Uluru day 2 Thursday 7th July 2011

Those pesky clouds from yesterday have taken their leave and given us the opportunity to witness sunrise on Uluru. 3 degrees of coldness greeted us when we got out of our sleeping bags. Even the the car thought it was cold, warning us of the potential danger of ice on the road. We got to the viewing site in time to see the sun cast it's first rays on the Rock. An impressive sight yes but worth getting out of a warm bed ?? Don't know, still a matter for debate. Back to camp for a breaky of hot porridge, toast and coffee( tea for the kids).

After breakfast we were back on the road to the Uluru Cultural Centre for some information and ideas. As we had missed the 10am guided walk we decided to go to Kata Tjuta ( The Olgas ). When we arrived we went on the Walpa Gorge walk which was a 40min moderate walk into an impressive vista of soaring walls which made us realize how small we are. We then continued on to the Valley of the Winds walk. With plans to walk to the first lookout and then decide how much further we could go depending on time constraints we set off. Time became irrelevant as we entered a truly breathtaking area of the Australian outback. After 3 hours we returned to our car please with our efforts and extremely proud of our kids for completing a difficult 7.4km trek that had us scrambling up and down some very steep slopes. Leaving Kata Tjuta ( which means ' Many Heads' ) we headed back to the Uluru Cultural Centre where we used the free BBQs to cook some snags and bacon. Sticking them into the dreampot ( thanks mum and dad) we went back to the Uluru sunset viewing area where we had a brilliant backdrop for our roadside meal. No white tablecloths but wonderful just the same. Sure beats $90 per head for the same views. Home to bed and another day done.

Sunset dinner at Uluru