Day One - Saturday, March 22

I got up early and made the trek to the airport. Australian airports always seem to be speedy and efficient - the relaxed security helps. I lucked out and got an entire row to myself, and because Qantas is awesome, we were fed sandwiches during the flight. The Alice Springs airport is tiny, so I got to walk from a plane to the tarmac for the first time - very exciting! At the hostel in Alice Springs I met a French girl who was doing the same tour as me and we spent the day exploring the town.

Seeing as how Alice Springs is on most maps of Australia and is the jumping off point for visiting Uluru, I figured it would be a city. Wrong. It's a dry, quiet, dusty town. The Todd River runs through the middle of town, but only runs a few days a year. When we were there it was bone dry. My French friend and I went out to dinner that night and got camel and emu steaks, which were both excellent. Also on the menu were kangaroo, crocodile, and a four-and-a-half-pound steak.

Getting off the plane.

The "river" in Alice.

Day Two - Sunday, March 23

After an early start (and when I say early I mean 4:30 or so) we were heading west towards Kings Canyon and Uluru. Alice and Uluru are so linked in people's minds that they forget that Uluru is only a "short" five-hour drive from town. There are really only about three main (and paved) roads in that part of the territory and we got to drive on all three this day. You really appreciate the vast nothingness of the outback when you drive straight on a highway for hours at a time seeing nothing but a few cattle stations/"petrol" stations.

During the drive we did see kangaroos, herds of wild camels, wild horses, and a dingo. Camels are not native to Australia, but like many animals, once introduced they flourished. Within the past few decades Australia has started to harvest feral camels for meat and even exports live camels to other countries (including ones in the Middle East). I was surprised by how much plant life there was in this supposed desert. We were told that in geologic terms central Australia has remained the same for a long long time, so that plants were able to adapt to the arid climate.

Before we knew it, we arrived at King's Canyon where we spent a few hours climbing to the top of the canyon and walking around the rim. The canyon was gorgeous, and from our height we were able to see nothing but arid land for miles around. The contrast between the red rocks and the bright blue sky was spectacular. The rock formations and the canyon itself were very impressive. From one side of the canyon we were able to see where part of the canyon wall had sheared away relatively recently. The rock left behind was much lighter and was the true color of the rocks. The exposed surface of the rest of the rocks is red because the iron in the rocks has rusted.

Down in the canyon is the Garden of Eden, a water hole surrounded by ferns and other vegetation. It got its name because the man who discovered the canyon was nearly dead from heat and dehydration when he stumbled upon the water. After our canyon adventures we made our way to Yulara, a settlement created so that people had a place to stay when they visited Uluru. Surprisingly there was some light rain as we got to the campsite - aren't we supposed to be in the desert? Our tour guide commented that she hadn't seen rain in the area since November. Oh yeah, and that was Easter...Easter in the outback...very unique.

King's Canyon

Curtain Springs, a cattle station, shop, and petrol stop.

Day Three - Monday, March 24

We got up super early so that we could get to Uluru to see the sunrise. During the night an intense storm rolled through where we were camping. It was pouring and the wind was blowing hard and our tents were shaking violently. We were disappointed when we woke up to see that it was still raining. Once again, wasn't this supposed to be a very arid, desert-like climate? We get to the sunrise viewing area at Uluru, and even in the rain are amazed by the texture and colors of the giant rock. Uluru is one massive rock. It is 1,142 feet high, has a circumference of 5.8 miles, and like an iceberg, most of it is below the surface. After seeing some of the sunrise, we begin our walk around the rock.

It's amazing how irregularly shaped it is and how textured it is. The rock looked different from every angle. Although we were initially saddened by the rain, we soon appreciated how lucky we were to see Uluru in the rain. (Very few people get to see it that way and there's even a song written about "rain on the rock.") Instead of being red or orange, Uluru looked purple, and there were waterfalls running off the sides. After several hours everyone was soaking wet (except me, I had a raincoat!) and freezing. We went to the Aboriginal Cultural Center for a while before heading to Kata Tjuta. Kata Tjuta is a series of 36 dome-shaped rocks nearby. The highest peak of Kata Tjuta is actually 666 feet higher than Uluru.

While Uluru is made of sandstone, Kata Tjuta is a conglomerate of different types of rocks cemented together with sandstone. We spent some time walking through the area and since it had started raining again, we saw more waterfalls. Our tour guides were excited and said it was the first time that they had seen waterfalls at Kata Tjuta. The Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park is listed at a world heritage site twice, for both its natural and cultural significance. After a very full day, we headed back to Alice Springs.

Uluru

Kata Tjuta

There are oodles of annoying flies all over the territory.

Day Four - Tuesday March 25

Surprise, surprise - another early morning. (I'm pretty sure I was up before the sun every day of the trip!) Today we began the long trek from Alice Springs to Darwin - a roughly 1000-mile journey. Along the way we stopped at every sign of civilization and every point of interest. Today we stopped at the Tropic of Capricorn, Ti Tree, the Barrow Creek Telegraph Station, the Devil's Marbles, and several "petrol" station/pub/motel/shop combos. The Devil's Marbles were very cool and we spent a good amount of time walking through the area and climbing all over them. At the beginning of the day I had noticed brown pillars dotting the landscape. These pillars turned out to be termite mounds, each mound being a separate colony.

Late in the afternoon we went for a swim at the Mary Ann Dam. We rolled into camp (a field at the Banka Banka Station) early in the evening and had time to relax and play with the many animals running around the campsite. There were calves, chickens, turkeys, goats, a dog, and kangaroos - it was quite the menagerie! After dinner we lay in the field and were mesmerized by the star-filled sky. It was completely dark, with no other people for miles. As we watched, a thunderstorm rolled across the sky and to the side of us. Later that night, we experienced our second storm of the trip.

Tropic of Capricorn.

Tropic of Capricorn.

Devil's Marbles.

Devil's Marbles. These rocks were featured on the cover of a Lonely Planet book.

Our campsite for the night.

One of our neighbours at the campsite.

Day Five - Wednesday, March 26

Today we continued north from the Tennant Creek area to Dunmarra, Daly Waters, Mataranka, Larrimah, Katherine, and finally reached our campsite. We were once again staying in a field, but this time there were no domestic critters. Daly Waters was an interesting roadside pub, covered in memorabilia, and is where we stopped for lunch. Right by Daly Waters is the Stuart Tree, a tree that John McDouall Stuart supposedly carved an S into. Stuart was the leader of the first team of Europeans to cross Australia from south to north. It took him three attempts, but he and his team finally made it to the northern coast and back so that a telegraph line could be built across the country. The road we were taking north is called the Stuart Highway, and generally follows the path he established.

By today we could really see the landscape changing. There were more plants and the trees were getting taller. Near Mataranka was a park with thermal pools where we went swimming. Even though the springs were quite warm, they were still cooler than the air. The park surrounding the thermal pools was forested and as we were walking along a path, we stumbled across a group of wallabies. In the bathroom facilities, I shared my changing area with a tree frog. Now we were really getting into the tropics!

The funny thing about the little roadside service shops/bars scattered along the highway is that they all have some little attraction. Daly Waters is the oldest licensed pub in the Northern Territory, proudly displayed the most remote traffic light in Australia, had the Stuart Tree nearby, and was itself a point of interest. In Dunmarra there were snakes on display and we were able to hold some of them. In Larrimah there was a miniature zoo of birds, turtles, and crocodiles as well as a World War II Museum. Northern Australia was actually a very busy place during WWII, and many soldiers were stationed in the area. Darwin was actually bombed by the Japanese.

Daly Waters - yes, that is the petrol station.

Daly Waters...and the most remote traffic light in Australia.

Decorations inside the pub.

The courtyard area was decorated with licence plates, car parts, and flip flops (thongs).

Another shot inside the pub - notice the "Reecepshun" sign.

The tree frog I changed with at the Mataranka thermal pools.

Day Six - Thursday March 27

The day started off with a cruise through the Katherine Gorge. The gorge was beautiful and our guide talked a lot about the Aboriginal people who live in the area. There is an area nearby that contains uranium. The Aboriginal people knew this area as "sick land" and wouldn't live there. Pretty cool. In the visitor's centre snack area I finally found Cadbury Cream Eggs, which I have been looking for since I got to Australia. Of course I purchased one and finally celebrated Easter.

We continued north and after several more stops, finally reached Darwin! For some time it had been clear that we were in the tropics. The landscape was nice and green and the air was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. My friends and I went on a quick tour around the city, hitting many of the major points of interest. Darwin is a relatively "new" city because it was destroyed in the WWII bombings and then again in 1974 by a tropical cyclone. All over the city were memorials for those who had served in the war. After reading some of the plaques, I was surprised to learn that American soldiers had been in Darwin only a month after Pearl Harbor.

Katherine Gorge

Katherine Gorge

Katherine Gorge

Darwin sunset

Day Seven - Friday, March 28

We were on our way east! Our first stop was Fogg Dam. Someone had dammed a river in an attempt at growing rice. The rice grew well, but was eaten before the people had a chance to harvest it. Now the area is a haven for birds and other creatures. From one look-out point we spotted a crocodile hanging out on the water's surface...I'm sure the place was crawling with them. We also found a bunch of green ants and our guide showed us how to eat them. You grab one and touch its abdomen to your tongue to get the flavor. Then you bite of the abdomen (which is neon green) and flick away the rest of the ant. The ants had a very strong citrus flavor and were VERY sour. Someone could definitely use the flavor in candy. They were quite tasty and I ended up having a few there and a few more at other points during the trip.

We then went on a jumping crocodile boat cruise on the Adelaide River. Meat was hung from either side of the boat and crocodiles would jump out of the water to snag the meat. Was it a horrific tourist trap? Yes. Was it still completely awesome? Yes. From there we were off to Kakadu, another national park that is a twice listed world heritage site, again for its cultural and natural significance. Our first stop was Nourlangie Rock and the rock art sites that surround it. The rock, painted by the Aboriginals, ranges in age from several thousand years old to only a hundred or two years old. Some paintings were examples of "contact art" and showed rifles and other signs of European contact. We then hiked/climbed to the top of an escarpment for a 360-degree view of the park. The hike was awesome and the views were spectacular. Afterwards we made our way to Yellow Waters and our campsite.

While we were making/eating our dinner, it poured, which seemed to be a theme for the week. Of course in Kakadu it was the end of the wet season, so rain was expected. After dinner we all sat around and played (or attempted to play) the didgeridoo. After many failed attempts, I finally got the hang of it and managed to make the rich, deep sound.

Water birds at Fogg Dam.

View from observation platform at Fogg Dam...where we first ate the green ants.

Jumping crocodile cruise.

View from the jumping crocodile boat.

Green ants! I probably ate one of these guys...

Lightening Man rock art.

Photo attempt disrupted by the flies.

These trees look kind of like a palm tree on top. They grow up in a spiral, and if they spiral one way they are a male tree and if they sprial the other way they are a female tree.

Day Eight - Saturday, March 29

In the morning we went on a several hour hike through the bush to two waterfalls/swimming locations. Along the way we saw "heaps" of interesting wildlife. The bright blue butterflies couldn't seem to sit still and let me take a picture of them. The waterfalls, Motor Car Falls and Boulder Creek Falls, were gorgeous, and the water was crystal clear and very refreshing. Even though our guide told us the swimming areas were safe, and the water was clear, and the swimming area was small and circled by cliffs and boulders, I was nervous about crocodiles. It took quite a bit of time and quite a bit of coaxing for me to get into the water. Reading several stories the previous few days about people being eaten by crocodiles was making my time in the park quite stressful.

We stopped at another Aboriginal cultural center, which was very, very interesting, and then started to head back west towards Darwin. Along the way we stopped at a cathedral termite mound. The termite mounds in the Top End are different from those in Central Australia. The cathedral mounds can grow to be many meters high. We got back to Darwin late in the evening and grabbed some dinner before heading to the airport and flying back to Sydney in the wee hours of the morning.

Motor Car Falls.

Hiking to the falls.

Boulder Creek Falls.

Swimming pool around the falls.

Hiking around the falls.

Of course this sign made me feel warm and fuzzy inside.

Cathedral termite mound.

Overall, the trip was fantastic. Uluru, Kata Tjuta, and Kakadu were spectacular, and all the quirky places in between made the trip really fun. The people on the tour also made the adventure really special. For some reason I was under the impression that everyone on the trip would be American students studying abroad. I was thrilled to find out that I would be spending a week with people from Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Spain, Canada, the UK, France, China, and Malaysia! I love how coming to Australia has allowed me to meet people from all over the world!