Aus Half Lap 2024

After our first night of everyone sleeping through and being in their own beds til morning, we set out driving to Uluru to complete the Base Walk. This takes you the whole way around the circumference of Uluru, 10.6km. We were confident the kids would tolerate it, and when needed we were prepared with the baby carrier and shoulders. We headed off anti-clockwise just after 9am and decided to include the Mala side walk, about an extra km. This offered close ups and climbing opportunities in the many caves and rocky overhangs of Uluru, before ending at a waterhole lookout at the base of Uluru created by water cascading down the rock, although there was certainly no rain to be seen during our visit. Back on the main track we soon began passing groups on bikes and Segways, but very few other people walking - but we were committed now! We made sure to allow for multiple stops and snack breaks, and the kids were also motivated by the novelty of the camel back water bladder drinking straws. Reassuringly, as the day wore on more and more walkers appeared on the track - it turned out we were just early birds! We were treated to near and far views of the big red rock, and on a hot day especially enjoyed the few stretches of walk with some shade. After 3.5hrs of walking and 11.6km we were all happy to see the carpark come into view, with the promise of icrecreams at the nearby Cultural Centre getting us all over the finish line. In the end Eva walked about 70% of the way and Millie just under half. At the cultural centre we ate lunch and icecreams, and checked out the art galleries, admiring all the different variety of dot paintings and desperately trying to prevent Millie from breaking the fragile timber carvings on display.
We headed back to the Ayers Rock resort and found respite from the heat in the Gallery theatre watching the documentary of the making of the Indigenous drone show which happens nightly over Uluru. We couldn't go to the show as kids have to be 5+ (which was somewhat of a relief as the tickets would have cost us $600 to watch live from the viewing platform). Next we happened upon a didgeridoo demonstration in the outdoor amphitheatre, and Millie and Eva loved using the provided tapping sticks to join in with the music - and also tossing them down the stairs 🤦‍♀️

We grabbed an early pizza dinner at the Resort cafe, before heading back to camp to watch the sunset over Uluru from the viewing hill.

We got chatting with our camp neighbours, who had two little ones Stella 3 and George 11mths, travelling for 7 weeks from Mornington Peninsula up to Darwin for a wedding. All 3 girls were frenetic with excitement but especially Stella, and over the next few days we had to meter their time together, as the parents from Victoria were suffering from severe sleep deprivation and wild child syndrome.Read more