Thursday, we had a totally different perspective on Uluru and also the magnificent Kata Tjuta range. We took a 30 minute helicopter flight over both.

It was a tiny copter, just room for the pilot and four guests. I got to sit up front in the co-pilot seat. Omigod. Glass bubble in front, glass door alongside - and a glass floor just in front of my feet. Don't look down, don't look down. These were the words going through my head as we rapidly rose straight up in the air and turned towards Uluru, rising to around 3,200 feet, but in no time at all I was fascinated by all I could see through every bit of glass. Even took a photo of my feet just so I would remember that sensation of looking down.

The land stretches as far as the eye can see. It is such a huge expanse of flat open red desert. Uluru looked a long way off from Ayers Rock resort, far further than it seems when you are coached out there for the tours, or even looking out at it from our hotel room. Kata Tjuta lay to our right, even further away, and in the distance, on the horizon, were other rocky outcrops which must have been equally massive to stand out so visibly from such a long way away.

Reaching Uluru we flew (seemingly very slowly!) parallel to the north side but much higher than the rock itself so we had the most astonishing, unbelievably wonderful views. Viewed this way it looks like a big lazy long haired dog that has flopped itself down. Remember Dougal from the Magic Roundabout?

We then turned towards Kata Tjuta which, from our sunset sighting, looked as if it had a few peaks like any normal mountain range, but close up you can see that it is made up of a series of giant rocks forming more than 30 huge rounded domes with a vast bowl in the middle and wide valleys. The name Kata Tjuta means 'many heads'. It is totally beautiful. Various walks are offered on Kata Tjuta but one side of it is closed completely to visitors as it is an Aboriginal men-only sacred site. This was the side we flew past with the pilot commenting through the headphones that he had been given permission to fly that side today as no ceremonies were taking place. So pleased to have seen it, especially to have seen it up close and personal from the air.

Turning again we then headed towards Ayers Rock airport where our flight was due to finish. On this part of the flight I was surprised to see we passed over what looked like huge high ripples in the sand - long narrow runs of higher ground all running parallel to one another but each with its own character. One resembled a giant mythical snake. Can't really describe it - sorry I can't post a picture.

Touching down at the airport and then being driven back to the resort, we couldn't believe what we had seen. So interesting to get yet another perspective on this amazing area.

Back at the hotel we again sat and watched the changing colours of Ayers Rock from our room, then ventured out to the Sails in the Desert - one of the other hotels on the resort. It is a better hotel than the Desert Gardens but doesn't have rooms with view of Uluru itself. We wanted to see what it was like and had booked a table for dinner. Totally different dining experience to the restaurant in the Desert Gardens - buffet style for starters and then you were invited up to the open cooking station to order your main, unless you were having one of the specials which, hey, is what we decided to do. Wagyu fillet steak, Kobe certified. Yum yum yum. Chef came out to speak to us afterwards and was pleased to hear we had enjoyed it.

Back to our hotel on the round-resort shuttle service which went a slightly different route, taking in staff accommodation which is on the outskirts of the resort. Collapsed in bed with Cairns to look forward to tomorrow. It'll be a totally shock to the system to go from 42 degrees and full sun to below 30 and torrential rainforest rain ....

It is! We are now in the hotel in Cairns. The flight up was interesting, watching as the red desert turned to a more usual earth colour and the scrubby vegetation got thicker and thicker. The cloud increased as we approached Cairns itself and as we landed it was dark, even though it was only a little after 6pm. Close into Cairns, below the cloud line, we could see the dense vegetation and lots of areas which are flooded out. There were 300ml of rain last weekend. 500ml predicted for this weekend. Temperature was 24 degrees as we touched down.

Now in the hotel. We have a room with a water view but right now it is pitch dark outside and the wind is blowing noisily outside. Back tomorrow!

(Lousy wifi here in Cairns due to the weather - pic is a library shot. Wanted to include a Dougal picture but with try and put on on FB)