Day Two
4:00am
Fi wakes up (Did she actually sleep?) Not wanting to miss her 6:00am bus she sets her alarm for 5:00am. Trying not to wake her dorm buddies or kill herself getting down from the top bunk she layers up her only clothes and strips her bed in the dark. As she walks past the YHA reception she notices a HUGE clock saying 5:00am. Darn it! She had forgotten to change the time on the phone. (In this age of technology aren't they suppose to reset) She sneaks back into the dorm because it's freezing friggin cold and lies back on the bunk staring at the ceiling.
6:00am
It's still dark but she can see the bus. Thank God it's got the heater on. She can make out a few sleepy shapes on the bus. A guy sitting across from her looks a bit like Robert Pattinson (Vampire from Twilight) Hmmm.....she thinks "This trip is off to a good start."
The bus is very comfy and there is plenty of room to spread out. The motion of the bus soon puts backpacker extraordinaire to sleep.
12:ish
Hours later they arrive outside a fancy hotel in Yulara to pick up a Spanish Couple. They were on their honeymoon and totally looked like they had stepped out of a Chic' Travel Brochure. They were wearing matching His and Her hiking pants. Not a speck of dirt or hair out of place. Audrey Hepburn and Antonio Banderas. Miss Fi felt very grubby in comparison. (Not entirely her fault of course! Bloody Qantas!)
The Adventure tour consisted of a cosy group. An American father and daughter team, a very young English couple, a 'Hot' Spanish couple, two cooks ( aka ' Mr Twilight) and a tour guide from New Zealand. They were taken to a campsite for lunch to eat the tastiest chicken wings known to man.
No sign of Miss Fi's luggage much to her dismay. She would have to spend another night in the same clothes. More of a concern were her twinkle toe shiny slip on aeroplane shoes that she was walking around in. Not very practical! Unfortunately her hiking shoes/runners were also still in transit. (somewhere...)
1:00pm
They jump on the bus and journey towards Kata Tjuta (Also known as The Olgas) Every time Miss Fi gets on the bus she quickly falls asleep. Nothing quite like a good afternoon nap. They make a quick stop at the "environmentally friendly" loos which were anything but friendly. Miss Fi makes a mental note not to ever have to visit them again. In fact she hopes the memory of them fades quickly.
After a quick hike through the amazing Kata Tjuta they jump back on the bus to catch the sunset at Uluru. The first sighting of Uluru doesn't disappoint. It is truly majestic in colour and stature as it rises up from the earth.
As the group get closer to the rock it becomes obvious they are not alone. In contrast to it's amazing presence there are bus loads of tourists all set up with their wine, biscuits and cameras. There's a palpable energy of excitement that something wonderful is going to happen.
As the sun begins to set the colours of the rock begin to change. It is a spiritual experience.
Once the sun is gone it's freezing cold. The group eagerly board the bus and head back to camp where a delicious dinner under the stars is waiting for them. Disappointed Fi Fi discovers it's another stinky night as there is still no sign of luggage. However, the lovely Spanish girl offers Fi her tennis shoes for the morning hike the following day. Thankful for small mercies she accepts.
They have a glass of red or two under the stars and head to bed. There is an early start in the morning to be able to hike and watch the sunrise over Uluru. Instead of the tent Fi decides to embrace the adventure and sleep under the stars in a swag next to her two new travel buddies from America Marvin and Anna. There's some mild snoring but not enough to keep anyone awake. It was a huge day!
Fi wakes up (Did she actually sleep?) Not wanting to miss her 6:00am bus she sets her alarm for 5:00am. Trying not to wake her dorm buddies or kill herself getting down from the top bunk she layers up her only clothes and strips her bed in the dark. As she walks past the YHA reception she notices a HUGE clock saying 5:00am. Darn it! She had forgotten to change the time on the phone. (In this age of technology aren't they suppose to reset) She sneaks back into the dorm because it's freezing friggin cold and lies back on the bunk staring at the ceiling.
6:00am
It's still dark but she can see the bus. Thank God it's got the heater on. She can make out a few sleepy shapes on the bus. A guy sitting across from her looks a bit like Robert Pattinson (Vampire from Twilight) Hmmm.....she thinks "This trip is off to a good start."
The bus is very comfy and there is plenty of room to spread out. The motion of the bus soon puts backpacker extraordinaire to sleep.
12:ish
Hours later they arrive outside a fancy hotel in Yulara to pick up a Spanish Couple. They were on their honeymoon and totally looked like they had stepped out of a Chic' Travel Brochure. They were wearing matching His and Her hiking pants. Not a speck of dirt or hair out of place. Audrey Hepburn and Antonio Banderas. Miss Fi felt very grubby in comparison. (Not entirely her fault of course! Bloody Qantas!)
The Adventure tour consisted of a cosy group. An American father and daughter team, a very young English couple, a 'Hot' Spanish couple, two cooks ( aka ' Mr Twilight) and a tour guide from New Zealand. They were taken to a campsite for lunch to eat the tastiest chicken wings known to man.
No sign of Miss Fi's luggage much to her dismay. She would have to spend another night in the same clothes. More of a concern were her twinkle toe shiny slip on aeroplane shoes that she was walking around in. Not very practical! Unfortunately her hiking shoes/runners were also still in transit. (somewhere...)
1:00pm
They jump on the bus and journey towards Kata Tjuta (Also known as The Olgas) Every time Miss Fi gets on the bus she quickly falls asleep. Nothing quite like a good afternoon nap. They make a quick stop at the "environmentally friendly" loos which were anything but friendly. Miss Fi makes a mental note not to ever have to visit them again. In fact she hopes the memory of them fades quickly.
 | |||||
| Kata Tjuta - Photos by Marvin Almquist |
 |
| Not very practical hiking shoes. |
As the group get closer to the rock it becomes obvious they are not alone. In contrast to it's amazing presence there are bus loads of tourists all set up with their wine, biscuits and cameras. There's a palpable energy of excitement that something wonderful is going to happen.
 |
| Photograph by Marvin Almquist |
 |
| Photo by Marvin Almquist |
They have a glass of red or two under the stars and head to bed. There is an early start in the morning to be able to hike and watch the sunrise over Uluru. Instead of the tent Fi decides to embrace the adventure and sleep under the stars in a swag next to her two new travel buddies from America Marvin and Anna. There's some mild snoring but not enough to keep anyone awake. It was a huge day!
Day Two
Lessons learned
*Wear your hiking shoes/ runners on the plane not shiny pretty ones.
(In case of missing luggage))
*You can wear and sleep in your clothes two days in a row and not offend anybody.
*Wear a peg on your nose and blindfold when using Kata Tjuta toilets.
*Uluru is an absolute "Must See" in Australia.
*Sleeping in a swag under the stars is also a must do!
