I sat in the seat that had been Yo's during my Tasmania tour. The man across the aisle introduced himself. Our guide, so named 'Duck' (who uncannily reminded me of Keanu Reeves in Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure) asked us to write something about ourselves. We drew on the bus windows. I wrote Jane aka 'The Scottish One' and drew a Scottish flag. A correct one this time! We reached Kings Canyon. It was a brutal initial reintroduction into exercising! Some steep steps, it was a hard climb. Refinding my walking feet we walked the canyon learning of the aboriginal significance and taking in the scenery. A little underwhelmed to begin with, the further we walked the more impressive it became. My feet captured in a new place, it was also group photo time. Our guide handed every camera, various poses, including a jumping shot, were snapped in time. A long walk, with time to relax into it, the 21 strong group slowly started to get to know each other. Back to ground level, headed to camp, stopping on the way for firewood, catching both the sunset and Mount Conner masquerading as Uluru, after a late dinner I had my first swag experience!

A cold night, spread clock face like around the campfire, it is the first time I've ever slept under the stars… My way to connect, they offered thoughts of home… Awoken early at 5.30am, Kata Tjuta (the Valley of the Winds) was our next stop. Carved through erosion and weathering, it genuinely felt like a giant's playground. Red rock faces, contrasting blue sky and wandering public offering an element of scale, we wound our way through the epic landscape with many an opportunity for pictures. Enjoying this walk, it truly reminded of the power of nature. Our day not over yet though, we headed on our way to see Uluru!