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!”

Mission Australia 2013 - Day 07

Cairns – Ayer’s Rock 

Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park 

Our families were quite concerned about Uluru since in the pictures it seemed to be a very deserted place and although even when I always am very comfortable without mobile phones, I am sane enough to know their use when I am in trouble. This was the reason that we were actually carrying 2 mobiles – one with me & other with Neha because while discussing with my elder brother we could foresee that at many instances I would need to leave Neha alone with Ayana while I go for grocery or for hotel hunting or to stand in the queue, etc. Uluru was one place where I suspected that our mobile phones might not work.

View of the Barren Red Center from the Plan
Nobody for Miles, oops Kilometers!

First View of the Ayer's Rock
Crew unable to control Crowd taking pictures

View of the Ayer's Rock from Air-Strip

All through the flight to AYQ from CNS, I was really very excited on watching the barren desert down below. Now this was a Qantas Link flight (full-service) and to our pleasant surprise we were soon offered Arhar Dal & Chana with Rice apart from nice yogurt & pickle. Only somebody who has craved for Indian food on foreign land can understand how good that flight would have become for us. As soon as we prepared to land, we could see the Ayer’s Rock and people started shifting seats to get a better picture restlessly in the face of the flight attendant trying to maintain order in a descending flight. It was a tough time for the Ground Crew preventing tourists from clicking pictures on the runway. This Airport looked more like a boutique Bus-Stop with a single air-strip meant for a total of 4 flights in & 4 out during the entire day.

Alighting from Qantas Link

Entire Air-strip can be visualized from the above 2 shots

Ayana's Playfield - Air-Conditioned i.e.

Entire Airport can be visualized from the above 2 shots

The Kind Lady at Thrifty gives Pen & Paper to Ayana

Shhh! Neha shouldn't see this or else I'll have to check out!
This is the Lizard I first saw on TV 20 yrs back on National Geographic.
This Lizard is able to walk on hot soil by keeping 2 feet in the air at a time.

Shared Kitchen at Outback Pioneer Lodge

While doing the research, at the last moment, I had fortunately decided against the AAT Kings tour & rather decided to rent a Car. As per telephone discussion the previous day from Cairns, I took a black Nissan Pulsar from Thrifty and the old lady was kind enough to keep aside a baby-seat with a GPS (which I later regretted to spend AUD 150 on because the directions were quite simple in the area – I couldn’t have got lost there unless I wanted to). Checking-in the Outdoor Pioneer was smooth due to the booking and on top of that, we got an upgrade to a Private Bathroom Room – the kitchen was still shared – a concept we really enjoyed together.

Entry of the Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park 

Two Ways - We took the Right turn

Selfie with a Scottish Hiker

Walpa Gorge

With French Couple

Neha at the Wheel 

From Kata Tjuta to Uluru

As soon as I could, I pushed my family out for cooking our Lunch & packed up with lots of water for our half day ahead. We decided to visit the Kata Tjuta first where upon parking in the lot, I decided that Neha & Ayana stay inside the car with the A/C on while I go about trotting through the Valley of the Winds. While returning towards Parking, I was accompanied by a French Couple (from Bordeaux) who were road-tripping down under. What attracted Neha to them was the Caravan they were traveling in. We clicked pictures with them never knowing we would bump into them in Melbourne right at the end of our trip. At the end when we proceeded towards the Ayer’s Rock, I decided to give the wheel to Neha for sometime – the road was really empty & the chance was really rare that a cop could pull us over. Of course she enjoyed the drive & I captured her on video so she could boast it later.

Complete Family (with the Stroller) at the Uluru

Uluru Dining (as advertised) has a million more flies than Delhi parks

Finally, the Uluru Sunset Shot

Absolutely Red Soil - Blood Red!

Classic Sunset Shot in my Cam! 

I'd never know how such a small baby could cope up with this trip!

Ayana sleeps after going through the Uluru Day Tours Brochure

Ayana enjoys the after dinner Outdoor Rock Show

Driving & Clicking around the Ayer’s Rock was fun & really exhilarating for me because deep down that the reason for an AUS trip was my childhood fantasy with the Uluru. My dream had come true. Nobody could understand my feelings – not even Neha. We visited the Information Center & read about how the aboriginal people. All the time, all the places, I was always left wondering – how adventurous are Caucasians! They can be found at all the places. As we parked into the Sunset Viewing Area, Neha kept asking me how the rock could change colors to which I kept replying – it was to see not talk. As the sun dropped, it surely changed colors and everybody jostled in the crowd to find a clean picture frame without anybody else.

Our mobile phones were, of course, working & as decided earlier, we left well before dark due to safety. The evening ended at the common kitchen where we cooked our veggie curry and enjoyed the outdoor rock show before retiring to our room to rest for another “flight-ful” day. Tomorrow we fly into Sydney!

Mission Australia 2013 - Day 06

Cairns – Green Island & Great Barrier Reef in SW Pacific Ocean

Today was going to be one of the milestone days on which I had targeted to add another adventure sport to my career check list – Scuba Diving! As planned, all of us got ready in time for breaky, got picked up by the Bus & joined the queue for check-in to the huge Boat. We had this kind of experience at Bali already and so I knew I would struggle with the smelly lunch offered soon after. As soon as we reached Green Island, I was hunted down by the Dive Instructor & given a briefing with my dive partner. Even after my insistence, Neha had refused to dive, because she would have to do it without me while I took care of Ayana. Once aboard the boat after snorkeling for sometime on Green Island, I was once again hunted down – this time – by the co-Pilot of GBR Helicopter. 

Green Island

SW Pacific

Cheers to a Fabulous Dive

As soon as the time to dive in came closer, I struggled hard to keep my nervousness in check. I came very close to giving up when my Guide offered me a full refund if I did not go inside the water. But I decided I had waited too long to do it – I was not going to give up. And once I went inside with my Guide & Dive Partner also named ‘Ankit’; it all came naturally to me. I felt very comfortable touching the giant soft fishes as they swam by. The coral reef was more beautiful than I had seen so often in the movies & documentaries. I wish I had more time so that I could spend a week diving in more far-off areas.

Aboard the Glass Bottom Boat

Next destination - Uluru - Ayer's Rock

Launchpad for the GBR Helicopter

Kind of those Islands they show on Australia Tourism ads

Ayana's wail stopped only on Landing 

Post Lunch, we had just enough time to squeeze in the Glass Bottom Boat ride which was a second grade experience to diving but I wanted Neha & Ayana to take a look underwater nonetheless. One thing found my interest on the upper deck – a bunch of boards with the distances to various destinations around the world. We had just been asked to put on the noise-reducer headphones inside the Helicopter when Ayana started to wail. Her wailing only eased when we landed at Cairns Helipad on the other side of the Lagoon.

Daily Aerobics at Dusk

The Lagoon

Ayana found her own PC

Since I wanted to get pictures of my dive, I asked Neha to wait for me at the Lagoon where a large number of general public was practicing water-aerobics. An eventful day came to end as we strolled towards Ibis getting mentally ready for the desert that we were about to go to the next day.

Mission Australia 2013 - Day 05

Perth – Cairns 

Cairns – Kuranda Rainforest 

The overnight flight was the least comfortable flight for us on the entire trip, simply because Ayana could not come to terms with the tight space on the low cost carrier. Fortunately, I & Neha could keep our temper in control and it was only for 2 hours that we could assuage our baby’s troubles into sleep. The arrival, though, was on time and our aircraft pulled into CNS Airport at 0410 hours sharp. Adjusting to the 2 hour time zone difference was not so easy and as I thought about relaxing a bit while Neha took bath at the excellent shower room at the Terminal, the sun shone very quickly and very brightly. It suddenly seemed that we were late but relaxed myself when I looked at the watch. I stretched my back a little more before Neha could give me a go ahead after bathing Ayana. I always felt glad when Ayana felt comfortable playing in the open Airport spaces. Reluctantly, so I got up and had a wonderful experience shaving & bathing at the Airport, for the first time in my life (In the US, after red-eye coast-to-coast flights, I had always just changed clothes – never really shaved or bathed).

Relaxing while my Family freshens up 

Ayana playing in the Airport open space while I yawn

Finally, set to go, a van was waiting for its turn & as it turned out to be – was being driven by an Indian. It was a very quick ride & checking in at Ibis was very smooth. It took me some energy to explain why we would have our today’s breakfast complimentary rather than the last day since we would leave early that morning. With the “breaky” done, we got the room and after freshening up; we waited for the pickup for Kuranda Rainforest. A Canadian couple thanked me profusely when I advised them that the Train was off today due to maintenance so would have to use the Coach whereas the return via Skyrail would be a good experience.

All of us slept through our ascent of Kuranda and frankly, we found it to be a waste of time & money when we reached the Kuranda Village. What a shame in front of our local Indian or Himalayan villages – Alas! Anyway, we drudged somehow through the entire village with Ayana on her Stroller and kept looking at the watch so that we could go to the Skyrail sooner. We thought it would be better to go back to the bed early today and rest well for the active next day at the Reef.

Ayana playing at Kuranda Centre

Skyrail from Kuranda to Cairns

The experience of the Skyrail was quite better than any other we had travelled in India. It was quite long and quite high above the forest. On reaching back, we rested while Neha suggested go see the town. We wandered through the dark streets, getting haggled by the aboriginals and reached a convenience store not far from the lagoon and quickly made our way back juggling through the chairs of outdoor cafes. The beds at Ibis were very comfortable helping us end a pretty much uneventful day (apart from the native-hassles).