Hotter than the sun

Hey all... been a while since I've last been on.. things are flying by here. Im currently in a internet cafe in Bondi.. with loads of crazed Italians around me talking on MSN..

Left Cairns on Tuesday - as I looked out of the plane window at the sea, I didn't realise that within a few hours id be craving to see it again... landed in Alice Springs.. lovely air conditioned airport, walked outside and the only way to describe it is... as if I'd walked into a blast furnace. It was 41 degree's.. Wow!

Cairns was hot but this place was nuclear... But guess that's what you get when you go to the desert... Hostel was cool, literally - as I had the air con on defcon 12!! Maximum impact - you could have froze chicken in my room.. it was ace.

Walked around Alice Springs.. and Im not one to be critical about a place until I've seen it all...

sooooo five minutes later after seeing it all I decided it was a shit hole... (sorry mom). This may seem negative but seriously the flying doctors tv program made it look glamorous.. If you like didgeree doo shops and drunk aborigines then head here - you'll love it.

But, this minor thing is so insignificant when I saw the sunset at Uluru (Ayres Rock)... Absolutely amazing... being that far away from civilisation (it takes 6 hours from Alice Springs via coach) makes you truly appreciate the vastness of the outback.

I took a two day tour from Alice Springs to Uluru, Kings Canyon and the Olga's. On my bus was a mixed group of people including Gold member baddie from Austin powers... mad Dutch man who loved acdc and who also wore a shell suit... classic. Some cool people on the bus including a couple called Dan and Sarah.. got chatting to them, both Graphic designers... I tell you you cant move for designers over here...

Firstly we went to Kings Canyon, and did a two hour hike over the top of it... brilliant, hot, but brilliant... It was 41 degree's in the shade and our guides thermometer hit 51 degree's at one point. Now quick side track.. our guide... called Boom, or as Dan and myself called him Wally alla Crocodile Dundee... talks like he knows his stuff but really you think... is he making this up? Nice guy though...

After the trek... went for swim.. best swim every... once all 20 of us jumped int he pool I think most of the water evaporated... From Kings canyon we drove to Uluru (a further three hours) and this is when we caught the sunset. That night I slept in a swag under the stars.. seriously it was ace... lying there just looking at the night sky... Beautiful - though every time a pidgeon farted you were awake checking for spiders... apart from that had a fantastic nights sleep.

Was woken up at 4.15 am by the good morning Vietnam soundtrack, very surreal. We then headed to see the sun rise at Uluru.... loads of people there. Then walked half way around it... from a distance it looks smooth but up close its a different story... loads of small caves and nooks and cranies everywhere... Here's a fact for you.. Uluru is a monolith and current scanning technology has estimated that it goes 6 miles underground... You'll bee telling people that in the pub tonight.

From here we went to the Olga's again a fantastic place.. huge rock formations and millions of flys........ the walk was ace though I was close to a nervous breakdown with swarms of flys.. I go mental at home if there is one fly in the house... there was tonnes here and all heading for me...

Left Ulura happy and contented and the fact I was heading back to A.Springs didn't bother me at all.... now off to Sydney!!