When in Rome!

Perhaps the Sydney equivalent of this is to go to the beach – Bondi beach. The name is very well known. Bondi was originally ‘’Boondi’’ which is an aboriginal word which describes the meaning as the noise made by sea waves breaking on the beach.

It is located on the Eastern Edge of the city and so one morning I was on the Sydney metro/train line to the eastern suburbs. All trains stop at Bondi junction and then jump on a bus that takes you down to the beach itself.

I don’t know what I expected but there it was. I had always thought it was much bigger but it is a lovely stretch of sand. At 10am in the morning it was not busy but people were out there surfing and swimming. The Australians appear to be sport mad – in the city people seem to walk, jog and run all the time, fitness classes in parks, the city is full of swimming pools, cricket and football pitches and tennis courts.

In the sunshine the beach was lovely, clean and the sand golden. Shoes and socks off and paddle in the Tasman sea. Showers available to wash the sand off and then a beachside café for coffee.

Uluru – or Ayers Rock as it was named by European settlers – is about 500km from Alice Springs.

I decided to fly to Alice Springs and then drive to Uluru. The roads are good and very quiet. It was a 4-hour drive but easily done.
Arrived in time to see the sunset. At the moment you can climb the rock but this will be changed shortly to respect the cultural significance to the original aboriginal population.

Up at 5am the next day to get to see the sunrise against the rock. Sunrise was 6am and there were plenty people doing the same thing. Very tranquil and peaceful as the rock changed colour against the increasing levels of sunlight.

Then coffee and breakfast and I decided to hire a bike as there is a walking and cycling track around the base of Uluru. It is about 15km and if I managed it anyone can! I left at about 8.15am. There are plenty of walkers and also a Segway tour.
What was very pleasant was everybody said good morning to each other as they passed by. What was not pleasant was the flies – they keep up with you on a bike. Every one without a fly net over their head is constantly brushing the little devils away. As soon as you stop to take a picture, they are all over you – they are after the moisture. Anyone selling fly nets half way round would make a fortune!

What an experience!
Richard Nolan

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