ozEkoala reporting in for continuation of tour:

I left you gazing in meditative silence at Uluru...

Sorry to break in, for those who are still in that mood, but I suspect you've moved on from there so we'll just get straight on with it... 

Now I don't want anyone getting confused at this point.  It's time for clear thinking.  Pity I didn't have that when I was there in '84, but more of that story in a moment... 

To recap recent events: we didn't really come here by plane... that was a flight of fancy on my part (pun intended).  We have actually arrived here via the main road from Alice Springs, a trip of about 4 hours.  We couldn't wait to have a look at the Rock so we've had a good 'ol stare for a while, and we are about to make some very important decisions... decisions which could influence the course of our lives irrevocably... if only we knew it!  I refer, of course, to the incident referred to earlier involving a certain law-breaking overnight camping stint at the Olgas.  I assure you that the act of breaking the law was unpremeditated.. but the decision to visit the Olgas was deliberate and wilful...  I had seen the Rock, climbing it at this late hour was out of the question, and the obvious next 'must see' was Kata Tjuta as the Anangu aboriginals named the Olgas before we even knew they existed. 

So, off we set for the short drive, arriving in the late afternoon, keen to explore, and carefully noting the warning sign that camping is strictly prohibited.  The Olgas have a more 'fun' feel to them, in my mind, than Ayers Rock.  Ayers Rock is majestic and challenging... just to look at it makes my body twitch to climb it.  But the Olgas have a different appeal.  They consist of 28 fascinating dome shaped rock outcrops which invite exploration at ground level first and foremost, so we have a good old scout around now, until nightfall brings us scurrying back to the campervan.

Go here for a closer look...

Surprise!  We have some visitors.  They seem to have made themselves at home here, and are obviously intending to stay the night.  Not wanting to join them in their crime, we begin to make preparations for a quick meal before driving back to Yulara to find a camp site.  Being friendly types, we strike up a conversation with our unexpected visitors/neighbours/ future partners in crime... only to discover our grave error of judgement.  The park gates have been locked at nightfall and we have no way of getting out until morning!  It's hard to enjoy your freedom when the long arm of the law could be about to cut it short with a spell in the local lock-up, but tiredness soon overtakes us and we sleep with an almost clear conscience, knowing that we have at least been careful not to do any damage to the environment, keeping the spirit of the law, if not the strict letter of it!