Gluten Free in the Desert

My husband and I recently spent a couple of days in the Aussie Outback at Uluru & Kata Tjuta National Park.

It was the middle of summer and an average of 45C during the day. We spent our first afternoon at Kata Tjuta (The Olga’s) where we attempted the ‘The Valley of the Winds’ walk. Only the first section was open due to ‘extreme temperatures’ and they were not wrong, I thought I was going to melt!

That night we were booked in for the ‘Sounds of Silence Dinner in the Desert’. From your hotel you are driven by coach to a secret location in the desert were they have set up a beautifully prepared dinner under a starlit outback sky. It really is the most incredible experience. You start the evening with drinks & canapés on top of a fire red sand dune & watch the sunset over Kata Tjuta & Uluru. Afterward you sit down to a gourmet barbecue buffet of authentic Australian delicacies. Now for those of us who are Gluten Free, the chef prepares us our own Gluten Free Aussie BBQ cooked separately and 100% Gluten Free. For dessert I was expecting the usual fruit platter but I was delighted to be served a beautiful Gluten Free Orange Cake. Not bad when I had only given them 1 hours notice of my Gluten Free requirements. (Which is not recommended, but time had got away on me).

After dinner the candles are blown out and the dreamtime begins. An astronomer takes you on a magical journey of the spectacular southern night sky. The night is topped off with a port, tea & coffee.

The following morning we set out before dawn to Uluru to watch the sunrise. The sheer physical and spiritual enormity of Uluru and its shades of orange, red, yellow, purple & brown are overwhelming. It is definitely worth the early rise.

The Australian Desert landscape is truly spectacular. A must for any traveller!