From here you get great views of the rock and can also see how near we are and also how small the resort is. All the complexes are built in a similar style to the hotel we previously described including the school and shops.
1140am pick up arrived at 11.50am to take us to the airport. No one rushes here, it's great! Picked up and off to the airport. The coach driver makes a sales pitch for the resort stating she hoped we enjoyed our stay and would call again and more importantly tell our friends about it. We would certainly recommend it, but you do only need a couple of days. What we discussed is that it would have been really good to stay in the centre and maybe travel up to Darwin.
Anyway, we arrived at little old Ayers Rock airport. Everything is surrounded by red sand and bush. Uluru is clearly visible and very nearby. Through security and into the departure lounge. Just enough time for tea and coffee before being called. Then a short walk across the airfield to the aircraft, no mod cons here.
Small aircraft, half empty, inflight film and a sandwich! During the flight, flying over Lake Ayer on route to Sydney and approximately 30 minutes into the flight. It is huge and stretches out in all directions.
On the flight we fly over acre upon acre of wilderness, mountains desert and brush lands. Eventually it becomes farmland, looking like giant patchwork quilts until we hit suburbs and then the city when coming into land.
At the airport we are lost! Do we get a bus, taxi, train? If so where to? We stood reading a leaflet when a guy offered to help. He then said he runs a shuttle bus to the hotels and would take us to our hotel for $40. Off we drive into the city arriving shortly after at the Mantra Hotel. We end up with a suite on the 11th floor. We've got our own balcony, split level floor with our own kitchen, bathroom with walk in glass shower and washing machine/tumble dryer. Jen and Les in a queen size bed with our own TV and Calum in the lounge area in a fold up bed and the main TV at his disposal. There is a gym for guests on the 19th floor and a rooftop pool and jacuzzi. I'm sure we'll make use of all those things over the next 5 days.
Once settled in the room, we went for a walk into the city for some food. The quay is nearby and we see trips are available around the harbour (we'll probably give that a go later in the week). What we do see is Sydney harbour bridge looking spectacular. Tomorrow morning we go on the bridge climb to the top of the bridge!
It is odd being in winter. The weather so far had been either mild or very hot except for the early start at Ayers Rock which was cold. Stranger still is that it gets dark early i.e. at about 5.30pm and is dark until about 6.30am. The two don't seem to mix we still have our UK summer heads on. Because it's hotter and sunnier than it was when we left UK we keep expecting it to be later in the day than it is.
Very tired now so off to sleep for a big day tomorrow!
More to follow:
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Remember the bridge climb. They dont let you take ANYTHING with you. So you cant take any camera etc up there in case it falls into the traffic below. So you feel obliged to buy their photos that they take of you up there. How convenient for them ! Enjoy though and make sure you check-out Manly beach ( avoid Bondi ! )
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