IT'S ONLY ROCK N STROLL, BUT WE LIKE IT (Sorry!)

After a short flight we found ourselves in a very different environment - from metropolis to outback. It was good to get away from the city again, albeit in a huge resort in the middle of the desert which held us all to ransom with phenomenal costs for everything! Having recovered from the initial shock, we resigned ourselves to the fact that the next 3 days would cost us a fortune - in fact, Emily's credit card was so exhausted it disappeared altogether, never to be found again...

Over our 3 days at Ayers Rock (or 'Uluru', to use its Aboriginal name), we walked the 10km base walk around the rock, we watched the sunrise, the sunset and the moonlit sky over the rock. It's fair to say we saw the rock in all its colours and from every angle and distance (including from the plane on to Cairns and even from the back of a camel). The landscape really is awe-inspiring and we can understand why it remains such a sacred place. We also went to the rocks of Kata Tjuta (which means 'many heads') nearby. The 10km walk at Valley Of The Winds takes you through the rocks themselves and in many ways was even more spectacular than the more famous Uluru walk.

Even though we were completely blown away by the outback and the colossal red rocks, we were glad to move on from our Aussie Butlins/prison camp-style accommodation!