The alarm clock went off at 5 am, supported by weird mobile-phone-like birdsong. We packed all necessary components for our breakfast, including cooker and water for tea / coffee and arrived at the viewing area parking space in good time for the 6:48 am sunrise. But alas, it did not end up being at all like what we were expecting from the sunset area.

A lot of desert oaks around left a raised viewing platform as the only obvious spot, but it was already well full and only got more crowded as busloads of day-trippers with doggy bags arrived. All thought of a cozy sunrise breakfast were abandoned at this point – one of the slogans of the resort here is “experience the silence” – yeah, right!

But then, the first light had hit Uluru maybe 10 minutes ago, as if on a gong the show seemed to be over and everyone rushed back to their cans. We liberated a nice bench and table and even got a milk pack off one of the doggy-bag-carriers, with a bit of jealousy in his eyes seeing our apparent lack of any haste. So, 7:00 am, in the silence promised and with the morning light’s shadows creeping over the rock, we had our imagined breakfast.

Once we were full and happy again, we made our way out Kata Tjuta, another beautiful rock formation 50 km out from Uluru. After a photo stop on the way, we were ready to tackle the 7.4km Valley of the Winds walk. It was the perfect morning for it: Sunny, with an occasional cloud lending shade and not too warm. This track is closed when the temperature exceeds 36°C, or about 11am in summer.

We finished pretty much on the spot at 12 noon and headed back for a light lunch and to make the best of our $38 accommodation: Sleep in the shade, hop in the pool and have a nice barbie to round the day off.