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.