Ulluru – 10th October 2013 – Thursday
Visited the Ulluru -Kata Tjuta National Park in the Northern Territory.
We took a day trip using emu tours in Alice Springs.
Our first road side 10 minute stop on the tour bus was a “photo opportunity” of a distant table top mountain the Western McDonalds Ranges, many kilometers away and a salt lake on the other side of the road. Not much you could do in 10 minutes! I was late by a couple of minutes after clambering up a red sand dune to take the salt lake photos.
The tour bus then took us to Kata Tjuta (not referred to as the Olgas anymore). You get 20 minutes here and for the elderly they just stay on the bus or sit in the shade. You will need at least an hour to do this walk. Will have to come back some other time.
From here we head off to Ulluru (not referred to as Ayers Rock anymore). On the way we visit the Cultural Centre that takes an hour and then back to the bus that takes you to the base of the famous Rock in the world.
From the base of the Rock there is a 40 minute walk to a small part of the base. You are then driven to the other side of the Rock for another short walk. From here we head off to a site set up for viewing the Rock at Sunset. All the Tour Buses gather here, set up tables and its where you have a dinner provided by each of the Bus Tour Organisers. In our case it was a Barbecue and Champagne with real plates and real glasses. Nothing is thrown away or around and everything had to be taken away by the Tour Operators.
We left as soon as the Sun set and soon after the Tour Operators had packed away the chairs, tables, crockery and cutlery.
A couple of Aboriginal women were there to sell their paintings.
I must revisit this place and take in everything at your own pace rather than being rushed around and to specific places. 
Western McDonalds Ranges as seen from a stop on the way to Ulluru
Salt Lake taken from the same spot wehre you could view the Western McDonalds Ranges
