G’day mates!
We just spent one of our final weeks down under camping in the outback and exploring Australia at its finest. Our days were spent battling flies in the hot sun and our nights were spent sleeping under the stars in the fresh outback air. We all slept in what’s called a swag: a “waterproof” sleeping bag/mattress combo; essential for every authentic outback experience. Our perpetually energetic guide, Tam, lead us (and sometimes dragged us) through the harsh desert conditions (100 degree temps, hoards of overly friendly flies, thunderstorms) in Rusty the conbi to see some truly breath taking sights.
The adventure started with rock Uluru, where we got our first taste of outback climate and aboriginal culture. The third day we hiked the rim walk around King’s Canyon, the beautiful rocky structure featured in Pricilla, Queen of the Desert. With the impressive views and gorgeous waterhole known as “The Garden of Eden,” it’s no wonder this was one of the group’s favorite experiences. That night we experienced probably one of the outback’s only torrential downpours as we were snuggled up in our swags; everyone but G and Tia eventually gave up and ran for shelter at about three in the morning. My favourite part was swimming in the Ellery Creek waterhole; a gorgeous land-before-time-looking swimming hole with plenty of rocks to jump off. My second favourite part was just riding around in Rusty where we got to see tons of wildlife–wild horses, camels, wild donkeys, kangaroos, lizards, birds– all from the comfort of our air conditioned seats!
We’re now here in Alice Springs a little tanner and a little more bug bitten waiting for our flight to Cairns and getting excited for our next adventure– SCUBA!
Cheers,
~Shelby