The Red Centre

Back when Rob and I were footloose and fancy free, we spent ten weeks traipsing through Europe. While in Paris, we debated whether or not we had to go see the Mona Lisa. After all, how could the painting possibly live up to all the hype? How wrong we were. Experiencing her alluring smile in person was utterly transporting.

And so it is with Uluru. It absolutely lives up to all the hype.

We first caught sight of the monolith as we were descending into Ayers Rock airport. All four of us were giggling and pointing – it was like spotting a rock star (tee hee – geddit?)

Once you are on the ground, you can see Uluru wherever you are. 

It is a Really. Big. Rock.

We learned just how big it is the next day as we did the 10.6k walk around its base.

After three days at Uluru, we had a 440k road trip up to Alice Springs. About an hour into the drive, just at the point where I was nodding off, Rob yelled "DINGO!!!" and performed an impressive 180 on the highway. This lovely critter was chowing down on a brumby sized piece of road kill but sauntered off when we came back to take pictures. Dingos are smaller than you would expect - about the same size as Georgie, our boxer.

Note the colour of the ground - the Red Centre is really red.

Just south of Alice Springs, we stopped for another essential outback experience. Camel rides. The girls, perhaps remembering our horseback riding exploits in WA, were happy to double up and remain tethered to the guide. 

 We loved Alice Springs. There are so many things to see and do there. Our favourite was the Desert Springs wildlife park where they give hourly talks on flora and fauna of the area. This joey had just come out of the pouch the previous week and mama wasn't very happy about all the people looking at him.

We also visited a reptile centre were we got to hold skinks and lizards and Sophie got a python wedgie.

Finally, we spent two nights at Kings Canyon which was absolutely breathtaking. We did the four hour hike around the rim and our cameraman got a real workout.

Garden of Eden - a tropical oasis in the middle of the outback

Isabelle wanted to crawl out onto a ledge to get a picture of her peering over the cliff edge but had to settle for this safer shot.

This is the cliff from the other side. That gorge is hundreds of feet deep.

This critter was basking on the rocks on our way back down the gorge. Thankfully, we didn't spot a single snake or spider in the wild during our whole 10 day visit.

Frigid in Frankston

photo from abc.net

When we were packing to come to Australia, several pieces of our luggage were overweight. I had to lose ten pounds out of my suitcase so I jettisoned things that I didn't think I would need – an extra fleece, slippers, sweaters – things like that. After all, we were headed to Australia, a land famous for its sunny beaches and desert Outback.

WRONG!

I am freezing down here! That heat wave you’re having right now? Send a few degrees down here please.

It’s not that the temps here are all that cold – the chilliest it has been is 9 degrees, which, back home, is shorts weather for me. No, the difference here is that the temperatures outside are the same as the temperatures inside. Australian houses aren't as well insulated as Canadian homes. This morning, as we headed out the door for early morning swim practice, it was actually warmer outside the house. Don’t get me wrong – we’re living in a beautiful house that has everything we need and more. It’s just that this is the way Australians live. Energy costs are almost triple what they are in BC and heating systems are only used when absolutely necessary and never, ever during the night. 

Everyone complains bitterly but putting up with the cold seems to be a matter of national pride. 

One upmanship has turned into one degree downmanship:

“Yeah, well, I don’t turn the heat on until I can see my breath in the house.” 

“Well, I don’t turn on the thermostat until my fingers are so cold and numb that I can’t feel the knob.”

I get boggle eyed stares when I tell them that we turn our heat on in October and turn it off in May.

A few lessons I've learned:

Hot water bottles (HWB) are the best things ever invented. My leopard print covered HWB goes with me everywhere in the house. I always have it on my lap while I’m at the computer and have mastered mousing with my left hand so I can alternate tucking my frigid digits into HWB’s warming folds.

I have banned the dishwasher, mostly because washing dishes keeps my hands warm. I encourage the kids to use as many dishes as they want so I can justify standing at the sink with deliciously hot water up to my elbows.

Toilet seats are to be avoided at all cost. It’s like sitting on an iceburg. Lord help you if you have to get up in the middle of the night. There’s no going back to sleep after that shocking experience.

So, stay cool everyone. Enjoy the beautiful sunshine and spare a thought for us poor frozen Canucks down here.

Isabelle's is zebra striped, mine is leopard print and Sophie's is a puppy