Well people

I am a backpacker again. I shed a few tears leaving Sydney (and packing by bag was a bloody nightmare which made me wanna cry even more!) but as soon as I got to the airport I got over it and settled into travelling mode once again. I didnt have time to adjust really as I started my tour of Ayers Rock straight away. It was so weird flying to the Northern Territory. There is nothing but red sand and trees and then out of nowhere this massive rock is just sitting there. It was weird, I was looking out for it and then the wing of the plane just dipped and there it was. I have to say, the trip was brilliant! On day one, we went to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) which is the rock formation close to Uluru. So we did the 'valley of the winds' trek which takes you round some of the base and between some of the domes. Did you know that Kata Tjuta is a conglomerate which contrasts to the monolith of Uluru??? Ha ha, Mr Quish would be proud of me!Then we headed to the Uluru viewing area for sunset and had some champagne (cheap sparkling wine) and nibbles there before heading back to the campground at the Ayers Rock resort. Sunset was pretty cool, one second the rock is red and the next its brown. Magic! SO the campground was actually really nice. I was dreading having to rough it again in a tent but it was a permanent campground with little huts with beds and a proper kitchen and bathroom so it was luxury camping, so to speak. We had a gorgeous bbq and watched the stars for a bit before heading to bed. We were woken at the crack of dawn on day two (well, 2 hours before the crack of dawn actually, up at 4 o'clock!!!) to get ready for sunrise. Drove into the National park and planted ourselves near the base of the Rock, waiting for the sun to come up. Again, that was pretty cool, watching the colour of the rock change. After sunrise we did the base walk which took us around the base of Uluru, about 9.5 kms. Saw some aboriginal rock art and had a proper look at the biggest monolith in the world. Next we went to the cultural centre and learned all abot Aboriginal culture and beliefs, which was rather interesting. And then it was back to the campsite for a yummy lunch and then the long drive to Kings Canyon. We gethered firewood on the way and set up camp (another luxury one) when we got there. Had dinner and a few beers around the campfire before getting some rest as we had another early one on day 3 (5 am start - yikes!). So day 3 was another trekm this time around Kings Canyon. It was already 28 degrees at 7 in the morning and the first part of the trak was a 150m climb to the top of the canyon rim. Its called 'heart attack hill' but luckily we all survived it. Then it was a 3 and a half hour walk around the rim, which was tiring but really cool. After that, we headed to the resort for lunch and a swim and then I said goodbye to the group (there were about 20 of us) as they headed back to Alice Springs and I got a lift with another tour back to Ayers, where I was staying at the resort that night. I was so tired, but in a good way. Had dinner and a few beers with Marie-Claire, a friend from home who I knew was gonna be there that night. It was a nice way to spend my last night in Australia - catching up with an old friend. The next morning I had time for a quick swim and a spot of shopping before catching my flight back to Sydney and then on to Christchurch. All in all, I'm so glad I did the trip to Ayers. Its a really beautiful, peaceful place. I've only managed to post a few pics today but I promise to get more up asap. And now on to the Kiwi experience. Watch this space for more news of my sighseeing adventures. At least now I'll have something to write about other than me getting drunk in Sydney! Hoorah!