Travelling 6,272km by bus, the group transited in Adelaide and Coober Pedy (sleeping underground) before camping near and visiting the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.
After a briefing at the Cultural Centre where we learned about the spiritual significance of Uluru and Kata Tjuta to the local Indigenous people, the group spent three hours walking around Uluru and two hours walking through the Valley of the Winds at Kata Tjuta in some very hot, unseasonable weather. From there we moved to King’s Creek Station, a fully working outback cattle and camel station near King’s Canyon, where we enjoyed an 'Aussie' campfire, toasted marshmallows and sang songs.
A highlight of the trip for many was the three-hour canyon rim walk with its truly spectacular views. From King’s Canyon the journey continued to Alice Springs for three days. Here the group had the opportunity to meet with Indigenous people and learn first-hand about local culture at the Alice Springs Desert Park. We also visited Stanley Chasm and Simpson’s Gap, enjoyed a Didgeridoo light and sound concert, and met some Australian reptiles up close!
The homeward journey retraced much of our forward path but deviated in the last leg where we camped at Burra and then travelled through northern Victoria back to Melbourne. Perhaps the most wonderful part of this trip was not just what we were privileged to see and enjoy along the way, but the deep and lasting friendships that were forged. On our last night in Burra, many students shared thoughts about the journey and each highlighted how the group had bonded and new relationships formed. Some students commented:
'Finally back to Melbourne... That was the most awesome trip I have ever experienced – thanks everyone! I will never forget this amazing trip, and it was great to make so many new friends. Hopefully we will get the chance to go on another trip like this in the future.'
'Thank you so much for organising this trip. I had a blast and it was an amazing experience and I would love to do it again! It gave me an insight into how beautiful Australia truly is and I've learned so much about the culture here, both Australian and Aboriginal. There's still so much of Australia I am yet to see and hope to be able to see more of it in the future.'
Central Australian trip recounted by ¹ú²úBT Foundation Studies Chaplain, the Revd Chris Carolane.
