Life in the outback!

After almost a year I have finally left Melbourne, and moved to Alice Springs, right in the middle of Australia! It was sad to say goodbye to Melbourne and all my friends there, but I decided it was time to go somewhere different, and Alice Springs certainly is different!
It's actually in the middle of nowhere! The nearest big towns are Adelaide which is 1500km south, and Darwin which is 1500km north. It's a bit like living in Colwyn Bay back home in Wales, and the nearest town being Rome in Italy!! Crazy! 
And the weather is SO different to Melbourne! Since I've been here there have been 9 days in a row where the temperature has got to over 38 degrees!

Anyway, the main purpose of this blog is to write about an amazing tour I did when I first got to Alice Springs! My friend Shweta works for a company called Wayoutback and booked me a 3 day 2 night desert safari where I got to see Uluru (Ayers Rock), Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) and Kings Canyon. It was so good!

If you look at a map it looks like Uluru is right next to Alice Springs, but in reality it is a 5 hour drive away! Really highlights how huuuuge Australia is! So on day one I got picked up by Annabelle our tour guide in a really cool 4 wheel drive bus at 6am to begin the journey to Uluru! 

The bus - so cool :)

We got to our campsite in Yulara at midday after stopping at a camel farm on the way! We also made a quick stop to collect fire wood for our camp fire that evening, which involved driving along a bumpy dirt track which was cool!

Camel farm!

After lunch we drove over to Uluru to get our first view of the rock! It was pretty impressive, the landscape is really flat then suddenly there it is! We spent the afternoon walking around the rock with Annabelle telling us some stories about the history of Uluru for the start of the walk. It was really interesting to hear all the different stories about the aboriginals. It was cool to see some of the caves with children's aboriginal paintings in them too. 

Start of the walk!

Cave paintings.

The aboriginals leased the land to the government for 99 years, with the expectation that their culture and heritage would be protected, so something that really surprised me was the fact that visitors are allowed to climb Uluru. I found that to be quite disrespectful as the aboriginals discourage the climb as it is a very sacred place to them, and it is also dangerous to climb.
Another thing that I found really interesting was the size of Uluru. I knew it was around 350m high, but what I didn't know was that it has been predicted that the rock continues for around 6000m underground! So it's pretty big!

Uluru!

After our guided walk we continued to walk around the rock for another couple of hours in about 37 degree heat! It was not easy, and I was actually quite glad to get back to the air conditioning on the bus when we finished!
Our next stop was a lookout point to watch the sunset! It was amazing, the rock actually seems to change colour throughout the day and at sunset it was really red! After a glass of sparkling wine, some nibbles and lots of photos, we headed back to our campsite!

Uluru sunset :)

After a yummy tea of kangaroo bolognese cooked on the campfire, it was time to set up our swags for the night!! This was something I was really looking forward to! For those of you who don't know what a swag is, it's basically a big sleeping bag with a mattress inside so you can sleep out in the open under the stars! I think that first night was one of the highlights of the trip for me as I just lay there and watched the stars for ages. The sky is so clear in the centre of Australia so there were sooo many stars! I even saw two shooting stars! It was amazing :)

The next day we were up at 4am to watch the sunrise! We had a quick breakfast, packed up the campsite and set off to a lookout point inbetween Uluru and Kata Tjuta. The view was amazing! It was so cool watching the sunrise as I've never actually sat and watched one before!

Sunrise

After sunrise it was time to go to Kata Tjuta to do "The valley of the winds" walk which was 7.4km and took about 3 hours! Luckily because we got there so early, it wasn't too hot for the first couple of hours, though I struggled a bit towards the end as there wasn't much shade! It was a really good walk though. I preferred it to Uluru as I found the scenery a bit more interesting! There was more climbing in this walk too rather than the day before which had been completely flat.

Kata Tjuta!

By the time we had completed the full circuit it was getting really hot, but luckily the place where we had our picnic lunch had a swimming pool, so we had a quick dip to cool down before starting the long drive to Kings Canyon!

It took about 4 hours to get to our Kings Creek campsite, which included another fire wood stop, and a quick stop at a viewing point to see "foolaru" - another big rock in the desert that a lot of visitors make the mistake of thinking it is Uluru! 

"Fooluru!"

The campsite was pretty different to the night before!! It was definitely "wayoutback" as it was really far away from anything, and we just had 1 outdoor toilet, and 1 outdoor shower, both full of ants! Which wasn't fun as the ants here in Australia bite! It was a fun experience though, felt very Australian! And Annabelle even made us traditional Damper bread on the camp fire! It was yum!

After another good sleep in my swag, and plenty of star gazing too, we got up at 5am to pack up to go to Kings Canyon. It didn't take us long to get there so it was another morning walk which meant slightly cooler temperatures. The Kings Canyon walk was definitely my favourite of the three. It was 6km and took about 3 hours. The scenery was stunning, I've never been anywhere like it! Everything was so red and rocky! The start of the walk was pretty difficult as we had to climb quite a steep hill (many visitors call this "heart attack hill"!), but after that it was pretty easy. 

"Heart attack hill!"

Took lots of photos of the canyon and then walked around to the "Garden of Eden" which is a small waterhole which you can swim in. But unfortunately because there had been no rain, the water was a bit yuck so we didn't swim! It was nice to have a sit down and eat some biscuits though! After we had regained a bit of energy we continued the walk round the canyon and got back to the bus.

Garden of Eden

Kings Canyon!

Lunch was a traditional Aussie BBQ which was the perfect end to our trip! After filling up with sausages and burgers we started the long journey back to Alice Springs! On the way back as we were driving along we spotted a group of camels all under a tree getting some shade! Was pretty cool!

Camels!

It was such a fun tour, and so different to anywhere else I've been to in Australia!

Since being back in Alice Springs I've managed to get myself a job! I'm working in a backpackers hostel on reception which is quite good, I get to meet lots of people :)
Also went on a road trip to the West Macdonnell ranges with Shweta which was fun! 

There are still a few things in Alice Springs that I am yet to do, so once I've got exciting things to write about I'll update this again! Bye for now! :)

Cairns & the Atherton Tablelands - again!

We arrived in Cairns at about 6pm and checked into Global Waterfront backpackers - the 3rd time I'd stayed there!
We used our $5 meal vouchers and headed to P.J O'Briens Irish pub for food and some drinks! Becca had the steak and I had the chicken parma, for $5 it was pretty good! Got a glass of wine included in the price too! We had a couple more drinks before heading back to the hostel.
The next day we went shopping to look for a new camera to replace the one I broke on Magnetic Island! Managed to find a good one. After having always had Canon cameras I decided I wanted a changed and went for a Sony one! So far it seems pretty good!
We had sushi for lunch which was yum, then went for a walk around Cairns to take some photos and sat by the lagoon.

In the evening we went on a pub crawl which was really fun! Started at P.J O'Briens and went to a few different bars, getting a free drink in each one! I managed to get a second free drink in one of the bars by being the best Macarena dancer!! Haha! It was a good night and I think it was about 3am when we got to bed!

The next day we just stayed at the lagoon as we were pretty tired, before picking up our hire car as I was taking Becca to meet Mike and Tracy at the guesthouse in Malanda! It was really good to see Mike and Tracy again! Becca had brought a few things from Wales for them, like some Bara Brith and a calendar with photos on North Wales on it. I think they liked them! That evening me and Becca where treated to a meal out, then later on I showed them the video of my skydive!

The next morning we said goodbye to Mike and Tracy and we set off on our little Tablelands adventure! I took Becca to Lake Eacham where we found some turtles swimming in the lake, we went to Yungaburra and discovered a really cool cafe which had loads of cool arts and crafts thing to buy. I also took her to the Curtain Fig Tree, a place Tracy had taken me and Sarah to the first time we went to Malanda. Then we headed to Kuranda as I'd really liked it there last time we went. But unfortunately most of the shops were closing so we didn't get to see much.

Soon enough it was time to return the car the Cairns airport, and catch our flight to Melbourne. After having spent nearly 6 months there, it was time to say goodbye to Queensland!

Magnetic Island

Early start on 26th, got the bus at 7am from Airlie Beach to Townsville. Arrived at about 11.30am but had to wait about 2 hours to get the ferry over to Magnetic Island.

The ferry journey took about 20 minutes, and once I got to Magnetic Island I checked into Base Hostel which was right on the beach! The dorms were all in little cabins and there was a swimming pool and bar both overlooking the beach.

After I'd got settled I went for a walk over to Picnic Bay. It was a pretty little beach area but it was like a ghost town, all the beach front shops and cafes were closed and there was no one around! It was a bit creepy. So I took a few photos then walked back to the hostel. Went for a drink in the bar in the evening as it was ladies night so all the girls got free cocktails!

Picnic Bay

The next day I bought a day ticket for the bus and set off to explore more of the island. I went on the Forts Walk which is well known for being able to see wild koalas! It was quite a tiring walk and flip flops probably weren't the best footwear, but it was worth it because I saw 3 koalas!!! They were really cute. The walk took about 2 hours and went up a hill to a fort overlooking most of the island, so there were some pretty good views!

After the walk I got the bus over to Horseshoe Bay which is the opposite end of the island to my hostel. It was a really nice beach with lots of watersports etc. I treated myself to some chips and sat on the beach watching the world go by! I then got the bus back to the hostel where I chilled out for a bit before going to get my free meal for tea! I decided to be healthy and have a chicken salad seeing as I'd eaten so many chips for lunch! I had an early night as the next evening was the full moon party!

Horseshoe Bay

On Friday I decided to take advantage of the free snorkel hire so got the bus to Florence Bay, but it was about a half hour walk from the bus stop, up some quite steep hills and in 30 degree heat - not fun! And when I got there and went in the sea the visibility was rubbish as the water was really sandy, so I couldn't see anything! So I just sunbathed on the beach for a while.

Florence Bay

That evening it was party time! As it was Halloween it was a fancy dress party. I met some cool people in my dorm so hung out with them most of the evening, they were all dressed as crayons which was pretty funny! I was a pirate :) I also bumped into a few people I'd met up the coast which was nice. But it was such an expensive night! Tickets were $20, and drinks were stupidly expensive. They were mimicking the Thailand full moon parties by serving drinks in buckets! But instead of being really cheap like in Thailand, they were $15 a bucket, and it was just a double vodka and coke!! Oh well, it was still a fun night up until I managed to break my camera! So I don't have any photos of the party :(

Think I got to bed at about 4am, and had to check out the next morning at 10am. I didn't get out of bed until about 9:50 so it was a bit of a rush getting packed and ready. But it was an exciting day as I was meeting my sister in Mission Beach!!!!

Airlie Beach & The Whitsundays

Managed to sleep for quite a lot of the 11 hour journey to Airlie Beach. We got there at about 6pm and checked into Base hostel.
Our Oz Experience bus driver booked a table at the Down Under Bar so we could all meet up for drinks that night, my quiz team also claimed our free jug of cider! After a few drinks there we moved on to a club called Mama Africa. It was ok but a bit expensive!
The next day was raining :( so all I did was head out at 2pm to check in for my Whitsundays boat trip which was the following day (21st-23rd Oct).

It was still raining the next morning which was annoying! Got on the Boomerang sailing yacht just after lunch and we were given a massive platter of fruit to eat! I decided to take sea sickness prevention tablets, I'm glad I did because the sea was pretty rough! We were introduced to our captain, Cane, and the other 2 crew members, Ash and Justin.

It rained throughout the whole first sail so we all got drenched. We looked funny though all sat at the side of the boat with yellow waterproof jackets on! It eventually stopped raining at our first location where we went snorkeling! It was really good, the reef was really high up so we could see the coral and lots of fish. I saw a lot of Dorys from Finding Nemo!!
Back on the boat we had a massive bowl of Nachos waiting for us - yum! There will be a lot of food mentions in this post because the food on the Whitsundays trip was amazing! We just chilled out on the boat for the rest of the evening and Justin made us more amazing food for tea! Barbequed chicken, Thai curry sauce, rice and loads of salad.

The next day the sun was shining :) After breakfast we went for a snorkel which was even better than the day before as the visibility was a lot better. Had another fruit platter then BBQ sausages with salad, potato salad, pasta and fresh bread for lunch! After lunch we sailed to Whitehaven Beach - one of the 5th best beaches in the world! You could really see why! It was gorgeous. We walked round and lay on a beach for an hour or so, seeing some stingrays in the clear shallow water, before walking up to a lookout point with amazing views of the beach. 

More food now! We had a bit platter with olives, cheese, biscuits, sausage and sticks of pepper and carrot with a couple of dips. It was yum! Then we had a big spag bol for tea!
Our last and final day was just the long sail back to Airlie Beach. It was a lovely sunny day though, and I got to have a go at steering the boat! The sail was really fun, the boat tilted quite a lot so we all had to sit on the same side.

It was a really good trip, very hands on with the sailing, great food, fun snorkeling and an amazing beach! The only downside was that I expected to see more of the other islands. But it was still really fun!
We got back to Airlie Beach at about midday, so I went and checked back into Base to shower etc before meeting people from the boat for food and to watch the rugby final! Only 3 of us showed up though! Never mind. 

I had a couple more days in Airlie Beach just chilling out in the sun which was nice, I read a lot of my book which I hadn't had chance to do for ages! After a relaxing few days I was up bright at early for the 7am bus to Townsville on 26th October!

Kroombit Cattle Station!

Got on the bus at 7am the next morning (18th October) to go to Kroombit Cattle Station! We stopped at Rockhampton to pick up a few other people then had a trivia quiz on the bus as a way to get to know each other! My team won, even though the only questions I was able to answer were 2 disney related ones, a Harry Potter question and a Care Bears question!

We got to Kroombit at about 1pm where we were greeted with a tasty lunch! 
After checking in (which included being given a cowboy hat and bandana!) and putting our bags in our rooms it was time to sign up for the afternoons activities! There was a choice between horse riding or quad biking. Because I've recently done quad biking in Cairns I decided to go horse riding - something I hadn't done since I was about 12! I had one of the smallest horses called Flame. He was very well behaved though :)
We got to ride through the outback and muster the goats for the rodeo later in the afternoon which was fun! We had to ride up behind them and shout to make them move! 

I think we were probably horse riding for about 2 hours before getting back to the cattle station where it was time to learn how to lassoo the goats ready for the rodeo! Its not as easy as cowboys make it look!! The actual rodeo was really fun, we were in teams of three. I teamed up with 2 other girls, Eleni and Serena. The aim was to catch a goat with the lassoo and brand it with a metal thing (which was cold so didn't actually brand the goats!). The team who were the quickest won, which shockingly was us! We didn't win anything though.

Next we went back for our evening meal, a roast dinner - yum! We also got to try some goat meat which was quite nice, kind of tasted a bit like lamb. After tea we learned how to crack a whip and got to ride a mechanical bull which was fun!

Had a few drinks before having a relatively early night as we had to be up at 6am to check out, have breakfast and get the 7am bus for our 11 hour journey to Airlie Beach!

Agnes Water/1770

Had a really good time at Agnes Water! It's a really small place but I managed to fill up my two days there!
I arrived at about 6pm on 15th October and checked into a hostel called Cool Bananas. And it was really cool! Very chilled out and the owner was really nice too, and maybe a little bit crazy!!
The first thing I did when I got there was book my Scooterroo tour for the next day, as its something that has been recommended to me by lots of people! So I booked to be picked up from the hostel at 1pm the next day! The hostel also had meal offers each night for $6, so because the supermarket was closed I took advantage of this offer and had a yummy beef stew for tea! One of the girls in my dorm joined me and we went out and got some cider from the bottleshop! Greg the crazy owner of Cool Bananas said that if we gave him our bottles of cider he'd replace them with cold ones from the fridge at the hostel bar! So that was pretty nice of him considering that if we'd bought the cider from the bar it would have been way more expensive!

The following morning I decided to get my washing done as my clothes from Fraser Island were all sandy! Then after lunch I went on the Scooterroo tour, which is where you get guided around Agnes Water and 1770 on 'Choppers', and have to wear leather jackets and fake tattoos so we look like proper bikers!!

It was really fun, took a little while to get the hang of it as my first instinct was to keep putting my right foot on the ground to stop, instead of pressing the brake! First we all had to drive round a practice track to get used to the bikes before we started the actual tour. After that we drove single file around the streets of Agnes Water and 1770, stopping occasionally to spot wild kangaroos and take photos! At the end of the tour we drove to 1770 to watch the sunset - it was beautiful! 

That evening me and a couple of girls from my dorm just sat round in the hostel, finished off our cider and chatted to some of the other people staying there. I also decided to book a surf lesson for the next day as Agnes Water is the last place on the East Coast you can go surfing because there are no waves further north because of the Great Barrier Reef. The surf lessons are also really cheap! I paid $17 for a 3 hour lesson, and in most places its about $60 for 2 hours!
It was actually a really good lesson! Wasn't sure what to expect because it was so cheap - the only difference between this and other lessons I've had was that there were more people in this group. But it didn't matter as we all still got plenty of 1 on 1 help from the instructors! I managed to stand up most times I caught a wave which I was happy about! It was definitely an improvement on my last attempt at surfing in Noosa!

After the surf lesson I went back to the hostel, had lunch, showered and got my stuff ready to leave the next morning as I was due to catch the 7am bus to Kroombit Cattle Station!