Day 6 – Uluru and Kata Tjuta – Erldunda

Made our tea in the room but had to go to the communal kitchen to make the toast. Showed Joshua how to make a bowl out of his cereal box, you know, the individual serves that come as a variety pack of eight. They’re perforated on one side and when you open that you can then pull the inner bag apart then add the milk. Made the sandwiches for lunch with his help, using a bread wrapper as a plate and the individual salt and pepper packets that have been in the emergency lunch kit forever.
Brian was reloading  all our gear into the vehicle. With the temperature in the forties we had to bring the fridge and esky inside which meant unpacking the contents first then repacking once inside, then the same in reverse when we were leaving. Not the best way to spend our time in this iconic location!

But of course it was all worth the effort. Joshua was thrilled to have his photo taken wearing his Solid Rock t-shirt from his school performance, at the actual Rock. We all enjoyed driving around the base in the comfort of our airconditioned vehicle looking at the different formations such as The Tail and The Brain.

We drove to Kata Tjuta, previously known as the Olgas, and ate lunch before undertaking the walk to the first lookout through the Vally of the Winds. The walk to the second lookout was closed because of the heat.

It was very hot and the flies were annoying but it was a good walk otherwise with great scenery. If you look carefully at the top photo above you can see Uluru in the distance.

Our Olgas history

I always remember the Olgas as one of the places Brian tried to get rid of me. It was about 1981 when we went to Central Australia for the first time. We climbed Ayers Rock first, then another day the Olgas. It was late afternoon when we started our descent but somehow Brian got us off track. As a result we ended up negotiating our way down the sheer rockface and I had to jump the final section. It’s a wonder we’re still alive to tell the tale!

On this trip we tried to find which part we’d come down but the surrounding area is so different now, it was impossible. It will just have to remain a distant memory.

Back to Yulara to fuel up, then the return to Erldunda where the pool was a welcome source of relaxation, followed by dinner in the restaurant. Bring on tomorrow and South Australia!