Thursday, November 14, 2013

Mission Australia 2013 - Day 08

Ayer’s Rock – Sydney 
When we slept last night, I had a hunch we might not be able to make it for sunrise view. I could see the tiredness in Neha & Ayana so I didn’t want to push them harder – our trip had still not reached its half-point. It was well beyond 10 AM when we proceeded towards the Ayer’s Rock to get the last glimpse – it didn’t look good – it was quite torrid though. Just as I prepared to bid goodbye to the Rock, I realized I had to top up the fuel tank. Following the GPS took me around the entire town of Yulara, and to our surprise, it was right besides the Outback Pioneer where we stayed – I thought we were definitely much better off without the GPS! Neha suggested that we grab our brunch right here & we did – to only find that it was the best decision of the day because the options at the Airport were not only less but also damn expensive.

White Nissan Pulsar right outside our Room
And right besides the Uluru
Last shots of the Rock
"Palya" (similar to Juley)
The Kind Old Lady at Thrifty
I kept wondering where do these people live.
Places like Uluru, Alice Springs are out-&-out Touristy & Barren!
It was a breeze returning the car within the 24 hour limit & checking into the penultimate – third outward flight of the day. Staring at the barren desert below, Neha wondered whether anybody lived down there – to which I replied “We would need to drive through this desert someday to find that out”. “Look!” I said after some time “Opera House!” As we descended into Kingsford-Smith Airport, I narrowly missed getting tangled in a suitcase of a co-passenger while exiting from the aero-bridge – I confided in Neha “Welcome to Sydney!”

Opera House on the Left
Sydney Tower on the Right
Ayana playing with a smaller toddler at SYD
Waiting...
Seems Airports had become the favorite playfield for Ayana
Everybody was in a hurry. I got reminded of my Delhi. Well, as discussed with a friend, whom we called ‘Sanjeevji’; we had to now wait for him for pickup. He insisted that traveling to Liverpool using trains would not be an easy affair with bags & baby. He arrived without a baby seat for which we kept Ayana hidden all through the drive. “Welcome to Sydney!”