Day 9 - Uluru at sunrise

Alarm went off at 0415... usually only do this 'on holiday' to catch the tide - today it was to get to Uluru u=in time to see the colours changing as the sun rose...

On the way got some neat 'atmospheric' photos.

Red River Gum (I think) at sunrise

This is probably the most dramatic of the sequence of pictures we took. Note: it's the other side than for the sunset.

There's a small section of Uluru you can walk/climb on - this is it. I AM in this picture! The surface is covered in scaly rock like flakes of rust (which essentially it is) which I could feel crunching like cornflakes under my feet as I scampered down!

Some Aboriginal paintings near the waterhole - the explanation we were given was that this was like a blackboard in a classroom, where the young boys would be taught how to hunt etc.

Slightly indecipherable cave paintings

The colours and the landscape here are just so dramatic it's breathtaking.

Blue, red, tree, rock

Panoramic view of the most famous rock on Earth

From here we went on around the rock and then on to a cultural centre. Our coach driver, Paul, was a-may-zing - an expat from the UK he clearly loves Australia and has immersed himself in the culture and history of the country. His knowledge and insight made the whole experience 100% better than just being shown stuff with no context.

We flew to Cairns and traded 40 degree heat and 0% humidity for 30 degrees and about 90% humity... from desert to tropical rainforest!

Ended the day with a raucous meal at the Cairns RSL club, good, cheap food and massive portions - highly recommended (but you need to sign in as a temporary member).