Alice Springs, Ayers Rock and Kings Canyon

WE couldn't help thinking that the weather in the Red Centre had a big impact upon our enjoyment. The Red Centre is right in the middle of Australia and is one of its hottest places. Visiting during the Australian summer was a big risk as temperatures can reach the high 40's in centigrade but we got very lucky. We did a four day three night tour as we thought this was something we should see in our once in a lifetime trip and we are really glad we have done it. Once in a lifetime is however certainly enough!

The day we arrived in Alice Springs the temperature was 38c and we were very concerned as neither of us like the heat. Thankfully this turned out to be the hottest day and we could therefore enjoy the experience far more than would otherwise have been the case.

We arrived in Alice on Boxing Day when there are no organised tours. We therefore had to make our own way around the town. As it was so hot we took a taxi for the 5 minute ride into town. Our first stop was the Royal Flying Doctor Museum which we had both been looking forward to seeing. The Flying Doctors do a brilliant job of providing medical support (mainly evacuation) to the remote areas of Australia. Unfortunately their fantastic work isn't reflected in the museum. The film was informative but all of the interactive exhibits were broken and the rest a little repetitive. A new museum is being built so we are sure they recognise these shortcomings. We gave the reptile museum a miss and decided to explore the town. A mistake. Not only is there nothing to see but the Aboriginal locals were quite intimidating and appeared drunk. Maybe we just didn't understand their customs but we didn't feel safe. We were quite relieved to get back to the hotel.

The hotel staff advised us that Alice isn't safe to walk around at night and whilst suggesting a visit to Anzac Hill to see the sunset, advised us to take a taxi. The view was quite nice but again we were happy to get back to the hotel.

Next day at 7am we were collected on a big tour coach for our tour. Our first destination was to be Kings Canyon. We stopped at a camel farm which was just a commercial enterprise and not what we expected at all. The drivers microphone wasn't working and we missed out on the anticipated commentary. After a four hour drive through bare landscape we were pleased to be at the Kings Canyon transfer point. 4 of us left the large coach and were collected in a van for the one and a half hour journey to Kings Canyon. Undoubtedly Kings Canyon was the best part of the trip and something most people don't do. We stayed at The Wilderness Lodge, described as first class accommodation, although it was situated in the middle of nowhere. Our room was a permanent tent with separate sleeping and bathroom facilities. There was no Internet, mobile connection or tv. I was dreading staying here, as I don't do camping, but actually our stay was brilliant. The staff were very friendly and keen to share their enthusiasm and knowledge of the area with us. We were taken on a drive around the cattle ranch we were situated on, saw aboriginal drawings on stones and some of their utensils such as grinding stones. We then were taken to Kings Canyon, a rock formation and walked along Kings Creek. That evening 19 guests ate together outside and experienced Australian cooking under the stars. I gave the kangaroo a miss! After supper we were given a guide to the stars from one of the staff who was an amateur astrologist. She was really lively and made the talk very interesting. At the end she took us to where she had set up her telescope and showed us the moons of Jupiter and young (blue) stars and old (red) stars. With no light pollution the night sky was wonderfully clear, something we are not used to. An excellent end to the day.

The alarm had to be set for 4.30 am the following day as we were doing the Kings Canyon rim walk which could not be done in the heat of the day. Again there was just four of us and a guide on this three hour walk. The scenery was stunning and the natural history of the area very interesting. We were very lucky as there had been regular rainfall during the year and so not only was there greenery but some water pools - we stopped at one for a picnic breakfast. We returned to the lodge at 9.00 and with reluctance left to join up with the large coach party again.

We picked up the large tour where we had left off the day before although this time the microphone was working and the driver gave an interesting commentary on our journey to Uluru (Ayers Rock). The whole resort was a bit like a Butlins Holiday camp in terms of its layout. Basic accommodation and mostly basic food choices. The main hotel offered a restaurant but the prices were ridiculously high and the food didn't look great, they were clearly taking advantage of the limited alternatives.

In the afternoon we visited the cultural centre to learn about the aboriginal way of life. We then went to Ayers Rock for a close up look before joining many others to view the sunset. We took loads more photos than we could ever need of Ayers Rock as the colours altered as the sun went down. Sparkling wine and canapés rounded the day off at sunset.

4.30 am the following morning we were back on the coach to see the sunrise at Ayres Rock. More photos! It's amazing how you get caught up in the photo fest. Whilst a massive monolith, it is just a rock! We then visited another rock formation, the Olgas. All these places come with an Aboriginal creation story and our driver was excellent at recounting these.

It was then back to the hotel to set off for the airport and on to our most anticipated destination, Sydney. We did enjoy our few days in the Red Centre. We would gladly have missed out Alice Springs and spent the whole time at Kings Canyon. We are pleased we saw it but this is definitely not something we need to repeat.