To Ayers Rock

Today I fly to Ayers Rock, one of the most famous Australian tourist sites. The flight from Perth to Ayers Rock was just about 3.5 hours. The views from the plane changed from the surburbs of Perth to vast featureless desert and scrubland. As we approached the Rock, I could spy it in the distance. Also I could see the Olgas, which were these vast towering rocks, larger in area that Ayers Rock.

A cloudy sunset at Ayers Rock

Our driver for the next few days was a cheerful man called Dave. The first thing he mentioned was the flies; and he brushed a few away in a manner automatic to him. The temperature here averages 35 degrees centigrade.

As Gerry the tour leader was counting bodies back on a new bus, somebody said 'I think we just picked up another 500 insects not already booked on this tour'; everybody laughed as people were swatting the annoying flies away.

Approaching the Olgas

The hotel where we were heading was the Desert Gardens Hotel. It was very good to look at, and very big. All the buildings in the Ayers Rock Resort have to comply with strict building regulations so that the heights are below the adjacent landscapes. So that means that the hotel was huge; in fact they gave us a map with the quickest route to our hotel rooms drawn in highlighter pen; but it still took awhile. Flynets were sold at the hotel reception, and I put one of those top of my list of purchases after I found my room eventually in the baking hot, fly infested surroundings.

That evening we went to Ayers Rocks for sunset. We were given an extra treat because tomorrow we were going to be rudely awoken at 5am to see the sun rise at Ayers Rock. If I was in charge I would go to the rock at sunset and forget about sunrise, it was too early...

Ayers Rock

On the way to the rock it was clouding over and a short while later small droplets of rain appeared on the coach windows. Dave joked 'Jeez...I don't know how to turn the wipers on!'.

We drove to a sunset spot where loads of other tourists were. Luckily the rain stopped. It was quite a social occasion because of the number of people but mostly because of the free wine that Gerry took with him. After a while we did'nt care that the sunset was obscured by clouds; drink makes light of any situation.

I met the only people of my tour younger than me. Matt and Karen from Northampton were on their honeymoon. Anyway I spoke to a few other people from my group that evening and the good thing was that they were, like me, enjoying the holiday so far.

Ayers rock from the aircraft

Dave starts the party

Desert rocks from the aircraft

driving to the Rock

Me in front of the Rock