Wind Dancer - LOG 30: Take That Jules Verne

The Wind Dancer crew decided before departing Oz, it was necessary to go away from the coast, leave the boat for a few days and explore the outback. The team flew to Uluru (Ayers Rock) to view the infamous red center. We began by sampling a bit of Aussie cuisine and chose the kangaroo, which actually turned out to be quite tasty. Next on the list was a camel ride in the desert with Uluru in the background. This was a fantastic way to see the landscape and really how iron-filled the soil is. The colors of the sunburnt sand, the greenery of the desert shrubs and the blue of the nearly cloudless sky is almost good to be true. And to top the camel ride, we enjoyed and sunset viewing of the rock that evening, seeing it change colors from red to blue as the sun went down, and then found ourselves back again the next morning for a sunrise. This viewing station was great because the Ulgas (another rock formation) can also be seen, and we caught the right moon cycle for another addition to the shot.

We next flew over to Alice Springs were we prepared for another early rise for a hot air balloon ride over the Flinders Ranges. We were not sure what we would be getting into, but once picked up at 4:45 am, we were off to scout locations for the flight. With a very scientific birthday balloon with an LED light inside, the pilot set it off in the air to see the wind direction. The first location wasn't favorable so we drove to spot 2, which proved to offer a better launching site. Then with the help of the 16 passengers we helped to prepare the balloon. Once up, it was amazing how far it is possible to see when soaring over the dessert. Watching the sun come up and the change of the colors was spectacular and after about an hour we were almost out of the propane keeping us afloat so the pilot searched for an adequate clearing to land.

The following day marked the start of our return to Darwin by coach line of the Ghan train. Named after the Afghan camels that were imported to Australia to assist in the initial crossing to set up the telegraph line and subsequent towns, the train runs from the southern point of Australia in Adelaide and finishes in Darwin. We opted for the sleeping car as it would be an overnight trip which included fine dining meals, it was very Agatha Christie.

We were happy to return to Darwin and to the boat, as the next day was our departure towards Bali. Overall we had a great Aussie experience. Now we are full of Vegemite, ugg boots and waltzing with Matilda.

The Wind Dancer Crew