Things We Learnt In:

Having exhausted what Sydney and Uluru had to offer us, we made our way to Brisbane for a single night, aiming to catch an early connection to Lady Elliot Island and its Eco Resort in the Whitsundays. Up extra early and full of enthusiasm, we were driven to a private airstrip to await our flight. When it arrived, I was more than a bit dubious that 12 of us would fit in it- a plane the size of a toaster van. But pile in we all did, and off we went. We arrived at Lady Elliot Island early in the morning, ready for 2 nights of wildlife and education about conservation on the Great Barrier Reef. We had picked this resort because of it's eco tourism credentials. As we all know, the Great Barrier Reef is in dire trouble, and whilst we wanted the chance to enjoy the Reef, it was important to us to ensure that we did so in a sustainable and responsible way, not causing any damage, and learning about the environment and conservation efforts taking plac...

The second destination on our Australian tour was Uluru. Otherwise known as Ayres Rock, Uluru is in the Northern Territory of Australia. Over 600 million years old, this outstanding area of cultural and natural significance is truly incredible. It is one of the biggest monoliths in the world. And yet I still managed to get off of the plane and completely failed to see it. My beautiful cousin, V (who you may have read about in our adventures in Sydney ), had organised a break for us and our husbands to enjoy a long weekend in the semi-arid centre of Australia. In terms of local accomodation you have two options: #1 The hotels set up specially at Yulara, 5km from the rock #2 Alice Springs, a mere 462km and almost 6 hours drive away. We opted for Yulara. Staying at the Desert Gardens Hotel we had a view of Uluru from our rooms, approximately 5km away. Given the cultural significance of Uluru to the Aboriginals, who have leased the land back to the Austral...