No internet available for many days. Thank goodness I am keeping a written journal as well. However, that was also difficult in the outback as there were no lights (other than my "miner's reading lamp!") So, bare with me as I just write as I cannot do any photos today.
April 3: We awoke very early, 4:45, to travel to Uluru (Ayers Rock), to see the sunrise. That was very impressive. Then we hiked 2 1/2 hours around the base. Aborigines request that no one climb the rock and because of the windy conditions, no climbing was allowed. We also had a guided tour by an Aborigine man...somewhat longwinded but interesting. There was an educational center there but we were only allowed 30 minutes..
Had an OK campsite and at night we found the Southern Cross and other southern hemisphere constellations. Off to bed with a mice alert! Do not keep any food in backpacks or in the platform tents!
April 4: Up at 5:15 after a night of fierce winds. Ladies room had no bathroom tissue so I had to knock on the men's door to get a roll. Someone had to take the initiative! Then, off to King's Canyon.
This is Australia's Grand Canyon and it is impressive and the hike was simply marvelous. It was quite steep and rocky but we all accomplished the almost 4 hour climb and return. Early on during the climb, my left contact lens fell out. Due to the winds I felt it was a gonner, but a gal from Germany spotten it. Yeah!
Arrived at our hotel in Alice Springs and once again were greeted by a mice alert. Due to all the rains, the mice are coming out in droves! People are laying bait and dogs are eating it and dying. Anyhow, I found out later in the afternoon that there was indeed a mouse in my tent the previous night! My roommate had snacks in her backpack, and while she slept out under the stars, a little mouse was munching away in a bunk next to mine!
April 5: Ahhh...clean sheets! Slept until 8:00!! Heaven! Did some shopping before our flight to Adelaide. Arrived at our 175 year old hotel--kind of funky. There is a set of two elevator doors to enter and another set of two doors to exit. The sink didn't drain, and the wattage of light in our entire room must have been 70W!
While drying my hair, the hair dryer caught on fire! Fortunately, I bought one early on in New Zealand, so I didn't have a bad hair day (although it was almost fried!)
April 6: Today was a day of wineries in McLaren Vale. We got there by train, then bus, then by foot! Had wine tastings and lunch. Tasted some unusual wines, but was pleasantly surprised by two red wines--sparkling merlot and sparkling shiraz! Also tried spiced mead...all were wonderful.
April 7: Time to check out and leave for our flight to Melbourne. Upon landing, there was a security breach at the airport as someone exited a secure passage way and was out of camera view. Luckily, we only were on the tarmac for about20 minutes. Our hotel room was quite small with three twin beds but the location was perfect. Near the action, trams, and trains. Took both the free city tram and city bus to get a feel for the city. We were quite impressed. It's a great place. Ellen didn't feel well in the evening, so we had an early night.
April 8: Outside our hotel after breakfast, we were looking at a map when we were approached by a Melbourne "greeter." He chatted with us and gave us transportation information and suggestions of sites to see. If we had known, we also could have booked a volunteer to take us for a personalized 3 hour walking tour of the city! All for free!! So, we saw the Royal Botanic Gardens, took a bus to Victoria Markets where we had lunch and checked out the stalls, visited the ACMI, Australian Center for the Moving Image, and then caught a tram to St. Kilda. Our hectic day was rewarded by seeing the Little Fairy Penguins coming in after sunset to tend their chicks in the rock breakwater. What a thrill! These little guys are about 12 inches tall. It was fun to see them as I taught my second graders all about penguins and the various species of penguins.
Returned to the city after dinner, walked around Collins Street, a very ritzy place, and then headed to the hotel.
April 9: Had a wonderful time in Melbourne but it was time to say goodbye. Off to Sydney! Got to our hotel about noon and relaxed a bit. Another room with three twin beds, which is always good! Bought a ticket for the "Hop On, Hop Off" bus and got a city tour. The Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge were all I expected! There was a bachelorette group on the bus, and I left my camera case on a seat. As the bus was about to take off, another passenger threw the case to the gals who hopped off the bus. Couldn't believe I saw it, and one of the gals gave three tries to pitch it up to me on the double decker bus! Caught it on my third try and I was indeed lucky as my photo card reader was in it! Yes, the day was glorious...
The city is quite large and not as tidy as I envisioned. Did lots of walking and toured "The Rocks" area on our own and ate at a German restaurant. Ellen and Pat had pork knuckle with mashed potatoes but I opted for chicken schnitzel atop Caesar salad. A German band also played...
April 10: Did the laundry this morning and walked to a lovely cafe for breakfast. Used the rest of our 24 hour "Hop On" ticket and headed to Bondi Beach. The day was getting grayer and darker as we approached but the rain held off. The water was cold and the surfers were out. We didn't swim but did enjoy a nice gelato!
Then the rains came. We looked so fashionable in our $5 rain ponchos! Got back to Sydney and scheduled my bridge walk for tomorrow morning. Pat and Ellen will do the islands via ferry and we plan to meet for lunch.
Had dinner in Chinatown. Hoping for a nice day tomorrow!
