Uluru/Kata Tjuta/Kings Canyon

If we are already in Australia, we thought we should also see Uluru. We decided to fly from Cairns to Alice Springs because we didn't want to drive over 2000 kilometers with a rental vehicle.

During our three-day trip, we visited Uluru, Kata Tjuta, and Kings Canyon. We also slept under the stars in a swag, which is like a rain cover for the sleeping bag with a mat inside. I felt like a scout again. :)

On the first day, we started at 4:45 am to Uluru. We thought Alice Springs and Ayers Rock were practically next to each other, but we underestimated the Australian distances once again.... it was a 5-hour drive.

While in the past, 90 percent of visitors went to climb the 348-meter-high mountain and 10 percent out of cultural interest, today it is exactly the opposite. The tour guides advise against climbing Uluru out of respect for the Aboriginal people, for whom Uluru is sacred. From 2019, it will also be prohibited to climb up there. We also visited a cultural center where we were extensively informed about the Aboriginal people and how they live/lived. In the evening and the next morning, we had the opportunity to admire Uluru from a distance during a beautiful sunrise and sunset.

The program the next day consisted of a 4-hour hike around Kata Tjuta. Kata Tjuta is less known than Uluru, but no less impressive. It consists of 36 large rock formations, the largest of which was over 500 meters high. We were very lucky with the weather. It was always between 25-30 degrees Celsius and sunny. Considering that there had been heavy thunderstorms with torrential rain or temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius in the weeks before.

On the last day, we went hiking one last time. Kings Canyon impresses with its impressive scenery, a natural amphitheater, and a garden of Eden in the middle of the desert. You can really see the traces left by the sea millions of years ago. But it's best to look at the photos.

Next, we flew to Adelaide.