Family journey to the Red Centre

We’ve always been attracted to the idea of the beautiful desert landscapes but beyond that, we wanted our kids to learn about Aboriginal culture and develop an appreciation for the diversity of the Australian outback. The main thing though, was to spend a bit of time together – no Playstations, no sport’s days and no housework.

Here’s my mental checklist of what I wanted to get out of this holiday:
1. See the sun rise over Uluru
2. Have the kids learn about Aboriginal culture
3. Get the kids into the ‘great outdoors’
4. Spend quality time together (most important!)

Our days were action-packed. We rose early for the Desert Awakenings sunrise tour (mental checklist point one, tick) and enjoyed a bushman’s breakfast on a private dune top. Isabella and Charlotte loved the guide’s explanation of the animal tracks from the night before.

In the afternoon, our Aboriginal guide used the soft red earth to explain the ancient creation stories that filled the landscape (point two, tick). We then made our own pieces of art at a dot-painting workshop. It turns out Isabella is quite an artist.

The following morning we paid a visit to the camel farm and rode camels across the desert dunes. The kids were squealing with delight, which made us feel like the best parents ever (point three, tick). Next was a free guided walk with a National Park Ranger who took us to Kantju Gorge at the base of Uluru. 

There were so many Kodak moments during the trip but the highlight was definitely watching the first rays of light hit the rock at sunrise. It’s hard to explain but I felt like it reconnected us as a family and strengthened our little unit (point four, tick).