Into The Outback

Early the next morning we left our large bags with the front desk and checked out of the hotel. We packed only a small bag each since the itinerary stated that space was limited. Stuffed into each little bag were a pillow and towel as recommended by the tour operator, Connections Safaris. The vehicle arrived and as we climbed on board we were surprised to find a pillow and a towel was provided on every seat, so half our bags contained stuff we didn’t need after all. As the tour progressed, we found out the tour operator often omitted nice to know information.

The tour vehicle was essentially an Isuzu 4-wheel drive truck with a passenger unit mounted on the chassis, rather than a box or a flat bed. The back window was popped out and a tube connected the cab to the passenger space so the driver wasn’t totally isolated from the folks in the back.


After making the rounds about town to pick up the rest of the gang, we turned onto the 87 (Stuart Highway) and headed south for the 460 km trip to Uluru. Midmorning we stopped at the Outback Camel Farm and the opportunity to buy breakfast and ride camels.

The farm is a basic tourist-trap type of operation, but we figured we should ride a camel at least once in our lives. (OK, twice for me.)



We were done with breakfast and camel riding about the time several other tour groups pulled in. All of the many tour operators in the Red Centre follow the same basic route in a variety of vehicles. We were fortunate to be well ahead of the pack and so most stops along the way were not crowded. We quickly jumped back in the truck and continued south.