Our Last Few Days...

Friday 1st August 2008
Wow, I still have service, so thought I’d jot down a bit of what we have been up to over the past few days. Arrived into Yalura on Wednesday and set up in the camping grounds at the Ayers Rock Resort. But firstly I’d like to wish my Dad a very Happy Birthday for today; I hope you have a great day Dad. On Wednesday when we arrived we went out to Ayers Rock (Uluru) for a look and investigate some of the walks that were available to do. Well, it was unbelievable the trouble it was to get into a park that is in our OWN country!!!!! Forms to fill out, photo ID to show, passes to have printed and laminated... then shown each time you want to go into visit the Rock or the Olgers (Kata Tju­ta). Anyway we had to get a pass for 3 days, which now entitles us to come anytime over the next 12 months. It expires 30-07-2009, bloody ridiculous. The Government to making a squillion out of this National Park, as it is leased back to the Federal Government to manage and run, with all proceeds going back to them NOT the Aboriginals. The Rangers get an amount to run it and one ranger told us that their budget had been cut severely. What do you know.....
Anyway all the politics aside, the Rock is certainly a very majestic piece of this planet that it would make anyone proud to say “It’s ours”. It really is amazing and somehow, there are no words to explain how it feels when you’re up close to it. You can feel how it would be sacred, but not only to the Aboriginals but to all fellow Australians. Yesterday, we went on a walk half way around, didn’t do all the way, it is 9.4kms, too much for this old dear. Then last night, we went back out to do one other walk up into the Gorge, before we
watched the sunset over the Rock. It was awesome to watch the colours change as the sun went down behind us.
Today we went out to the Olgers (Kata Tjuta).
They are just as wonderful, only they are a lot of smaller domes; one of them is about 250mt higher than the Rock. These look to be made up of a different rock texture to Ayers Rock though. Still they really are just as majestic and a MUST see, when you ever get the chance.
We will be heading towards home tomorrow, via Finley to see Mum & Dad and Heddy, Daryl and the girls, then Wagga to see the Bubby Girls (Mum & Dad too), Jan & John, then Sydney to see Siovhan then Woy Woy to see the little men (their Mum & Dad as well). So it will probably be a couple of weeks before we’re having coffee on the Nut House Coffee Shop Deck (next door). Also I may not have service over the next few days, when we’re stopped as we’ll be bushing camping most of the way home to Finley. So this could be the last entry from actually on the trip, we’ll see... Thanks for the interest in my Blog and I hope you have enjoyed it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.