Ayers Rock & The Olgas

The rock goes through every colour of red and purple as the sun sets in front of a row of 100 cars of tourists.

It makes an interesting boiling hot hike around it at 6am, complete with flies buzzing around you!

Excellent place for a beer.... if you like flies!

You can climb Ayers Rock if you have managed to keep your fingers in your ears during the repetitive Aboriginal guilt trips about not climbing it because;

a) you may get hurt, and

b) only men are allowed up their on a pilgrimage (now that's progress).

c) plus, if it gets too hot they close it ... this idea was stolen from Railtrack in the UK!

Ayers Rock resort broke our thermometer.

This means it got hotter than 50 degrees and blew mercury out the end, resulting in an air bubble.

... and of course the Kangaroos we never saw were everywhere.... (hiding from the flies we expect.)

The Olgas, Kata Tjuta ( meaning many heads) doesn't get as much press as Ayers Rock. They are slightly larger but are the less geometrically pleasing ugly brother.

Here, accommodation prices were extortionate, so we decided to live in a tent for the few days. Camping meant dripping with sweat until 10pm if we could handle it.

The pub was a convenient place to spend time, the Contiki tour (18-30's single group) would fill our evening with entertainment as they all paired off with the locals who had come out especially cause they knew the bus was in town.

One local explained how the doctor in town is always busy the next day with concerned shaggers.

Obviously this chap has never been roughed up the fuzz.

This poor cheeky chap was caged in a cafe resort complex so that tourists could see an Emu. He was miserable in the heat.