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Saturday, April 22, 2006

I have finally got around to detailing my trip to Australia during July and August last year. I was out of the Kingdom for five weeks and got to see most of the country. Day 1 Thursday, July 14, 2005 Having flown 11 hours non-stop from Dubai it was good to finally reach the west coast of Australia. My Riyad Bank colleague and his wife (Johan and Magda) met me at the airport in Perth, from where we drove into the city itself. Having enjoyed dinner in Perth we drove to Kings Park to see the skyline of Perth by night. Since a very good photo was taken of me against the skyline of Chicago (on my American Contiki tour in 2000) I have tried to take photo's of myself against the skyline of each new city that I visit. I was pleased to be able to add Perth to that collection of photo's. Day 2 Friday, July 15, 2005 Magda met me at 10AM for a guided tour of Perth. We went to Fremantle, very similar to the Cape Town Waterfront in South Africa. We then drove along the west coast where I went to the Aquarium of Western Australia for an hour. This was a good opportunity to visit a proper aquarium, something that I have not seen before, despite having visited the one in San Francisco when I lived there. What was most impressive for me was the sharks that swim right above you, and the opportunity for some great photo's. I spent a few hours wandering around the aquarium complex and enjoying lunch along the seafront. After the aquarium I met up again with my tour guide, this time Johan from Saudi, and his parents. We drove north of Perth to the Yanchep National Park. This was my first time seeing koalas, though the chance to hold one would only come later in my journey. We then drove along the coast, stopping at a place called Two Rocks for a view of the ocean and some fairly sizeable (and expensive) properties. Also it was my first time to see kangaroos, an opportunity that came while we visited one of the local parks (that also seems to be a cemetery). We then drove to Johans place for dinner with his parents and some other South Africans that had moved to Perth. All in all it was an enjoyable day that ended with me getting back to the Hotel around 1AM. Despite having flown across the world I was surprised at how little jetlag I was suffering.

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The Perth skyline by night Day 3 Saturday, July 16, 2005

Aquarium of Western Australia

I went for a walk in the park close to the Hotel, and alongside the Swan River, the main river in Perth. At midday I met a friend of mine from my Contiki tour of the States in 2000 and she took me around the city to various local tourist attractions. We enjoyed drinks in Perth, as well as near the beach, after which she dropped me back at the hotel around 5:30PM. Day 4 Sunday, July 17, 2005 I flew from Perth to Melbourne, leaving Perth around 11:15AM and arriving in Melbourne at 5PM. I had arranged to stay with my roommate from my 1997 Contiki tour of Europe, so I collected my rental car and drove to his place. I had dinner with Jason, his parents and his girl-friend, before we went for a late night drive around Melbourne. Day 5 Monday, July 18, 2005 Having got lost in the early morning Melbourne traffic I eventually found myself on the correct route to the Great Ocean Road. This is one of the main tourist attractions in the Melbourne area, and a suggestion of most of the websites I checked of things to do in Australia. The weather was fine when I left Melbourne, but by the time I arrived at the Twelve Apostles (the main attraction on the Great Ocean Road) it was cold and raining. The Twelve Apostles are sandstone rock formations along the coast certainly interesting to see what erosion has done to the rock over many years. Fortunately, despite the weather, I was able to get some good photo's before seeing other attractions along the road to Port Fairy. Having extensively planned my tour using the Internet before leaving Saudi, and having booked online at the Hotel in Port Fairy, I was keen to arrive before dark. From the Twelve Apostles I stopped along the way to Port Fairy to see I) Loch Ard Gorge, II) The Blowhole and III) The Arch. These are all natural attractions formed by water eroding the sandstone along the coast. I eventually arrived in Port Fairy just as it was getting dark.
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The Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean Road

At the Twelve Apostles National Park

The Great Ocean Road is certainly quite spectacular and has scenery similar to the Chapmans Peak drive in Cape Town, thought the Great Ocean Road is much longer. Having visited the local pub for some dinner (just a short walk into town) I walked back to the Hotel around 10PM with not a soul in sight. Being a Monday night in one of the smallest towns was not conducive to a great deal of interaction with the locals. Day 6 Tuesday, July 19, 2005 Having not seen all of the Great Ocean Road the previous day I decided to spend another day in the area rather than drive back to Melbourne as planned. I awoke early for a drive around Port Fairy, stopping along the beach to watch the sea as well as seeing what properties were for sale in the area. From there it was on to Griffiths Island Reserve and the chance to visit the lighthouse at the end of the island. A 20minute walk took me to the lighthouse where I took some good photo's of the sea. I eventually left Port Fairy around 10AM to see the rest of the Great Ocean Road. The weather was still pretty miserable, but fortunately I had my jacket with me that I bought in Norway in 1999. Once again there were many interesting sites to see, including I) The Bay of Islands, II) Crofts Bay, III) The Bay of Martyrs, IV) The Grotto and V) London Bridge. London Bridge was the most interesting of these five. There used to be a bridge over the sea connecting the mainland to an outcrop of rock. This bridge collapsed in 1990 leaving the rocky outcrop alone in the ocean. Having spent the morning at these sites I drove to Port Campbell to find a Hotel. Fortunately I was able to check into the Hotel without having a reservation, and it turned out to be quite good quality. Hoping for better weather I drove once again to the Twelve Apostles to see whether I could take some photo's at sunset. The weather had improved from the previous day, but not by much. Having spent another two hours at the Twelve Apostles National Park I drove back to the Hotel in Port Campbell for the night. It was then that I got the news of the death of my gran not unexpected, but sad nonetheless.
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The Bay of Islands Great Ocean Road Day 7 Wednesday, July 20, 2005

London Bridge on the Great Ocean Road

I awoke before sunrise for the drive back to Melbourne, this time along the main road rather than the Great Ocean Road. I stopped in Melbourne to see the Royal Exhibition Center (a World Heritage Site). Though it is closed to the public I was able to see it from the outside and tick off another World Heritage Site from my list. I then drove to the airport for my flight to Sydney. Day 8 Thursday, July 21, 2005 Having heard so much about the climb of the Sydney Harbor Bridge I reserved my place over the Internet. My climb started at 9:05AM. Having been through the preclimb process (a breathalyzer test, wearing specific clothes that they require (to prevent things from falling onto the cars below) and getting fitted with the contraption that connects you to the bridge), it was time to actually start the climb. The climb was not as difficult as I expected it to be, and we made many stops along the climb to admire the view of Sydney Harbor, and particularly the birds eye view of the Sydney Opera House. We were not allowed to take cameras onto the bridge (again to prevent it falling onto cars below) but we did get a complimentary photo as part of the entry ticket. After the climb I walked to the Sydney Opera House to take photo's, both of the Opera House itself and the skyline of Sydney. That evening I had booked to attend a concert in the Sydney Opera House. I thought I could not go all the way to Australia and not see a concert in the most famous opera house in the world. I managed to reserve my seat well in advance of the evenings performance by booking online from Saudi Arabia. Though the performance itself was not that great, the opportunity to see a concert in the Sydney Opera House (and to see its inside) made the evening worthwhile. After the concert I was able to take many photo's of the Sydney skyline at night, before heading back, via McDonalds and Starbucks, to the Hotel.

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Atop the Sydney Harbor Bridge Day 9 Friday, July 22, 2005

The most famous landmark in Sydney

Today I had booked a day tour of Sydney so I awoke early for the walk to the meeting point of the tour. The tour started by driving over the Sydney Harbor Bridge. We then stopped on the other side for a photo opportunity before driving to the Sydney Harbor National Park (Arabanoo Lookout) for a view of the harbor. Following that we drove through to Manly Beach for early morning tea at the beach. That was followed by a drive back into Sydney where some people on the tour, including myself, had an included lunch boat cruise on Sydney Harbor to enjoy. We boarded the boat and sailed around Sydney Harbor, taking many photo's of the Opera House and the Sydney skyline. It was good to get a different perspective of the Opera House, having seen just one side the previous night when I attended the concert. After the lunch cruise it was back to the bus for a brief stop to see Mrs Macquaries Chair, alongside Sydney Harbor. Following that we drove to the world famous Bondi Beach for another brief photo opportunity before working our way back to Sydney and the end of the tour.

Up close and personal with the Sydney Harbor Bridge

Yet another country visited by my rucksack

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Sailing on Sydney Harbor Day 10 Saturday, July 23, 2005

Bondi Beach in the late afternoon

Today I had booked another day tour of the Sydney area so again it was up early to meet the coach. This time it was for a drive to the Blue Mountains and the Jenolan Caves, quite a distance outside of Sydney. We drove out to the Blue Mountains (a World Heritage Site yet another one marked off my list), passing the Olympic village along the way. The drive to the Blue Mountains (so called because of the blue haze resulting from the gum trees) took around 1 hours though the drive was worth the effort. There are two ways to see the Blue Mountains from the top admiring the view, or to be transported into the forest below. I took a ride on the Scenic Railway, a very steep roller-coaster that drops you into the forest from where you can then explore. Having spent about 40 minutes exploring the forest (due to time constraints to meet the coach) I caught the Sceniscender back to the top. Once back at the top I was able to get a full view over the Blue Mountains, and fully appreciate why they are known by that name. After the visit to the gift shop (quite common at the Australian attractions) it was off to the Jenolan Caves, another long drive down winding roads.

At the lookout point for the Blue Mountains

One of the formations in the Jenolan Caves

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Having spent 1 hours in the caves we drove back to Sydney. By this time it was dark and we caught the traffic going home, though we were not too late. Then it was time to meet some of the locals. South Africa was playing Australia (the tri-nations I think) so I went to one of the pubs down the street from the hotel. I met three Aussie fellows and we ended up socializing until 2AM. I am pleased to say that South Africa won 33 20. Day 11 Sunday, July 24, 2005 Today was the start of the Contiki tour (now that I am approaching the Contiki age limit of 35 this was my last tour). I met the group at 7:30AM before driving through to Coff's Harbour. This was a day spent on the coach getting to know the people that would be doing the same tour. There was quite a good mix of folks, a few from South Africa, some from Australia, and the rest from various other countries.

View of Sydney from Mrs Macquaries chair

The group with whom I traveled on the first part of my tour

We eventually arrived in Coff's Harbour around 4:30PM. I went for a walk along the beach, taking photo's of the sunset, before meeting the group in the pub for dinner and drinks. Day 12 Monday, July 25, 2005 We left Coff's Harbor early in the morning for the drive through to Surfers Paradise on the east coast. We stopped along the way at Cape Byron Heartland Reserve, the most easterly point on the Australian mainland, before heading into Byron Bay for lunch. After lunch we headed to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary where we got to meet / see all sorts of animals unique to Australia. We got the hold the koalas (though that came with an extra fee), feed the kangaroos, watch the dingoes and wombats and feed the hoards of parrots that came specifically to watch the tourists. I was surprised by two things just how thick skinned the koalas are, and how soft the kangaroos are opposite to what I expected. Having bid farewell to the friendly (and some not so friendly) creatures at the sanctuary it was off to Surfers Paradise, just south of Brisbane.

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As far east as one can go on the Australian mainland

One of the friendly koalas

I had arranged to meet yet another of my friends from my American Contiki tour. Claire and I went for dinner at Cavills Norman Hotel, known as Brisbanes worst vegetarian restaurant. Having tucked into fairly large steaks we went for a walk around downtown Brisbane, including South Bank and the city casino. We also drove up Mt Cootha, an impressive hilltop overlooking Brisbane. Day 13 Tuesday, July 26, 2005 We started the day early with a walk to the City Cat, the boats that transport people along the river in Brisbane. We stayed on the boat for the duration of its roundtrip, arriving back at Claires place in late afternoon. Claire dropped me back at the hotel in Surfers Paradise in time for me to meet the Contiki group for an evening at Draculas Restaurant, a cabaret restaurant / comedy club. This was an optional extra on the tour, and well worth the visit.

City Cat in Brisbane

The tour group at Draculas Restaurant

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Following Draculas our group went to the Shooters pub in Surfers Paradise, after which I got back to the hotel at 2AM. Day 14 Wednesday, July 27, 2005 We left at 8:30AM for the drive from Surfers Paradise to Brisbane. We spent the morning looking around Brisbane, before leaving for the farm where we would be staying for the night. The farmstay was one of my least favorite parts of the tour. Though it was interesting to see the farm, and meet yet another friendly bunch of kangaroos, overall I was not impressed by the place. Having paid for a single room on the full tour this was one of two nights that this was not possible. Also the accommodation on the farm left much to be desired so I delayed going to bed as long as I could.

Making friends with the locals

Sunset on the farm

Day 15 Thursday, July 28, 2005 With 15 guys sharing one shower I made sure to arise early and grab the first one for the day. Then it was off to Noosa Heads, a sleepy holiday town along the coast with some super properties right on the beach. We spent almost three hours having lunch, using the Internet, etc before heading off to the ferry. I also took the chance while in Noosa Heads to download my cameras memory stick to CD's. Fortunately I had over 2 gigabytes of memory between the various memory sticks, but with my continual snapping I had to download the photo's five times during the time I was in Australia. We arrived at Fraser Island (a World Heritage Site the largest sand island in the world) at 7:15PM, before heading for dinner and the pajama party (or in my case tracksuit pants and a South African shirt) at the Dingo Bar.
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Day 16 Friday, July 29, 2005 Being a World Heritage Site I wanted to see as much of Fraser Island as I could, so I booked the full day optional tour of the island. We drove along the beach in a 4X4 truck, stopping along the way at various sites. We then had the option to take a flight over the island, which I did. I had the seat alongside the pilot so was able to take some good photo's. We took off along the beach and circled the island for 20 minutes seeing the various inland lakes not visible from the ground. Also we had a good view of the wreck of the Maheno, stranded on the beach many years ago.

Along the beach of Fraser Island

Our transport for the flight over Fraser Island

Wreck of the Maheno from the air

After a hearty lunch, and a chance to absorb some Aussie sunshine, we headed to the forest for a brief walk, and the opportunity to see some unique plants. Then it was off to Lake McKenzie, a freshwater inland lake, where we had the chance to relax, and for those brave souls (myself included), have a swim in the cold water.

The crystal clear water of Lake McKenzie

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We returned to the resort for a shower and dinner. With dinner not being included as part of the tour for that night a group of nine of us (myself and EIGHT ladies!!) decided to go to the fancy restaurant. It was good to have a proper meal (though the food generally was good), some (really) good wine and some good company.

One of the funky plants on Fraser Island

Dinner with eight ladies (one taking the photo, for those counting!!)

After dinner it was off to the Dingo Bar once again where a Karaoke night was held (me sing? no ways!!) where I stayed for an hour before heading out. Day 17 Saturday, July 30, 2005 We left Fraser Island early in the morning for the ferry trip back to the mainland. Another long day was spent on the coach, arriving into Rockhampton around 3PM. We did, however, stop at the Tropic of Capricorn, the first of two occasions we would do so on the tour. Having had an afternoon snooze I met the coach for the optional excursion to the Koorana Crocodile Farm, where we got to sample crocodile (second time I have eaten crocodile), emu (this was a first), kangaroo (I gave that one a skip) and other types of normal food. This was another good night of seeing Australia.

The group at the Tropic of Capricorn

Smile and say cowboy boots!!

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Having arrived back at the hotel we arranged to meet to watch the tri-nations game between South Africa and Australia. I managed to stay awake for the first half only, but was pleased that South Africa won 22 16. It seems that my presence in Australia really helped the Springboks. Day 18 Sunday, July 31, 2005 We left the hotel at 7:45AM for the drive to the Whitsundays, stopping at various places along the way. We spent 2 hours at Airlie Beach, using the Internet, relaxing along the beach, etc... before catching the ferry to Long Island, one of resorts that make up the Whitsundays. We enjoyed dinner and drinks at the resort (and met the new people on the tour for the last few days of the east coast leg), following which I signed up for the pool competition. I won the first round, but there was too much of a delay between frames so I forfeited the rest of the competition.

Sunset on Long Island in the Whitsundays Day 19 Monday, August 1, 2005

The units (mine was right on the beach) on Long Island

I had booked online to play golf at one of the fancy clubs on the mainland. However, I did not realize that I would have to catch the ferry back to the terminal and then catch a taxi for an hour just to get to the golf course. Fortunately I was able to cancel the tee time and used the excuse of the inclement weather to catch up on some outstanding laundry. In the evening the group played Pictionary at the pub, followed by yet another Karaoke night at which I did not sing. Day 20 Tuesday, August 2, 2005 I had booked for the optional extra of Sailing the Whitsundays, so it was up early to catch the boat. Fortunately most of the group booked the same tour so it was a good day out, despite the weather and the sea conditions. We set out early and sailed to another island where we had the chance to look around, chill on the beach, etc. Then it was back to the boat for the sail back to the resort. The evening saw us playing Trivial Pursuit in the Sand Bar followed by an early night given the days activities.

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Sailing the Whitsundays Day 21 Wednesday, August 3, 2005

Drinks at sunset

It was up early for the departure back to the mainland, and the drive through to Cairns. This proved to be another long day on the coach, interspersed with a stop in Tully and a stop for lunch in Townsville. Unfortunately I dropped my camera while in Tully (it got caught on my pocket when I tried to use it) and it fell into the roadside puddle. I was able to rescue the memory stick (and save the photo's) but the camera did not work after that. We arrived in Cairns around 5:30PM. This was followed by dinner at the Rattle n Hum Bar and Grill consisting of some serious pork spare ribs. Then it was off to PJ OBriens Irish Pub where, being with Contiki, we were offered many complimentary drinks (as is usual practice at the pubs that Contiki visits). Having survived the sardine-like atmosphere in the club I caught a taxi back to the hotel, riding with four tour mates that seemed to feel the same way about being packed into a nightclub. Day 22 Thursday, August 4, 2005 Today was a free day when the group was given the opportunity to engage in some optional excursions. I wanted to see yet another World Heritage Site so it was off to the Wet Tropics of Queensland. Unfortunately having dropped my camera the previous day I had to rely on other people to take photo's, which was quite a pain. We (two girls from the tour and I) met the 4X4 bus at 7:20AM for the drive through to Port Douglas. Having stopped to collect various people we eventually arrived at the starting point for the Daintree River cruise. We did the river cruise as well as the walk through the Daintree Forest, stopping along the way for a discussion of the trees and plants found in the forest.

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After lunch we stopped at the Cape Tribulation Beach for an hour before heading to the Mossman Gorge for another walk in the rain forests. It was a really interesting day, seeing a part of Australia that is quite unique. Then it was back to the bus for the return drive through Port Douglas to Cairns. I arrived just in time to catch the bus into town for the night. Having lived without my camera for a day and not having been able to fix it myself using the small screwdrivers that I bought I decided to buy another one. At least the new camera was a better quality (Sony 7.2 megapixels, up from 5 megapizels) so I did not feel too bad. Also with both cameras being Sony meant that I could continue to use the same memory sticks. Fortunately I was able to have the old camera repaired when back in Saudi that is now with my mom in South Africa. I have now attached a device to my camera so that should it be dropped it will not hit the ground, but rather be caught by the inertia wheel device. The evening was spent playing with the new camera, charging the batteries, etc. as the following day promised to be one of the best on tour. Day 23 Friday, August 5, 2005 The day started early with the drive to the ferry that would take us to the Great Barrier Reef, my 5th World Heritage Site of the tour. We boarded the ferry for the 1 hour sail to the reef. This was the perfect opportunity to chill out, enjoy the sun, sympathize with those people feeling seasick, etc. We arrived at the reef and anchored to the floating deck in the middle of the ocean. I was one of only two qualified divers in our tour group so I was able to sign up for proper dives, as opposed to doing the beginner course or just snorkeling. For the first dive we were down for 40 minutes enjoying some fairly clear water, though not much in the way of sea life.

About to hit the water

Our transport to and from the reef

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After a great lunch aboard the boat it was time for the second dive. This dive was much better than the first and I am pleased to say that we spotted a white tipped reef shark as well as a turtle that was all too pleased to eat some of the bread offered by the dive master. Having enjoyed a super day on the Great Barrier Reef we headed back to Cairns, arriving in the late afternoon. The evening was spent at The Woolshed restaurant saying goodbye to new friends. Only a few people did the entire Aussie Explorer tour, whereas most people did just the east coast leg of the tour that I was on. Day 24 Saturday, August 6, 2005 We arose early and, after saying a final farewell to the tour leader and driver, headed to the airport for the flight to Alice Springs. We landed in Alice Springs around lunchtime. The new tour leader and driver were at the airport to meet us. Having checked into the hotel, the afternoon was spent walking around the shops in town, looking for souvenirs. The evening was spent back at the hotel, meeting the people that would be doing the Outback leg of the tour with us. Day 25 Sunday, August 7, 2005 We met the Contiki coach at 8:30AM for the drive to the Alice Springs Desert Park. We spent a few hours wandering around the park, seeing the various animals and watching a display of birds of prey.

The Alice Springs Desert Park

Interesting paving at the Desert Park

Anzac Hill, overlooking Alice Springs

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From the Desert Park we headed to Anzac Hill, commemorating the soldiers from Australia and New Zealand that died in the First World War. This allowed the chance to get a good feel for Alice Springs, seeing pretty much the entire city from high up. The group then went to visit the Flying Doctors museum, something I chose to skip. After that it was back to Alice Springs to stock up on alcohol for the rest of the tour, before returning to the hotel for the night. Day 26 Monday, August 8, 2005 With about half the group I had signed up for the Bushtucker optional extra tour in the morning. We were given the opportunity to meet local Aboriginal people, hear stories about the Dreamtime (i.e. the Aboriginal beliefs regarding the creation), try various types of food from the wild (such as grubs, etc I gave that a skip), throw a boomerang, etc. It was good to be able to experience this side of the Australian culture. Having met the rest of the group around 11:15AM it was off to Ayers Rock (known locally as Uluru). We stopped along the way to admire Mt Connor from a distance (often mistaken for Uluru), and play silly games in the middle of the road.

Contiki coach with Mt Connor in the background

A quiet road on the way to Uluru

Entry ticket to Uluru-Katatjuta National Park

We arrived at Uluru (a World Heritage Site) in late afternoon and checked into the resort close to the rock. Though the accommodation was fairly basic it was comfortable and with there being so many people at the resort complex this allowed the opportunity to chill out and meet people from around the world. I took the chance in the fading light to walk to the furthest viewpoint, closest to Uluru, to take photo's. Always carrying a tripod has its advantages I was able to take many
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good photo's without having to ask other people to hold the camera. I enjoyed seeing the various hues of Uluru as the sun faded beyond the rock.

Sunset over Uluru 1

Sunset over Uluru 2

That evening was spent around the gas grills, cooking our own food. The resort has a dinner scheme whereby you buy the raw ingredients that you want to eat and then cook them on the grills that are provided. This is a good way to ensure that you eat only what you want and have the food cooked exactly as you choose. The evenings socializing was interspersed with trips back to my unit to refill the cup of port that I was drinking. The resort management prefers that you buy alcohol at their counter, thus the need to be discrete in terms of return trips with alcohol. Day 27 Tuesday, August 9, 2005 We arose before dawn to watch the sunrise over Uluru. We drove to the viewing point right at Uluru to watch the sun come up, followed by a hearty breakfast in the cold morning air. I had set my heart on climbing Uluru, despite requests that it not be climbed out of respect for Aboriginal history. Fortunately Uluru was open for climbing and I, along with many other people from other groups, made the ascent. This was one of the hardest things I have ever done, second only to the walk that I did up Mt Sinai in Egypt. The early going was OK with the gradient being relatively gentle. However, upon reaching the chains the climb became a lot more challenging. With there being so many people on the rock, each with a different speed of ascent, staying close to the chains was difficult. If I needed a rest I would sit off to the side and let others go past. This was actually quite dangerous and I am surprised that the authorities allow people
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to climb under such conditions, despite Uluru being closed for climbing during high winds and wet weather.

Sunrise over Uluru

Close to the summit of Uluru, looking back towards the Olgas

Having finally made it to the summit after 90 minutes of slog, I took the time to enjoy the achievement and the view, before heading down.

At the top after a long, hard climb

Looking north along the side of Uluru

Having retraced my steps in just 40 minutes I made it back to the coach with 10 minutes to spare. We headed for the culture center close to Uluru where we had the opportunity to do some shopping. I finally committed to a boomerang, thinking that there could be no better place to buy one than from the shop close to Uluru. It is a great purple and black boomerang that I had framed and that now hangs in my lounge in Saudi Arabia.

Boomerang ready for framing

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The chains on the side of Uluru

Safely back at the bottom note the people and the chains in the background

Having visited the Culture Center it was off to the Olgas, a range of rocks quite close to Uluru. We did some more walking, this time, however, on relatively flat ground.

The group from the Outback tour

The Olgas

By the time we arrived back at the resort that afternoon everyone was really tired. I took the chance to have a snooze before meeting the coach at 5:15PM to drive back to Uluru. As an optional extra we could enjoy a champagne and chips evening while watching the sunset. Being back at Uluru I took many more photo's, using the fancy settings on my new camera to capture the serenity of the rock.

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The changing hues of Uluru Day 28 Wednesday, August 10, 2005

With people feeling the effects of the champagne and the exhilaration of a great sunset, we boarded the coach for the drive back to the resort. We ate again at the resort, and once again I ordered and cooked a super hamburger, made even nicer by the fact that I had done so much exercise during the day.

We departed Uluru, having definitely been a life experience for me. We arrived at Kings Canyon for some more exercise, this time a 3 hour walk along the Kings Canyon trail. The original part of the hike was quite tough as we climbed our way to the rim of the canyon. From there though it was pretty flat, allowing us to explore the great rock formations, the vegetation and the rock pools.

About to dive into the canyon

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Kings Canyon trail

Swag night at Kings Creek Station

After the hike we drove through to Kings Creek Station for what proved to be the least enjoyable evening on the tour. Contiki had planned a swag night to allow us to experience sleeping in an Australian sleeping bag. Though the early evening was enjoyable with everyone sitting around the campfire, and me drinking port as usual, I dreaded the thought of having to sleep in a swag. I stayed up with four other folks until 3:30AM before finally calling it a night. Once you get used to the swag it is not too bad, and it turned out to be quite warm. It is not, however, something I plan to do again. Day 29 Thursday, August 11, 2005 We left Kings Creek Station around mid-morning for the drive back to Alice Springs. This was another long day on the coach, with a stop at Simpsons Gap for the official group photo.

Contiki group in Simpsons Gap

The rafters at Overlanders Steakhouse

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Having arrived in Alice Springs we walked into town to the Overlanders Steakhouse, another of the optional extras. After an excellent dinner of Australian specialties, part of the group performed Home Among the Gumtrees, a song that we had learned at the farmstay earlier in the tour. Then some adventurous souls climbed into the rafters, something that has become a tradition at this restaurant. I added my name to the many names written on the ceiling over the years. I then walked back to the hotel for an early night.

Day 30 Friday, August 12, 2005 We left Alice Springs for the drive to Tennant Creek. We stopped once again at another point marking the Tropic of Capricorn, as well as stopping for snacks at Wycliffe Well, claimed to be the UFO capital of Australia.

At the Tropic of Capricorn

Wycliffe Well Holiday Park

Before arriving at Tennant Creek we stopped at Devils Marbles, various rocks named for the mystic powers they are believed to contain.

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The evening was rounded off with a BBQ dinner at the hotel, followed by an early night. Day 31 Saturday, August 13, 2005 We left Tennant Creek for the drive to Katherine. We stopped at Elliott for brunch and then Daly Waters for lunch. After that we stopped for a swim at the Mataranka Thermal pools before arriving in Katherine as it was getting dark. Day 32 Sunday, August 14, 2005 We left Katherine for the drive to Kakadu National Park. We stopped at Katherine Gorge for the optional boat cruise along the river. Having cruised the river and seen rock paintings for around two hours it was off to Edith Falls for a midday swim.

Cruising in the Katherine Gorge

Time for a swim at Edith Falls

Having checked into the units at Kakadu National Park (a World Heritage Site) we once again met the bus for the drive to see some rock paintings and watch the sunset.

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Following the discussion of the rock paintings our group climbed a rocky outcrop and took up positions to best view the setting sun. Following sunset we drove back to the resort where a group of us played cards until 12:30AM. Day 33 Monday, August 15, 2005 The day started off with laundry at the resort, followed by a drive to a different spot within Kakadu. We were once again taken to see Aboriginal rock paintings, dating back many hundreds of years. The guided walk included details of the history of the National Park and the opportunity to view areas very similar to the South African bush. After lunch we did a boat cruise through the Kakadu wetlands, where we had the chance to spot crocodiles and various types of birds.

Stay out of the water!!

Cruising the Kakadu wetlands

The evenings dinner was at the Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn. This is a hotel shaped in the form of a crocodile. The evening was really good, made better by the free flowing cocktails and the superb food at the hotel.

An instant party for which Contiki tours are renowned.

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Day 34 Tuesday, August 16, 2005 We met the bus at 8:45AM for the drive through to Darwin, the final destination of the tour. We stopped in Darwin for the afternoon for a final opportunity to do some souvenir shopping. After lunch we visited the local museum, in which I was not particularly interested, so I ended up having coffee with two of the ladies on the tour. Finally we checked into the hotel, before meeting the bus once again for another official group photo on the beach.

Road from Kakadu to Darwin

On the beach in Darwin

The evening was spent at a great roadside restaurant in the center of Darwin, followed by a visit to one of the local nightclubs. Part of the attraction of the nightclub was the drinks being given away for doing various things. Being with Contiki we had an automatic bias towards us, and we won two of the three competitions that night, ending up with tots of alcohol flowing freely. This ended up being the best party of the time I spent in Australia, and I eventually arrived back at the hotel around 1:30AM. Day 35 Wednesday, August 17, 2005 The final day of the tour dawned, and the group headed off to Litchfield National Park, quite a way out of Darwin. We were promised some large anthills and were not disappointed. The weather was excellent, as seems usual for the Northern Territory, which was good news for the planned swim in Wangi Falls later in the day.

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Final day of touring in Australia

Some serious anthills

The day ended with dinner at a restaurant in central Darwin with farewells being said to the people on the tour. Day 36 Thursday, August 18, 2005 I left Darwin around 3PM on the flight back to Perth, where I spent a few hours before boarding the flight bound for Dubai. Day 37 Friday, August 19, 2005 Having arrived in Dubai in the early hours of the morning I spent the entire day at the hotel, before catching the evening flight back to Riyadh.

Immigration stamp

Stamp upon exiting Australia

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All in all I really enjoyed my trip to Australia. It is certainly a place I could see myself living, especially somewhere like Brisbane (if I had to choose a city) or Alice Springs (if I had to choose a rural setting). The highlights of my trip, in order, are as follows: o The climb up Uluru, despite the challenge o The dives on the Great Barrier Reef o Seeing an opera at the Sydney Opera House o Driving the Great Ocean Road outside of Melbourne o Climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge o Seeing a lot of the Outback, and Australia in general o Ticking off the following World Heritage Sites from my list: The Royal Exhibition Center in Melbourne The Blue Mountains Fraser Island The Wet Tropics of Queensland The Great Barrier Reef Uluru Kakadu National Park o Meeting new friends of various nationalities. Though I have almost reached the Contiki age cutoff of 35, and Australia was my last Contiki tour, I am really pleased to have done so many of their tours, making friends from around the world. The tours that I have done are as follows: o European Explorer (1997) o Grand All American (52 days around the USA 2000) o Greek Island Hopping (2002) o Greek and Egypt combined (2003) o Aussie Explorer (2005) I look forward to returning to Australia one day. Cheers for now,

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