Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia, Australia

Today started out with a 6am wakeup call, after a very good night of sleep. I was surprised at how quiet the 20 bed dorm room was compared to the night before, but I guess it totally depends on who is in it. I was stoked to go outside and actually see some stars through the clouds outside. It was the first time I’d seen a star in a few days, so this meant I was going to finally see a sunrise! Jason and I took a ride out to Uluru and staked out a spot to watch the sunrise and see the effect it had on the rock.

It turns out we weren’t the only ones with this idea and the park was full of people. We managed to find a more secluded lookout where people weren’t clambering over each other to get a good shot. Unfortunately, there was still quite a bit of cloud cover, but we caught a little glimpse of the sun peaking over the horizon and shining against the rock. I’m glad I finally got to see it, because it does make the whole area look so much different. Uluru was so much redder than I had seen it, the trees were greener and eventually the sky was bluer.

I went back to the hostel to drop Jason off and then headed out to Kata Tjuta. By this time the sun had burned through the clouds and it was a perfect blue sky overhead. This is the way I had pictured the area to look before I came here, and it makes sense why so many people want to come see this place. It was amazing! I did the full circuit walk around Kata Tjuta and it was by far the best thing I’ve done on this trip. Even though it’s not as well known as Uluru, it’s definitely more impressive and picturesque. The walk took about 2.5 hours and I couldn’t stop taking pictures on my way around. It seemed that every 15 feet it would look different and I’d have to take another picture.

I did the Wala Gorge walk as well before heading back to the hostel. It really was awe inspiring seeing all these things in the blazing sunlight. As cool as it was to see Uluru with waterfalls on it, these places are far more impressive in the light of day. I checked out the sunset from the viewing platform at the hostel ground, but unfortunately it wasn’t as bright as I thought it was going to be. I was expecting the rock to totally change color, but the transformation wasn’t as powerful as I thought. Regardless, it was a lot better than watching it in the rain or under an overcast sky.

The hostel is much quieter tonight than it has been in the last few days. It must have something to do with the tours that come through here on certain days. It looks like tonight I have my own little four bed cubby hole to myself, so that’s not a bad thing. It’s going to be an early rise for me tomorrow again as I have a scenic flight booked for 7am. It should be a good way to see the sunrise over Uluru and Kata Tjuta!