Australia's Red Centre.... I love a sunburnt Country
My sister recently moved to Alice Springs so we decided to take a trip to Australia's Desert & visit the family.
Normally on a domestic flight within Australia I would not bother trying to get a Gluten Free meal. It was not until the night before when a friend was telling a story about his trip to Alice, I realized that there is a full meal service & the possibility of a special service meal. As soon as I got home I called Qantas & put in my GFML (Gluten Free Meal) Request. The agent was extremely helpful & advised me that there was no guarantees but they would certainly try. At that time I put in the Gluten Free meal request for all my additional flights.
The next day once we boarded the plane, I identified myself to the flight attendant & asked if my Gluten Free Meal had made it onto the plane. The attendant checked & then began to regretfully informed me that it had not and then midway through conversation, another attendant walked past holding 1 meal. My agent checked & yes, my Gluten Free Meal had been personally delivered for the flight. I was extremely grateful of the extra effort Qantas had put in to ensure my enjoyment of the flight. The meal was a chicken, sun dried tomato & zucchini sandwich on their own Gluten Free Bread. I was astonished at how far Qantas had come in providing Gluten Free products for passengers.
The trip from Sydney to Alice Springs is fantastic. We were lucky enough to have a lovely clear day & the view from the plane was incredible. It goes from beautiful lush bushland, to dry farmland, then to desert. Millions of miles of desert. Alice Springs itself is surrounded by the McDonald ranges & is a mix of oranges, reds, yellows & gum tree green. Availability of Gluten Free products in the local grocery store is great & there is no real need to take any food out with you. Couple of great spots to visit while you are there is Simpson Gap and the Telegraph Station where the original Alice Springs was and also watch the sunset on Anzac Hill.
We hired a car for 2 days with Outback Auto Rentals www.outbackauto.com.au and decided to drive to Uluru & Kata Juta (Ayres Rock & the Olgas). Despite what people say it is a good 4 hour drive from Alice Springs to Yulara (Ayres Rock Resort). As you cannot drive at night due to the risk of hitting a Kangaroo, plan your trip wisely & drive during the middle of the day. The best times to see Uluru & Kate Juta are at sunset & sunrise.
On our first afternoon we set out to see Kata Juta. Many of the walks were partly closed & once we arrived at "The Valley of the Winds" walk we could see why. At 45C + the heat radiating off the rocks was oppressive. There is drinking water available at the beginning of each walk & I suggest you fill up. It is amazing how much water you go through in such a short time. Keep in mind we were there in December, one of the hottest times of the year. If you go in winter it will be much milder.
That evening we experienced the Sounds of Silence dinner in the desert. This is a fantantic tour & while expensive, it is certainly worth it. 3 hours before the tour it suddenly dawned on me that I had forgotten to organise a Gluten Free Meal. When I rang they were not concerned that I had told them so late & advised me it was no problem . So for a starter I had tomato soup with freshly baked Gluten Free Bread, for main it was Gluten Free BBQ Chicken & Steak with a fresh salad followed by Gluten Free Orange & Poppyseed Cake for desert. The meal was delicious & it is reassuring to know that even out in the middle of the Australian Desert you can still get a Gluten Free Meal.
The next morning the alarm cranked at 4:45am! The sun would be up soon & it was time to make our way out to Uluru. Nothing can prepare you for the sheer magnificance of this rock. It is simply breathtaking from every angle. We spent about 3 hours wandering around & checking out all the sights. I think the photos speak for themselves...
After a very hectic 2 days we headed back to Alice Springs and then returned to Sydney another 2 days later. All in all it was a great trip to Australia's Red Centre & a definite must for any traveller.