Uluru Yahoo!!

Today is Friday 16th July and we have been here at Yulara since Tuesday. Kristy climbed Ulura on Wednesday. It took her over 2 & ½ hours. There is a big sign that states that the aboriginal people would rather that you didn’t climb the rock (it is sacred), but there was so many people doing it and Kristy knew it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Personally, I was pretty shocked that anyone climbed Uluru, it is bloody hairy! I cannot understand how I didn’t see someone fall off. It is so unsafe – OHS would have a field day. Kristy has suffered severe sunburn as a result of climbing the rock. She was so eager to get started that she did not stop to put on sunscreen (or to take some water or food). I threw a hat on her head at the last minute, which she wanted to take off because she said it gave her a headache, but I made her wear it, and now she is very grateful. Her face wasn’t burnt, just her neck, shoulders and arms. My little lobster,( top half anyway). Lucky for Kristy that someone at the top of the Rock gave her some water and a biscuit.

I walked around about half of the base of the Rock, and I saw a bit of rock art - which is one of my favourite things. I just love knowing that people have been standing on the very spot I have stood, and they stood there thousands and thousands of years ago. Just feels unreal to me. They ate, chatted, laughed, loved, cried, etc. For thousands of years! That has quite a ‘wow’ factor for me.

I still feel strange that I can see Ayers Rock from the camping park. Never imagined that it would be in the background on a regular basis.

Yesterday we went to the Olga’s (Kata Tjuta). The Olga’s is like a lot of Ayres Rocks all together. Sarah said she thought the Olga’s were better than Ayres Rock, and I tend to agree. Kristy and I did the 7 & ½ km walk through the Valley of the Winds. It was stunningly beautiful, and I would definitely do it again if I come up this way. It took us just over 2 & ½ hours to do the walk, it was quite steep in many places, and one place was a sheer rock face! I still think Kristy led me the wrong way... but that’s okay, I crawled up the vertical slope like a crab, and I made it.

At one stage of the Olga’s, I sat and tried to meditate, however Kristy chose that moment to eat a rice cake, and so all I heard next to me was crunch crunch crunch. Needless to say I was distracted. I stopped meditating and just looked at the view. I figured that was what I was supposed to do.

ON the way to the Olga’s we stopped for 10 mins due to road work, and the guy that holds the sign (you know the one... ‘Stop’/’Slow’) stood and chatted to us and to cut a long story short, he gave Kristy the phone number of his boss and said that Kristy could get work easily in Darwin. He said the money was good, but ‘good’ is quite relative isn’t it. Anyhoo, at least it is the hope of some work.

Today we had a ‘easy’ day at home, home being the tent and van of course. We did washing, bit of shopping, wrote out some postcards (btw... is ANYONE actually getting these postcards???) Oh, and excitement x 10 --- there is a ‘happy hour’ at a local cafe, which sells everything for half price between 3pm and 4pm. We got a great slice of blueberry cheesecake today for $2.50! Ah, it’s the little things that give the greatest joy.

Tomorrow is our last night here, and then we head off to Kings Canyon, where we will do the famous walk there, and I will ride a camel (saw some camels today, f#$@ they are big buggers!)

Still going strong with the Fitness Challenge. We are up to Day 37. It has been well over a month now – go us!!