So, we left off last time having arrived in Alice Springs. All rather pleasant, rather hot, and air conditioning rather useful.

Uluru (Ayres Rock) is our main target here, and the rather-rubbish Toyota Yaris we've hired (no choice in the matter, distinct lack of car rental supply in relation to demand here, slightly puzzling) will be taking us around 500km there, couple of hundred km around the national park, and 500km back. Another road trip to be admired.

We set off in fine spirits, admiring the change from a green landscape to the deep-red rock and soil combo that covers this large area of Australia. We also admire two passing cyclists who are literally in the middle of nowhere and pedalling furiously in the midday sun and several burnt out cars at the roadside that clearly couldnt handle the trip to Uluru. We plough on fearlessly. Not like us to pass on the opportunity of a ludicrously lengthy car journey.

A one-night stop off at a motel around 70km away from Uluru takes place at Curtin Springs. Slightly disturbed to find a large laminated warning spiel that there are a ton of mice, cockroaches, ants and geckos around these parts and that they might get into the room and if they do, then tough. Doors shall remain firmly shut at all times, with fly spray and large walking boots at the ready.

We arrive mid-afternoon, so we've just enough time to hot-foot it up to Uluru to catch the sunset. We pass Mount Conner, which is commonly mistaken for Ayres Rock, and also catch sight of the Olgas, some very-large-boulders that legend has it were large fingers protruding from the ground. If they were in the shape of a v-sign, that would have been terribly amusing. Wouldnt it?

Anyway, there is a viewing area set aside for sunset-watchers at Uluru, so we park up there with 30 or so other vehicles and settle down to wait. Ayres Rock is a truly magnificent specimen, and as the sun sets, the shade of colour of the rock changes. See the photo album for examples of this. A rather pleasant end to the day indeed.

Well, I say end to the day, we still have to head back to Curtin Springs, around 100km away. Our car hire contract specifically excludes us driving after sunset (risk of roadside roo-bumping is much greater after dark). Since the moment the sun goes down, it's pitch black, then we are certainly in breach of terms and conditions, and health and safety, and egg and spoon.

One of those might be wrong. But regardless, we plough on fearlessly, and make it back to the Curtin with no mishaps of marsupial deaths. We search for available dinner, which turns out to be two slices of cake.

A morning escape from Curtin Springs (after a brief acknowledgement that there genuinely is a free range emu hanging around right outside our motel door), and back to Uluru and the impressive Cultural Centre that's there. We later start the return leg of the rather-long journey back to Alice Springs, as we've got a helicopter flight booked. We rock up to the airport late afternoon, and say hello to the cheery pilot. We do not ask how he got his extreme limp. That would be foolish.

We go up in a Bell 57 helicopter, old fashioned type with room for just the three of us, and Izzy sat on lap looking rather cute in an oversized pair of headphones. The flight itself was amazing, a first for all of us (not the pilot, although it would make his how-I-got-my-limp-story come from an unexpected angle if that were the case), and we got taken over the rugged landscapes surrounding Alice Springs. Again, see the photos for the views from Up-There. Slight drama on the way back from the helipad as a Qantas plane is coming in to land but has to pull away as it's landing gear fails to come down. Cue us hurrying back to the pilots office to listen to the Air Traffic Control conversation on the radio and hear the scrambling of fire engines and ambulances to the runway area. We start to prep our mobile phones for some amateur footage of a huge humanitarian disaster, and calculate how much we could get by selling the film to the news channels when the disappointing news comes that everything is fine and the plane will land safely. We trudge home with an air of disappointment (dispelled by the memory of the heli flight, much fun).

And after some pootling around the town buying a huge range of souvenirs, we head to the airport and prepare for Adelaide, Uncle Tony, Cousin Ally, Auntie Tess and a stretch limo.

So see you next... hang on, a stretch limo???? And who's that bloke in the suit hanging around with the family, the airport staff dress a bit smartly round here don't they? Hang on, the rest of them are in orange jackets, what's this guy up to?

What's going on? All will be revealed. Be prepared for hugs, tears and the smug-o-meter being racked up to max. Cheerio.

Fact of the day - Uluru is infested with A Lot Of Flies (think of A Lot Of Flies, then take the higher estimate of that) that show no respect for our flailing arms and colourful language.