Day 5 - Uluru to Sydney
We woke up early enough to see catch the sunrise, but it probably wasn’t as dramatic as it normally would be due to the overcast sky. Still, it was nice to get out and have a mini hike up to the lookout point.
Breakfast was not particularly memorable. It’s a few days later now as I type this. Reflecting back, the best hotel breakfast buffet was in Sydney. The others were all ok, but nothing exceptional. Freycinet (Tasmania) had the best view by far. We just arrived in Hobart this evening FYI.
After breakfast we gathered up all the luggage and headed out to Kata Tjuta. So Uluru is obviously what draws travels to the middle of nowhere, but it’s not the only attraction. Kata Tjuta is similar - its basically a big rock formation sticking out of the ground. However, its made of multiple rocks whereas Uluru is literally one gigantic solid rock. Kata Tjuta is considerably wider and taller and more dynamic with it’s multiple peaks. I met someone on my pre nights that preferred Kata Tjuta over Uluru, and that seems to be a common opinion. I still prefer Uluru with it’s symmetry, but they’re both pretty incredible. Apparently the rock formations go down several kilometers underground and are some of the oldest geological formations anywhere. Hard to imagine.
We hiked through Kata Tjuta for about an hour before heading back to the airport. Speaking of hiking, Australia has definitely been a more active trip compared to the Asian ABDs (China and SE Asia). We had multiple hikes, zip lining, kayaking, snorkeling, and surfing. Not that it’s better or worse than the China or SE Asia. It’s just more active. We’ve loved it so far, and it’s been a nice change from our previous
ABD’s together. It’s definitely pushed our comfort zones and that’s a good thing. There were a lot of firsts for the both of us.
I’ve heard of guests doing optional camel rides (for a fee) in the past in Uluru on this day, but we did not have that option. My guess is the timing made it impossible. It would have to be very early, as we left the hotel at 9:00am (with breakfast and bag pull before that). Not a big deal (for us), but something to note for others taking this trip.
Our trip to Uluru in the "Red Centre” was a brief one, but well worth it. Uluru is said to be the most remote place on Earth - farthest away from any large city. I don’t know if that’s true, but it certainly feels true. It is so dramatically different and far removed from Sydney or Cairns. That’s another great thing about this trip. The variety in what you see from tropical north Queensland, to the desert, to Sydney, to Tasmania. They are all vastly different from each other. Again, being in Hobart now, I’ve really felt like I’ve seen quite a bit of Australia. There’s more I’d like to see such as Melbourne and maybe western Australia, and I hope to one day return and see stars above Uluru
. But this was definitely a very well rounded trip.
We flew to Sydney in the early afternoon and drove to Mrs. Macquarie’s Chair for our first glimpse of the Opera House. Gavin and I had visited this spot before, but not in the evening. It was very dramatic and a perfect way to start our stay in Sydney.
We checked into the Sheraton and everyone was relieved we were back in civilization compared to our hotel in Uluru
The Sheraton is definitely the nicest hotel of the trip. The restaurant buffet was also very good. Most everyone dressed up slightly for the dinner. The restaurant, Feast, was having a Christmas in July theme so Christmas decorations were everywhere. Another nice thing about this trip is the availability of very good Australian/Tasmanian wines by the glass here and really everywhere on the trip. It really makes me want to visit a winery in Australia around Sydney or Melbourne. We do get to visit a winery in Tasmania, but more about that later - (it was a lot of fun).