This week we spent our time in Central Australia’s outback! Traveling with Wayoutback Adventures and our amazing tourguide Annabelle, we were able to explore some breath-taking sites. Long drives full of good tunes and daydreaming allowed us to gaze out the window at the beautiful red landscape. Everyone was in hight spirits during out time in the outback, always laughing and willing to learn more about Central Australia’s Aboriginal culture. Sleeping under the stars was a treat for everyone and we could not have asked for a better outback experience!
Cat looking happy aboard Bindy, our GIANT outback truck for the week!On Wednesday we visited Uluru National Park. Fun Fact: During our walk around the beautiful base of Uluru, we learned that the rock isn’t in fact red but gray and appears red due to years of erosion.On Thursday we woke up early to catch the sunrise! On the right you can see Uluru, basking in the early morning rays.On Thursday we went on a hike through Kata Tjuta. Our group was amazed by the coloring of the rock in contrast with the clear blue sky. Near the end of the hike the rocky landscape opened up to a beautiful lookout point that reminded many of my group members of “The Great Valley” from the film The Land Before Time.Each night consisted of sleeping under the stars in swags (rolled up bedding) around the campfire. Many games of Werewolf (similar to the game of Mafia) were played along with great conversations with Annabelle, our lovely tour guide. A highlight from our campfire time was one night we each shared songs that personally represented each part of our trip (Fiji, New Zealand and Australia). It was exciting to hear everyones song selections and their reasoning for picking particular songs. We have yet to all agree on one song that represents the entire trip!On Friday we visited my favorite site in the outback, Kings Canyon! Annaballe told us the aboriginal story of how the canyon was formed. Although it was the faitytale verson of the story, we greatly enjoyed hearing it. Here is a group picture of us lounging in the sun!On Friday, a few of our group memebers went for a swim at this lovely little spot located just down the path from our campsite!Annabelle explained the significance of ochre paint and how it was made. Ochre paint is sourced from rocks and was the most important painting material used during traditional Aboriginal Times and it comes in a variety of colors ranging from pale yellow to a rustic red. We decided to play around with the paint by putting designs on our hands and faces.
Last week during our stay in Sydney, five members of our group were sent home for breaking one of the sacred six agreements. There are six students left and we send all our love to the ones who were sent home. It was very hard to watch them go and we miss them very much.
Shout out to the families back home! See you soon!
