The big trip down

bed count: 142

So - over the last 2 weeks I have effectively travelled the distance between Scandinavia and Greece, and yet I have only been through 2 Aussie states. This country is bloody massive.

There have been highs and lows, but years after the long hours on the road and the heat are forgotten I definitely won't forget the amazing changing landscape, the beautiful sunrises and sunsets, and the people I shared it all with.

After the Kakadu leg, the journey down to Alice was a bit of a let down with a cramped bus and a poor tour guide. But we did manage to see a few worthwhile sites along the way (including the Devil's Marbles). We also popped into Daly Water's outback pub where it is a tradition to leave something behind. So - if you are ever out that way check out the Isle of Jura postcard on the window frame in the corner of the room...

It's hard to give you an idea of the endless and changing landscapes we passed through coming down the country. From the tropics, down through the semi-arid red centre and the endless horizons through Coober Pedy before the Flinders ranges break the horizon. We saw rainbow clouds, wedge tail eagles, mini twisters, emus, sunsets, thorny devils, sunrises, kangaroos, fabulously clear night skies, waterfalls, canyons, and that's not even the half of it.

The hike at Kings Canyon that day was the biggest test of fitness so far. But I must be getting acclimatised because it certainly didn't feel like 38 degrees in the shade to me...

Uluru (Ayres Rock) was, of course, amazing. After getting a glimpse of it the night we arrived from Alice, we got up early and drove through the pre-dawn twilight to watch the sunrise. And it was definitely worth it when the sun hit that big red rock.

Oh god - this is all so difficult to put into words! So maybe I shouldn't try. Maybe instead you should take a look at the photos on Flickr... It's a cop out maybe, but they're cracking shots and you know wheat they say about a picture painting a thousand words...