Day 12: Yulara

Not wanting to miss the sunrise for the 3rd day running Oly got up at 2:30AM.

We were booked on a helicopter flight with Ayers Rock Helicopters at 5:15AM to watch the sun rise over Uluru and Kata Tjuta. I have never been in a helicopter before and I must admit I was petrified. Helicopters seem to go so slowly, judder and feel so flimsy. I sat in the back on my own and Oly sat in the front next to the pilot. I don't like heights at the best of times and I get an urge to jump, which really isn't good! I may try it again, maybe its something you just have to get used too.

Oly and I went back to Uluru to do the Mala walk at 8AM. We joined what we thought was the ranger tour and it turned out to be a tour group whose guide was Italian and was really hard to understand. We were quite relieved when she said she wasn't the ranger. The tour was really good and the aboriginal ranger was knowledgeable and had a sense of humour too. By the time that had finished it was too hot to do the base walk.

The nights are pretty bad here. The temperature is still in the mid to high 30's past midnight and there is no air, any breeze there is its hot. We sleep with the slide door open and the fly net curtain up, plus the back door open and drift in and out of consciousness in our pools of sweat. It feels safe to leave the doors open here, people in tents have less security. I am going to try sleeping the other way round tonight with my feet out of the back door...maybe that will be cooler! I can't wait to get back to the coast, cool sea breezes... its only 25c in Cairns!

Em

Temp: 42c