Central Australia Tour

Better Together Alliance Central Australia Tour

Monday September 18 saw the second Better Together Alliance Central Australia Tour take off for an action packed 10 days of travel, sightseeing and learning about the wonderful country we live in.

Day 1 saw us all meeting at 6am, ready and excited to go. We hopped on the bus and 8 hours later we arrived in Burra to set up for our first night camping. After a few false starts, we relaxed and stretched our legs. The Jones’s – our friendly husband and wife driver and cook team – had dinner on the go before we knew it.

We left Burra bright and early on Day 2 heading towards bush camp. After a day of travelling we arrived. Quickly we set up camp, and as we had no phone reception, we got to know each other a little better. Campfires, staying up all night and lots of laughter meant that by morning, we were one big group rather than four different schools.

Our third day on the bus took us right into the heart of Alice Springs. We were all very excited to see a pool where we were staying as the 36°C temperatures had been a shock! We all cooled off and relaxed – a great way to straighten out our legs.

Day 4 we headed off for some sightseeing. After visiting the John Flynn memorial, we made our way to Simpson’s Gap and then back to camp for lunch. After lunch we visited the Royal Flying Doctor’s Service in Alice Springs, which was very interesting. In the evening we were treated to a visit from Rex the wildlife man. Holding snakes, bearded dragons and other reptiles was a huge highlight for some of us.

Day 5 was a big day. We visited several places such as Glen Helen Gorge, Stanley Chasm and had an enjoyable afternoon swimming at Ormiston Gorge – the perfect end to a day.

Day 6 saw us packing up and heading off to Kings Creek Station. We arrived just in time for several of us to have helicopter flights overlooking George Gill range, which was breathtaking. We walked to watch sunset overlooking the National Park and then enjoyed dinner before bed.

We were up extra early on Day 7 so we could walk the Kings Canyon rim walk – 2.5 hours of breathtaking views and amazing rock formations. After a quick lunch (and some of us quadbiking around the Station) we set off to Yulara – the Uluru campground. We were very excited to see the Rock in the distance!

Early on Day 8, we set off to Kata Tjuta for a ‘short’ walk to the second lookout that turned into a 9.6km walk around the base! After a recovery lunch back at camp, we headed to the main attraction: Uluru. This has to be seen to be believed. After an amazing sunset over Uluru, we headed back to camp for our last night in tents.

Day 9, and we packed up camp for the last time and headed off to Coober Pedy, arriving just in time for a bit of free time around town. A night in a real bed was truly appreciated!

The next morning we visited the opal museum and saw some opal cutting. We had the opportunity to have a final walk around town before heading off on our express bus trip home. 20 hours later, we arrived home to some very excited family members and the comforts of our beds.

An amazing trip which created new friends and made life-long memories. A trip recommended to anyone who has the opportunity to go!

Many thanks to Tourism NT who provided the BTA Central Australia Tour with a $1000 grant under their Northern Territory School Excursion Program.

Kath Hocking