Sunrise to Sunset at Ayers Rock (Uluru)

Sunrise at Uluru

We are up at 3:45AM (second day in a row with a 3AM start), have a quick homemade breakfast in our room and off to the bus stop to meet our Uluru Hop On Hop Off. We are going to watch the sunrise at Uluru and then walk around the entire rock. 

The weather is very comfortable at this time of morning, 23°C (73°F). If only it would stay like this. Unfortunately the air conditioning on the bus makes me feel like I’m in the Arctic.

It is still dark when we arrive at the sunrise viewing spot. It is very neat watching Uluru go from darkness to light. Click here for a short video.

Hour one of the Uluru Base Walk

After sunrise we are back on the bus and it drives to different stops around the Uluru dropping people off. 

We disembark at the Mala car park stop which is a popular spot to start the base walk as it is one of the few locations with toilets and drinking water. John is looking forward to the hike around Uluru which totals 10 kms.

I am wearing my new, white running shoes. It is 7:10 AM and 28°C/ 82°F when we start our hike. Walking conditions to start are quite comfortable since  we are in the shade and there’s a breeze.

I am seeing pictures in the rock formations. I see a big beetle on its side. John doesn’t see it.

Hour Two of the Base Walk

In my opinion, after an hour into it, things start getting ugly. The temperature has risen, we are walking in the relentless sun and there are these large groups of flies that keep congregating around our heads. The walking gets harder and harder.

John is bothered by the flies which like to buzz into ears and nostrils but isn’t having issues with the heat. We notice that many people have netting over their heads & faces. Unfortunately we never got the memo about the flies. 

Hour Three of the Base Walk

By hour three, the temperature is in the high 30s Celsius and I am totally miserable. This is hell. I am not happy. ..I am getting no joy out of looking at this big red rock. Maybe if it had a parrot or penguin on top  it might marginally improve things but right now I am totally hot and miserable…a fact of which John is made fully aware. 

John acknowledges my feelings by telling me he’s feeling fine and we are only half way done. 

When we finally get to the end or the walk we rest…and then we walk another 2 km on a dusty path with barely any shade in blistering heat to the Cultural Centre where John promises there will be air conditioning.

I’m shaky and unsure if I can make it.  The temperature is now over 40°. This is even more torturous than an hour ago and the flies around my head have multiplied into plague like proportions.

Parts of the trail are marked by signs saying the trail closes at either 11:00AM or 2:00PM due to the high heat. 

At 11:00AM we arrive to the cafe which is NOT air conditioned. (Per John- there is A/C  if you stand in a certain spot by the cash register). It does have eating areas with coffee tables and couches amongst normal tables and chairs. I plunk myself on the nearest couch. I do not even have the energy to get off the couch to order food. John does. I doze awhile . John has a coffee and pastry. Then I drag myself to the counter and order a kangaroo meat pie for lunch.

I can’t figure out how to open the tomato sauce container for my pie and end up squirting it all over my pants.

We have to kill some time at the un-air conditioned cafe because our bus doesn’t come to pick us up until 12:40PM. 

A women is lying on the ground (heat exhaustion) at the bus stop. Other kind tourists are doing things to help her. It is now well over 40°. We are all ecstatic when the air conditioned bus arrives.

My new runners are now pink from all the red dust.

Restful Afternoon

I am so happy when we get back to the hotel room. I spend the rest of the afternoon showering, cleaning tomato sauce off my pants, writing and sleeping.

Sunset at Uluru

We are back at the bus stop at 5:00PM for the Uluru sunset tour. The bus driver half jokingly says that we’re all mad to go out in the heat with all the flies. It’s still  over 40°.

On a brighter note, there is not a cloud in the sky. We should have a perfect sunset.

Our first stop is where we began the base walk this morning. I stay on the bus but John gets off for another look around. Soon we are heading to the sunset viewing area.

The area is packed with other mad tourists. Many are having dinner & wine as they watch Uluru glowing red with the setting sun.

The sun sets at 6:53PM. It is 39°C/103°F.

We walked almost 16kms today. I’m not sure if we should be applauded or committed.