Our second 24hours train journey in a week took us right into the centre of Australia - this one was quite a diifficult journey as the train was really full and the well the landscape outside the window didnt really vary for miles and miles and hours and hours. When we arrived in Alice Springs our first impression was that it was an odd town...but i had expected that as it is in the middle of no where and i really mean that! We wandered around the town a little but didnt want to stay out to late as we didnt 100% trust the place. And we had to be up nice an early as our two day tour was leaving at 5am the day morning!

Getting up and ready wasnt the easiest in a shared dorm - we tired our best not to wake the others up - our tour bus arrived to pick us up - everyone looked just as tired as us! Once we were all checked in our tour guide told us all to go to sleep - i think everyone followed that instruction! I didnt quite realise how much more travelling we needed to do to get to our first point of interest - Kings Canyon - but we travelled for 5hours - most of which we all slept. Surprisingly the weather wasnt very good - very over cast - which i was quite thankful for as we'd expected it to be roasting! The tour took the 3hour walk up and over the Canyon - it was amazing, even tho the weather wasnt great the view was still spectacular and really worth it! Probably one of the best places ive seen. We stopped for a bbq at a oddly place holiday park. Then had another really long drive which was a bit of a rush in order to get to Uluru in time for sunset. We did managed it - part walking park running up to the viewing point, but upsettingly it was really cloudy still so was quite a poor view. But we did get to experience a brilliant thunderstorm - can't quite believe we had torrental rain in the centre of Australia but we did! And the scariest thunder and lightening ive ever experienced - good job the tents were waterproof!!

We woke up nice and early at 4am to be ready to see sun set at Uluru. When we arrived at the rock it was still dark and quite cold was we started the walk - the sun rise was great - the change in the rock colour was gorgeous, rock a dull stone colour to a gorgeous red/orange. The walk took 2hours and by the end it had got really hot - clear clue sky. Around the rock they have Aborginal dream stories explaining why certain parts of the rock are like they - small holes are caused by a warrior throwing spears type thing. Our guide told us some really interesting things and i'm definately really interested in learning more about the Aboriginals. We drove from Uluru to another important rock formation - The Olgas - thankfully it was only a short walk - the sun was boiling by now! But it was still amazing to see. Then we had the extremely long drive back to Alice Springs to endure (i slept most of the way of course.) Just before we got back to our hostel we stopped off to see Black Footed Rock Wallabies - so cute! Some had little joeys in their pouches!

Definately well worth the effort - though our tour group wasnt the best, but still that didnt take away from the atmosphere and experience!