towards Uluru. Along the way (as it took around 5 hours) we stopped at some roadhouses in the middle of the desert including the stereo-typically australian Erldunda, we also stopped by a salt lake which we thought was overlooking Uluru, once we had taken loads of photos and got back on the bus we were told we were stupidly mistaken and it was actually Mount Conner!

We arrived in Yularu, the Ayers Rock Resort, at around 12.30am and had a lunch of chicken burgers and salad before heading straight out to the Olgas, for a walk in Kata Tjuta. By this time it was about 40 degrees and we were baking. The 1km walk was good but tiring and we were ready for a cool down. Once back at the resort we all headed straight for the pool and a chill out for a couple of hours before sunset.

Sunset was magical, from a look out point close to our camp, we enjoyed champagne and crackers and dips whilst watching the beautiful changing colours of Uluru and the sun setting over Kata Tjuta. Once the sun had disappeared we headed back down to camp for a bbq steak and sausage tea whilst enjoying a cider, courtesy of fellow brit, Mat. An early night followed after an exhausting but excellent day.

Thursday morning was another early start as we rose at 4.30am in order to leave camp, heading for sunrise at Uluru, at 5.15am. We were up so early that we nearly left a swiss guy behind (he came running after the bus, bless him!). Once at 'the rock' we enjoying a magical sunrise before eating breakfast overlooking the rock. We then walked the 8km route around the base of Uluru, taking in the wonderful colours and deciding it looked a lot like chocolate mousse! As it was already so hot the walk seemed to take forever and we were glad to reach the air conditioned coach! Our next stop was the Cultural Centre, where we learnt about the Aborigines and their way of life in the outback. After an hour it was back to camp for lunch of leftover bbq meat and salads before the 4 hour journey to Kings Canyon.

We arrived at the Kings Canyon resort at 3.50pm and headed straight for the pool for a couple of hours, then it was time for tea of chicken wings and stir fry. We had also been promised chip butties (much to ours, and fellow brit, Mat and Paddy's delight) but the german girls on the bus added them to the stir fry - gutted! Still it was a nice tea! Just before sunset we headed to our campground and we surprised when a friend of Dermie's (our driver and guide) arrived with a massive telescope! We were given an astrology lesson before viewing Mars and numerous stars through the scope, it was amazing. Only spoilt by the constant yelling of 'what!?' by our crazy american fellow traveller - Chris. Another treat followed - coffee and hobnobs!!! Courtesy of Mat, who had been missing them just as much as us! That evening we slept under the stars in a swag (aussie bedroll), as there were wild dingoes around we slept between the men - such wimps! Wearing our attractive fly nets we managed to get a decent nights sleep, despite the crazy american reciting the simpsons for a while!

This morning was yet another early start as we had breakie then headed to Kings Canyon for the 6km rim walk, at 6.30am, as we headed up the aptly named 'Heart Attack Hill, it was already 28 degrees! We enjoyed the walk and the scenery was spectacular, maybe even nicer than Uluru, we thought. Halfway through we realised the crazy american was missing and Dermie had to go back and get him from the rock he was resting on whilst the rest of us continued to the bottom. When we finished at 9.00am it was 41 degrees! After a quick rest it was straight back onto the bus for the 2 and a half hour journey to Mount Ebenezer Roundhouse where we had lunch of breads, ham, tuna and salad before continuing for 3 hours back to Alice Springs. On our entry into the town we stopped for a group photo with most of the group burning our bums on the hot rock! After getting dropped at our accommodation we chilled out for the evening before meeting with Paddy, Mat and, unfortunately, crazy Chris in the hostel restaurant for a glass of wine and a kangaroo curry.