Check out from our room meant that we had to leave our bags in a designated area in reception. It’s very organised with a sign informing us of the shuttle bus pick up time for our flight. It had been raining so the temperature was milder than the last few mornings. 

Souvenir shopping was on the agenda before our planned activity with Mark Olive and his Masterclass.

We wandered around the town centre and purchased our souvenirs before deciding to walk up to the viewing dune in the centre of the resort.

It was time to go to Mark Olive’s presentation which was relocated to the Arnguli restaurant because of the earlier rain. This activity was part of NAIDOC week and he said that it was the coldest NAIDOC week that he can remember.

We managed to get front row seats again as been our luck for most of our tours! The masterclass was very engaging and samples of bush foods were passed around the audience to sniff and/or taste before finishing with a fusion ravioli. Mark also has a restaurant at the Sydney Opera House called Mark by Midden that may be on the cards in the future. 

Mangata bistro was chosen for lunch with pastas and Chilli margaritas consumed.

A walk to the viewing platform dune follows the red dirt paths across the resort.

Sails in the Desert is another area of the resort and the after walking around the reception area the Walpa Bar enticed us for dessert and last cocktails.

Although it was unfortunate that we had mostly cloudy weather, the green in this environment was uncommon and a pleasure to see. 

The coach arrived on time and sadly it was time to leave. A visit to this part of the country is highly recommended!

Goodbye

Happy birthday to Teresa! We started the day watching the FIFA soccer game USA vs Belgium. It was such a captivating game that we postponed our plans so we could watch the whole game. Belgium won 4-1 goals! 

We popped the Peterson’s bubbles we brought from from home – ‘30 years of bubbles‘ Hunter Valley Limited Release Sparkling Wine to start the birthday festivities.

Pizza and beer at the Outback hotel for lunch, and strategically, left over pizza to take and put in our fridge for dinner after our booked tour to Uluru. 

We met our driver and guide Lucy from Seit tours at 2pm. She showed us the guest list and there were 3 Michele’s (one with a double l) and two Teresa’s on this small group tour. 

We were designated the front seats of the van which gave us a perfect view of the trip ahead. 

Firstly we stopped at a viewing area to take photos. Then we drove to the Cultural Centre where we were not allowed to take any photos.

Lucy was a great guide and helped the group bond as we travelled to the rock. We met Jenny from Fremantle, the Italian honeymooners Michele(male) and Maria Teresa, Debbie from Sawtell, Julie- well travelled with no filter- was from the Gold Coast and Mish from Connecticut with her 12 year old grandson William. 

The walking path around the rock was easy to navigate and flat. Lucy regaled us with the stories as we stopped at each significant site. 

Uluru is just as amazing up close with its many formations and characteristics. 

We were also lucky enough to see wild camels who Lucy said moved in 5 weeks ago and were eating everything around them. They are blamed for causing much destruction on the local flora and that keeps the local fauna away. 

After visiting the waterhole on the southern part of Uluru we drove to another picnic site to enjoy the sunset, bubbles and nibbles.

On the way back to our accommodation in the dark we could see some glimpses of the impressive drone show which was another activity on offer at this resort. Back to our room for some left over pizza and birthday bubbles. 

Good night

We woke early to watch Norway play Brazil at the FIFA World Cup with the antics of Michele’s new obsession Erling Haaland. The game was still playing when we had to go to reception to meet our tour at 6:15 am. We were pleased to hear later that they won and Haaland scored the 2 goals.

A pass is required to be able to enter the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park which has to be purchased separately from the tour. Teresa thought that the pass was needed from the time we arrived to the Ayers Rock resort but it was only needed when we entered the National Park. So our three day pass we bought should have been dated from 6th July, not from our arrival time at the venue on 4th July….a costly oversight.

This SEIT Kata Tjuta tour offered a small group experience with a limit of ten people travelling in a comfortable van. It was an informative drive of about 30 minutes duration to reach the viewing platform for the sunrise. It was very chilly and unfortunately not so spectacular due to the cloud cover but Kata Tjuta (once known as the Olga’s) is an awe inspiring backdrop. 

We were then transported to the Waḻpa Gorge for the ‘moderate’ walk. It turned out that the terrain was rocky and uneven which challenged Teresa’s balance and Michele’s vertigo in places of high structures above her. The icy cold wind whooshing through the gorge also had an impact on the enjoyment of the walk. We managed to get half way before conceding that we didn’t need to go any further. 

A short drive away to the picnic area, we were served breakfast of cereals, raisin toast, English muffins, Nuttelex 😳, fruit cups, Vegemite, jams, honey washed down with fruit juice or tea and coffee. We sat with another Aussie couple and a mother and son from Denmark, and took great delight at their reactions as they tried Vegemite for the first time.

The Desert Gardens Hotel was a good choice of accommodation because we are the first pickup and the first drop off for all our chosen tours.

Once back at our accommodation the England vs Mexico FIFA game took our attention. The sun finally revealed itself so we took advantage and went for a walk across the resort (about 8 minutes) to the Outback Bar. Nothing is cheap in this region and two Little Creatures beers cost $33.

The Outback Bar is the only place that anyone can purchase take away alcohol and there are strict restrictions. You need to show your room key and ID (digital is ok) and they are heavily priced.

It was lovely to enjoy the sunshine as we ambled around the resort.

We walked up the path back to the Desert Gardens and stopped at the Mangata bistro and bar for cocktails of Finger Lime Margaritas.

Our next commitment was the NAIDOC curated dinner booking at the Arnguli Restaurant. The chef, Mark Olive was responsible for the menu and he was generous with his time and conversation as he worked the room.

The food was outstanding and Teresa was really impressed with the beef dish which was some of the best she had eaten! 

Suitably satiated we were ready to rest and enjoy a welcome sleep.

Good Night.

Sunrise was 7:30 am so we took an our time to prepare for our 10am helicopter flight.

Johann our bus driver collected us outside Desert Gardens Hotel to take us to the airport for our flight. There is a helipad just next to the resort but noise restrictions apply so they must leave from the airport for any flights before 10am.

We were led to our helicopter and assisted into the front seats beside Eric, our pilot. There were 2 more passengers in the back seats. We had to wear headsets in order to hear each other and the pilot’s commentary.

We were taken up to 500 metres above sea level and flew past the left and right sides of Uluru first before continuing onto Kata Tjuṯa which were amazing formations that could rival Uluru.

We learnt that there were no kangaroos or emus in this area because of the high population of wild camels who affect their food and water sources. The whole process is well organised and very professional. 

After landing, we walked to the IGA supermarket and bought some supplies before returning to our room to get ready for the next activity. 

A free bush tucker presentation was offered at 1pm daily so we were keen to check it out. It was very informative and then we were given crackers with quandong jam as a sample. The art gallery was next door where we marvelled at the artworks and watched indigenous artists at work.

The booked Field of Lights experience meant that we had to meet our guide at 5pm outside reception. The drivers had a list of our names and guided all the guests onto the bus. We were driven to a viewing platform and enjoyed canapés and sparkling wine while we watched the sunset over Uluru.

The guests were then directed down a path to round tables of ten settings. Gas heaters were scattered around the venue, making the outdoor dining more comfortable. We were also treated to a didgeridoo performance and a talk about how local Aboriginal people use constellations for navigation (although unfortunately we had to imagine where they were due to the cloud cover). There was a colourful drone show playing in the distance, which we were also able to view.

The food was outstanding and the whole process was well organised. Of course as it always is a small world, the host was Polish and there were people from Newcastle and Caringbah at our table (and four out of the ten of us were teachers). 

We then wandered through the impressive light installation, which you could choose a short (200m) or long (700m) walk.  At the end we were met by our guides and bussed back to our accommodation. A very special night and highly recommended.

Good night 😴

After Michele organised Basil‘s residence for the next 5 days with Loz, Brent and family (thank you!)

We booked dinner at the Wander restaurant in Wills Road Woolooware for the night before our flight. They only offer a set 5 course menu and the food is freshly prepared on premises by the chef. The portion sizes are perfect plus the food was tasty and top quality.

We woke early to watch the Socceroos play Egypt in the FIFA World Cup … it was a long game because of extra time so we had to watch the penalty shootouts in the Uber on the way to the airport. Sadly, Socceroos lost but they played a great game. Michele forgot to pack pyjamas and we were surprised to find out that many people do this, hence the reason why Peter Alexander shops are cleverly positioned in the airports!

It was a beautiful morning with clear skies as we left Sydney. Patches of snowy mountains were evident but once the plane approached the state of Victoria, the clouds obscured any more views.

During the layover in Melbourne Tullamarine airport we ordered Espresso Martini’s and light meals at the Bigge Smalls cafe and then relaxed in the Virgin Lounge. 

Our seats were in Economy X so we had plenty of legroom and comfortable immediately behind Business class. When service started we ordered and paid for the obligatory Cuvée bottles while Michele mentioned that it was a birthday holiday for Teresa. Later on during the flight the lovely attendant brought us complimentary Sparkling Wine and chocolates from business class as a birthday surprise with lovely sentiments written on some napkins.

The red centre revealed itself as we descended into the Ayers Rock Uluru airport.

A number of shuttle buses were lined up outside the airport to take guests the various areas of the Ayers Rock resort. The bus driver pointed out that the nearest Kmart was 5 hours away in Alice Springs.

We were booked into the Desert Gardens Hotel and Teresa checked in while Michele collected the luggage off the bus which saved us 10 minutes and a long queue.

The Deluxe Double room was spacious and clean with a roomy balcony that faced the red desert landscape. We chose an upstairs room but it could only be accessed by stairs which would be an issue for some people.

We had researched the type of restrictions, wines and high prices offered at the complex so we made sure that we packed some bottles from home, in our checked luggage, to avoid paying the high prices. 

The Mangata Bistro and Bar in our complex was the choice for dinner. 

We were very tired from the long day of travel so back to our room for an early night.

Good Night