Day 6

Day 6 began at 4:15 AM, as Mary and I were heading out to watch the sunrise over Uluru, on a Camel! Wait til you see the pictures below. The bus picked us up at 5:00 and drove us the short distance the the camel farm, just outside the National Forest. After a few words of instructions, we climbed aboard our camel and were lifted high into the air as the camel stood up on all fours.

The 45 minute trip out to a spot where we watched the sunrise over the top of Uluru. Along the way out and back, the guides gave us a history lesson on camels and their contribution to the settling of the Australian Outback. Today they estimate there are close to 1,000,000 wild camels living in the Northern Territory. An interesting fact, Australia actually exports live camels to the Middle East.

After our ride, we returned to the farm for fresh baked bread and hot coffee, worth the price of admission. Mary guessed the age of the youngest camel and got the chance to bottle feed the baby, see pictures. We have all heard someone say it’s a small world, well this morning as we sat eating our fresh bread and drinking our coffee we talked to another couple that came on the ride with another group, who were from Cincinnati. They lived in Indian Hill and he had just retired from P&G, their names were Rob and Merta Robinson.

Back to the hotel, on the bus and prepared for a 6 hour ride back to Alice Springs, the same trip that took us 30 minutes by air. We took the Lassiter Highway to the Stuart Highway, which are the main North/South and East/West Highways. The Stuart Highway is over 2000 miles long and runs from the Southern City of Adelaide to Darwin in the North. Between Uluru and Alice Springs, 275 miles, we did not pass through another city, but did pass through 8 “Stations” or what we would call ranches, each in excess of 750,000 acres. Hard to believe how very large and unpopulated Australia’s Northern Territory really is.

Upon arriving in Alice Springs, we visited the Telegraph Station that finally connected Australia with the rest of the world. Many stories were told about the explorers that were the first to try and seek out the route that the telegraph lines would ultimately take.

Off to our hotel to check in, clean up and prepare for a presentation by a group of aborigine girls, then off to the Bush for an Aussie BBQ.

Long day, we have been up since 4:15, now 10:15, so goodnight for now.