Let’s start with the elephant in the room….cunt is not offensive in Australia, especially in the Northern Territory. It’s actually a compliment, so for the purposes of this blog post, get over it. Don’t believe me? Here’s a picture to prove it. Sound goodly?

This love note was left for Andy by a female tour guide while we were on a walk.

Day 4 started with Andy shining a flashlight in my face at 4:15 am. It was time to get up (I wish that was a joke). We made the short drive to King’s Canyon and went on a spectacular 3 hour, sunrise walk.

I have a tendency to climb things that maybe I’m not supposed to climb.

After the walk, we headed back to camp, ate lunch, packed up the bus and we were off to Uluru!!! Revenge was in the air this afternoon and Mark was about to become collateral damage in a war he didn’t start.

During the drive we stopped at Curtin Springs, where due to not stocking up enough in Coober Pedy, we were forced to spend $80 ($60 US) on a 24 pack of beer. We also stopped at a lookout for Mt. Connor and Lake Amadeus.

Outback roads are really exciting!!

Finally we arrived at Ayer’s Rock Resort campground where we would spend the next 2 nights!! We dropped the trailer and headed for Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. If you’d like to learn about Uluru (Ayer’s Rock), feel free to google it, because I feel it will just take away from my attempt to tell you about my experience.

As we entered the park, Andy played “Spirit Bird” by Xavier Rudd. The combination of the song and the sight of Uluru as we approached the rock, was as spiritual as anything I have ever experienced in my life. My eyes welled with tears and 2 other people admitted to openly crying. There really aren’t words to describe what I felt in that moment, but it was probably the most amazing experience of my life. “Spirit Bird” will forever bring me back to Uluru.

Having said that, everyone’s experience is different. I met a girl from Boston in Alice Springs who was going to Uluru and asked me how it was. When I saw her a couple days later, after she had been, I asked what she thought and she said, “It was great, but King’s Canyon was better.” I felt bad for her and wanted to tell her she had the wrong soundtrack.

My words will not do it justice and neither will my pictures, but if you do nothing else in life…..Go see Uluru!! Remember “Spirit Bird” and do not listen to it until you enter the park. You won’t regret it!!

We headed for a close up with the rock and then retreated to the Uluru sunset viewing area for a sunset dinner.

When the sun had set, we headed back and set up camp. I set up the tent I had borrowed from Steve for the trip, but I ended up deciding to bring my swag up to Ewing’s Lookout. Best decision ever!! 6 hours under the stars without another person around.

I woke up at 6 am to the sound of voices approaching my private suite. I rolled up my swag, dropped it back at camp and then headed back to the lookout for sunrise.

After sunrise and breakfast, we drove about 30 minutes to Kata-Tjuta for the 3 hour Valley of the Winds walk. I apparently needed some more alone time because I put in my headphones and set off at a much faster pace than the rest of the group. I sang pretty much the whole way. I felt much better by the end of the walk. I was having a great time with the group, but I guess I just needed some “me time” after nearly 2 months of constant contact with other people.

We headed back to camp and ate quickly because Mark, Mikael, Camilla and I were being rushed off to go skydive Uluru!!! Mikael and Camilla went first and Mark and I were driven to the landing zone to watch, then the roles were reversed. We took a 10 minute scenic flight, which turned into about 20 because we had to wait for other air traffic to clear the area. I just wanted out of the plane!!! Mark went first and I waved bye as he disappeared from the door, but I wasn’t far behind!

We flipped when we left the plane, so I ended up staring back up at the plane briefly as we fell to Earth. Our jump was from 12,000 feet, so we had a decent free fall though they never seem long enough. Once our chute deployed, the instructor adjusted a few straps and then let me steer for a little bit. Eventually we landed safe and sound next to Mark. I have yet to find something that matches the adrenaline of skydiving. I love it so much!!

We headed back and found an empty camp. Everyone was at the pool because it was almost 41° C (105° F), so we joined them there. After a couple hours, I begrudgingly went back to camp for sunset, dinner and drinks. The sunset was incredible!

That’s some Lion King shit right there.

That night I tried to sleep in the tent, but it was so hot that after 5 minutes, I dragged my swag outside where at least there was a breeze.

Last day of the tour!! Excited to get to Alice Springs, but sad that this amazing Outback journey was coming to an end. We woke up before the sun again, packed up camp and headed to Uluru for the 3 hour base walk.

After the walk, we set off on our final drive…..destination Alice Springs. It was about a 4 hour drive from Uluru, not including our lunch pit stop where we ate and then hand fed emus.

Finally we had made it to Alice Springs!!

We got settled at the hostel and then met Andy and most of the group at Uncle’s for dinner and drinks. After Uncle’s, all but a few of us went to The Rock Bar. It was dead when we walked in, but us Groovy Grapes were about to change that. Jugs of beer, $5 tequila shots and a DJ……the dance party was on!!!

Check out the starw microphone tucked behind Katja’s ear. I was dying.

We owned the dance floor until the lights went on! It was an incredible night to end an incredible tour!! The best stories stay with us though. If only you had access to my phone or journal.

HAPPY DAYS!!

I’m back in Sydney now and leave for New Zealand in the morning, so I guess for the next 33 days, I’m kickin’ it with Kiwis, not kangaroos!! It’s gonna get pretty hectic over the next couple months, but I’ll try to keep up on here as best I can. Thanks for reading, sorry this one was so long!!