Today is the day. We will finally get to see Uluru. We go and have a look at the sunrise from a lookout at the campsite, about 150 meters away. Only Ted and Emer get it wrong and they never make it to the lookout. it is bloody cold so all the pictures of "Here's me at Uluru at sunrise" show us with beanies and big jackets on. We have agreat breakfast with bacon and eggs. Funny how I never ever have bacon and eggs for breakfast but right now I feel lke it is just what I need. Probably because I never ever sleep in a swag when it is this cold. Although you do get used to it. Nipplus Erectus has its charm.
On the way up to Uluru, Lachy throws us out of the car to taste some honey from a flower. Quite tasty if you wipe of the termites and ants first. When we drive to Uluru, Nathan explains why he is going to climb the Rock. It seems to mean an awful lot to him. But nobody probably realises how much exactly until he comes down later in the day. The first 90 minutes we walk around a part of the rock wityh a ranger. As Lachy predicted, he doesn't really seem to know an awful lot more than we do. After that nathan sets off to climb and Emer, who has sprained her ankle a few days earlier, and Ted take a shorter version of the walk (probably to the nearest waterhole).

The walk around the Rock is longer than we all expected. Probably because the Rock is not a rectangle. So you basicly have no idea as to when you are almost there. Ngaire and Lee need to have numerous fag breaks from all that exhausting walking. Clare and I keep on walking and miss the Mutitjuli Waterhole. Just walk straight past it. Whilst waiting for the other half of the group, Clare spots nathan halfway up the Rock. He waves at us but he looks very tired from what we see through a telephoto-lense. We are divided about what he will say when he comes down. Either that it is shocking or just nothing at all. When he comes down, he tells us it is shocking and then says nothing at all or the next few hours. itis actually rather touching to see him like that. The smile on his face is bigger than his gob!!

After the Rock, we visit the Cultural Centre. We are all totally exhausted and the video-room serves as a temporary sleep-room. We all drop in there to sit down and sleep a few minutes. The Centre is interesting but most of us just want to sleep. So we sit at the tables and write cards, drink Coke and winge to Lachy that we want to go to the sunset viewing area so that we can sleep a bit before the Big Event. We get to the spot at about 4pm. Nicki and Clare go for a sleep inside the car. The rest have some drinks and take our places on top of the car. Just as I think: Look at those other tours with their champagne and nibbly bits etc. and we are 'real bush' with our beer and cider, Lachy brings out the plastic cups and the bubbly. And tataaaaa, suddenly we have nibbly bits too. Kerstin must be starving because the amount of crackers she manages to stuff into her small body is quite amazing.
And so we sit and wait for the sunset. And Lachy decides to take group pictures right the moment the sun starts setting. we all yell at him to finish it quickly so that we can take our own pictures. It is a stunning sight.
Before we set off for a long drive to our campsite for the night, the girls run for a wee. Emer knows no shame anymore and drops her pants in front of a huge tourbus. We kill the time in the car with another game of Truth or Dare. Seeing the dares are a bit impossible in the car, we ask one question and everybody has to answer it. Kerstin uses Jelliebabies to explain her favorite sexual position and when nathan tries to reproduce mine, his hands get tied up in a knot. When we get to our spot, Lachy throws together a quick risotto and most of us go to bed. Apart from the Die-hards of course (Nathan, Lee, Rob and Ngaire) who once agian manage to get absolutely hammered. They will regret that in the morning.