December 14th (Tuesday) - December 22nd (Wednesday) - The Outback

Sorry we were out of touch - at last minute we decided to do a tour before Christmas.  Tuesday morning we went to the travel agents office and booked our Rock Patrol Tour through Groovy Grape which involved us catching the bus in a few hours to Adelaide, spend the night and get picked up the next morning to start our 6 day 5 night journey across the Outback.

Day 1 (Pre - Journey: Ride/Night Adelaide)

We left Naracoorte at 9:00AM and arrived in Adelaide at 3:00PM.  We went shopping for sleeping bags and to check out the downtown mall (doesn't look like a mall - just shop after shop which faces the street).  After we bought our sleeping bags I was quite excited to purchase some clothes (not for the trip but for day to day).  I found a cute dress that would be good for many occasions - we went in and seen that it was selling for $1300 and left quickly.  That was the end of Jen's shopping trip.  Two sleeping bags and a Timex watch for Josh. 

Throughout the sidewalks in Adelaide and the bars/pubs in Alice Springs there is money stuck in the cement.  At first when we seen it in Adelaide I wasn't sure why (maybe someone dropped money and it got so hot that it sunk in).  But after our last night when we were in Alice Springs, at the bar it finally made sense.  There were numerous intoxicated people (me not being one of them) trying to balance while bending over to pick up there "dropped change".  It was hilarious - I did feel sorry for some of them though when they did topple over. 

Day 2 (Pick Up - To Coober Pedy)
We were picked up at 6:30 am at our hotel.  We were both quite shocked when we seen the bus - we knew it was a "budget" tour but we were both thinking along the lines of a greyhound bus.  Oh well - we hopped on and found "seat partners". 



Along the way to Coober Pedy we seen many changing landscapes and a Emu.  This was a salt flat that used to have water in it. 

 



At our lunch stop a "road train" pulled in for a rest.  We could not believe the sizes of these - that was one big truck.

We arrived at Coober Pedy 13 hours later - Our Underground Hostel (Our 1st Hostel Stay of the Trip): Most houses in town are built underground like this because it gets soo hot in summer (50 degrees F).  It was definately chilly to sleep in. 

Day 3: Exploring Coober Pedy and Noodling for Opals

Coober Pedy Golf Course:  We could not stop laughing when we seen this golf course.  It is desert - the only place in town that has grass is at the school playground.  The golf course has little patches of grass that you take with you to hit the ball.  Wherever your ball lands you pick it up and place the grass patch underneath.  This is the only golf course in the world that has a joint membership with another one (vice versa).  When you pay your yearly fees you are then able to go to St. Andrew's golfcourse in Scotland and golf for free.  Many people from Coopber Pedy have went to St. ANdre's golfcourse but so far no one from that golfcourse has visited the golfcourse in Coober Pedy. 

Hole #3:

 Sight Seeing in Coober Pedy - As our guide put it, there is really nothing to see. 

 Coober Pedy Museum - Coober Pedy was formed because of the Opal mining.  Here is a typical underground house and a mining tunnel.     

The Breakaways:

 

Area where many movies were filmed such as: Mad Max, Pitch Black & The Moon Landing (according to our tour guide ;)

 Kangaroo Reserve in Coober Pedy:  A couple volunteers to raise abandoned Kangaroos from there home.  When the Kangaroo's are a certain age they then release them into the wild. 

We were supposed to spend another night in the underground hostel.  But our guide asked us if we wanted to break up the trip (not anything else to see in Coober Pedy and it was 2:00PM).  It would be 8 hours on the road to our campground at Ayer's Rock.  So we headed out on the open road to drive halfway there and pull off into a field to set up camp for the night in the middle of nowhere.  The funniest part was when it came to the bathroom situation.  The majority of our group grew up in cities and never heard of "squatting" or going in the bush.   


Unloading Our Gear - I wish I would have taken a picture of the thorns.  All the girls were in flip flops and while unloading our gear in a 10 foot radius from the van and our sandals were covered in these thick thorns.  It took us 30 minutes to get them out and then we decided to switch to shoes. 



Josh the Fire Starter:


Guys Helping Cook Supper:


Girls Actually Cooking Supper:


Not Sure About Climbing Into Our Swags (originally we thought they were little tents - little did we know they were a bag to stick your sleeping bag in on the ground with the critters)


WE SURVIVED!! 


The coffee here is very very strong - this is with a ton of milk and sugar in it - gives you the jitters until lunch. 


Day 4: Pack up and Head to Ayers Rock to Set up Camp and See the Sunset

Our tour guide, Robert, was so much fun - he definately made the trip. As we are driving down the road he slams on the brakes and flies out of the vehicle running down the road in bare feet.  We all thought he was abandoning us until he started coming back to the bus and this is what he was running after - a horny devil lizard.

 






Day 5: Hiking Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)

I thought in preparation of the big hike I should pick up some sunscreen since I burnt in 5 minutes at the Salt Flats.  This is the only way you can buy sunscreen in the Outback, in a 1 litre jug with a pump. 



This was our first day of hiking.  We were up at 4:30 to have breakfast and start our hike at 5:30.  We did this daily so to beat the afternoon heat.  It was a beautiful hike.













Once we were done hiking we went back to camp for lunch.  The meals were definately not what we were expecting.  Since it was the "budget" tour we were expecting hot dogs and hamburgers.  We had wraps, stirfrys, chicken/sausage gumbo, steak and chicken skewers.  Our guide was a excellent chef.  It was like a camping trip and everyone was expected to help out with meals, dishes, unpacking and packing, etc.  I think this got on Josh's nerves after awhile because it seemed that some people did all the work.  But it's hard, because soo many people have never camped before. 







After lunch it was free time.  At the campground was a small pool which if we all we all went into the pool at the same time we would have to stand shoulder to shoulder.  It was an extremely hot dry afternoon.  Our guide (such a character, wish I could tell everyone all his stories and antics) tells us that he has a great plan.  He tells us to get dressed in our swim suits and wear as clean clothes as we have over top.  We get on the van/bus and he starts playing Mission Impossible music.  He then tells us that there is a beautiful pool in town at the 5 star resort :Sails in The Desert".  He pulls up on a side street and tells us to go by two's in the front door and the side door.  Wait 5 minutes and the next group of two should go in.  He also pre-warned us that waitresses will be walking around and if you order a drink to say you would like to pay in cash because they would ask you what room your staying in.  We depart the van and of course Josh wants to go in the front door.  I am sweating bullets, he goes past the stores, front desk, etc.  We make it to the pool and so does everyone else.  I wish I could have taken pictures - we were all spread out around the pool pretending to not know one another.  I order three drinks (for Josh, I and a guy from England).  They bring out the drinks and handed me the bill.  47. 58.  It cost $20 for mine and the English guys Long Island Iced Tea and $8.00 for Josh's Vodka and Coke.  That was the only drink we ordered.  It was a beautiful resort though.  Here is a picture of our guide - hopefully it gives you a impression of his personality :)
 


Day 6: Hike Around the Base of Uluru (Ayers rock)






Some sort of Lizard:












Day 7: Hiking Around Kings Canyon (best hike - majestic)


This was the start of our climb - the picture doesn't do justice but we thought Robert was playing a joke on us that this was the path we needed to take.  This was probably the most intense hiking we have ever done - in the brochure it says you need to be physically fit.  I thought we were but we were not in regards to this.  But we found out the brochure mislead us many times during our adventure :)  Afterwards Robert told us it was called "Heart Attack Hill".  And this is only the a picture of the start of it.

Yay!!  We made it 1/4 of the way to the top!  FYI - I can't seem to see my water bottle - oh look it is in Josh's hand (tooo heavy, slowed me down :)

Doesn't look that narrow but a very narrow path - step of the rock and you will tumble down the hill.  No wonder we didn't have some beers with Robert before hand.  

Garden of Eden in King's Canyon:

Kings Canyon Hike cont.:

Our Group (Team as Robert says)

On Our Way to King Creek Cattle Station: 

On our way to the Cattle Station Robert informs us that we have to find firewood for the campfire that night because there is none.  It was drizzling outside and like always we thought he was joking - but as you see we spent half an hour finding fire wood and loading it (I should say I more or less stood there and took pictures along with the other girls). 

Kings Creek Cattle Station:

This is where we stayed at overnight to head into Alice Springs in the morning.  It was a enourmous station (approx. 1.6 million acres) and had numerous helicopters to check over the land.  We stayed at the campground that was part of this station.  Everyone went to go pick up a couple beer and could not believe the price - 6 beer cost $40.00.  So then everyone looked at other options - only other option was wine.  Everyone bought one bottle of the cheapest wine on hand which was $15.00 and it was actually really good wine. 

 

Preying Mantis:

All of us wanted to see the sunset - so we each took our bottle of wine and climbed to a look out point:

Day 8: Our Last Supper Together in Alice Springs

It is shocking on how close you become over such a short period of time - we all bonded with one another and had a great week together.  Along with this and our guide it made it a perfect trip.  Our group consisted of people form Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, Canada (us), Korea, China, USA and Italy. 



This bar was next door to the pub that we had supper.  It was called Boojangles.  You could go on the website http://www.bossalon.com.au/ and there is a live feed video camera and you can also go online to buy people drinks.  If it was not Sunday at 3:00 in the morning we would have been calling lots of people ;) 

Since it was Monday night here there was a diverse crowd.  I think many of the people did not think our dancing was too good.  We had many people come onto the dance floor giving us lessons in how to move it.  I think Robert was intimidated.   



Saying good-bye to our brief visit to Alice Springs.  We realized along with the German girls that back packs are not the way to travel.  Too awkward and too heavy.  Definately just suitcases next time. 



Like clock work - getting on the plane from Alice Springs back to Adelaide Josh gets pulled in (I know it will be either him or me) and of course one of the few people to get check for explosive powder on their bodies.  After a few minutes we were on our way and back to Adelaide.  

Capsicum = any type of peppers

Road Train = semi

Petro = gas

Rubbish = garbage

Chaser Bin = grain cart

Rotten = drunk

New Case Combine 9120 = $750,000 

We are heading to Robe on the coast for Christmas http://www.council.robe.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm with Georgie's family.  I am hoping to try surfing for my first time and enjoy some new and festive foods (Josh is not sure yet about surfing in un-netted/protected waters).  Christmas here is alot different then back home (very homesick for this) but am happy we aren't spending it alone - Josh and I made cabbage rolls to take and some appetizers.  The meat dish for Christmas Day is TurDucken which is a de-boned chicken stuffed in a de-boned duck stuffed in a de-boned turkey.  We are looking forward to trying this.  And for lunch it is a type of seafood buffet - everything you can imagine - I heard Robe is known for it's Crayfish (reminds me of Jules and her family :) and I am hoping to go out with someone to check/lay some pods.   

Our New Years plans are to work for a bit and then head up the East coast to see that side of Australia and then fly to New Zealand hopefully.  Josh has some harvesting jobs lined up if he wants and I am trying to line up a winery job, my preferred position would be wine taster but that is harder to find then I thought :).  We'll worry about jobs after New Years. 

We just wanted to pass on a very Merry Christmas to all of our amazing family and friends.  We miss you dearly right now and think of you always.  We hope your New Year is filled with joy and happiness.  Take care and lots of love.