Downunder trip number 7 2010 deel 3
Australië
Oceanië
Akerkvliet
Downunder trip number 7 2010 deel 3
Back in Sydney after a long and tiring day up to our room to freshen up for dinner. After walking for about an hour or so through Chinatown we ended up near the hotel again and had a sandwich on the terrace and beer to wash it down for dinner a culinary delight I must say, the tomato sauce was delicious.
Just one more day in Sydney and off to Uluru ( Ayers Rock ) thank heavens. It rained all day today in Sydney so no cruise of Sydney Harbor, no Opera House and what I really wanted to do is the Skywalk on Sydney Tower. The Skywalk is a breathtaking outdoor tour on the roof top of the highest tourist attraction in Sydney, 268 meters (880 feet) above Sydney’s sea level! Imagine stepping out onto the clouds and walk across the glass-floor viewing platform for a unique 360 degree views over glittering Sydney and beyond, dressed in a protective Sky suit, safety-harness the thrill of it all! But just our luck it was cancelled due to high winds and the rain. Maybe next time? The most thrilling thing we did that day was walk across the street to a pub that was open for you guessed it a beer!
Checking out didn’t take long and yes there was John our chauffeur ready to take us to the airport for our flight to Uluru. I can skip the part about the flight and get straight on to Uluru. To my amazement we received an upgrade to another room which took me by surprise. Opening the curtains in our room we were met with an awesome view of Uluru in all its glory just bloody amazing!
Okay I know it may be boring to you the reader but imagine being me and remembering all this! Yep another tour. Off we go for a tour of Uluru nice and early before sunup to enjoy breakfast and a different perspective of the Rock. After breakfast we did a driving tour of the Rock our driver Andrew was well informed about the history and ancient sites of Uluru. But the only way to see Uluru is form a bird’s eye view which we did with Greg our helicopter pilot. I just love flying don’t you?
Back from the shopping mall put away our shopping a six pack of beer, cup a soup, salt and vinegar chips, 4 bread rolls, butter and cheese. This is for breakfast of course! Now it’s time to get dressed for the Sounds of Silence dinner in the desert. What a great venue, we were at the site met by our maître d' and led up a path to a viewing area to watch the sunset on Uluru while drinking champagne and enjoying canapés before dinner. After some banter with a couple of Belgium tourists we were led down to our table first the groups of 4 or more and then the lonely travelers and the pairs where dumped where there was still a seat available, and boy where we lucky!
And yes my sister let me down as we introduced ourselves to our table partners I realized that they where Dutch and what did she do she spoke Dutch to them! They thought they were going to share the table with a couple of Australians, which I would have thought to very funny! Let them do their best speaking English and at the end say goodnight to them in Dutch but that idea had been completely buggered by my sister. But in all I was the lucky one I sat next to Patty who was living in Oz in Sydney to be exact. Her parents and their friends where visiting her while they toured Australia and took her to see Uluru, and you never know we might just meet again!! But I am forgetting what the Sounds of Silence dinner is all about!
Just before getting our deserts we were first treated to a short didgeridoo intermezzo followed by an introduction to the stars by an astronomer who tool us on a tour of the clear Southern night skies. The Silence and the star filled heavens was absolutely bloody amazing. And now I know where the Southern Cross is, Gemini “Castor en Pollux “, Alpha Centauri, Leo, Scorpius and many more minor stars. After a coffee and back to the resort a much wiser man.
So now it’s the 03rd of April already and yes another tour to see Kata Tjuta ( the Olga’s) with Barry as our driver and guide. After a short drive we arrived at the entrance to the Olga’s, after an introduction into the history of the site of we went on a nice walk into the valley ! No bloody way was this nice it was bloody murder with Barry the Billy Goat Bastard, he had no idea how to be a guide it seems, all he wanted is to do his goat thing and left the elderly ,infirm and children behind, Christ I tried to keep up but do I look like a goat? Don’t answer that! It was 35 degrees Celsius so who wants to rush up a rocky path into death valley?
I sure as hell don’t . So after about an hour of walking and stumbling around I turned back which I should have done sooner but I am on tour and I will enjoy it even it kills me! And I am glad I did go back to the comfort of shade a cold water, and why? My sister did go most of the way until she also turned back after Barry the Billy Goat stood talking for 30 minutes about a bloody tree as if it was family? Christ what a di..head! After waiting another hour or so they finally came back and we were glad to go back.
Morgen deel 4:
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