6am in the Red Center

The idea of waking up at 4am for a hike might seem excessive. Well, not in the Red Center, Australia, when it’s hot as hell at 10am (even 9 actually).

Dreaming Of The Red Center

In 2017, I went for the first time to Australia. One of the place I absolutely wanted to see was the Red Center, the red desert in the center of the country. This region is well known for one landmark: Uluru (or Ayers Rock). Indeed, this big rock is a place of legends and is sacred for Aboriginals. I recommend reading or listening to the stories: they are very different from our fairy tales and include strange characters half human half animal. I really enjoyed discovering new beliefs and colourful legends to explain the beauty of the world.

Hiking In The desert

But there are also other places worth a visit or a hike, and one of them is Kings Canyon. That was our last hike (after Uluru and Kata Tjuta). I had booked a 5-day trip with Emu Run including three hikes, and I had a great time! Not much sleep, but a great time. We camped on different sites, to be close to the places where we would hike in the morning. We had to wake up very early (usually 4am), to enjoy some of the freshness of the morning. It’s quite something to wake up before the sun and then hike for 3 hours. When I arrived in Melbourne after the trip, I think I must have slept for nearly a day before I could think clearly again. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t regret anything, but I have rarely been that exhausted.

On that day, we started the hike by climbing up a mountain. There were supposed to be stairs but it was more a climb than really steps, and we had to use our hands to grab rocks and go up. At some points, I thought that I would just stay there. I was too tired to continue. Nonetheless, I pushed myself (as I always do) and reached the top. It was an extraordinary feeling to have managed to climb all the way up and see the sun rise in front of us.

Suicidal Flies

The rest of the hike was less difficult. I’m not saying easy, but less exhausting. Then, the colours of the morning sun and clouds mixed with the red rocks and ground were magical. Half way, we stopped next to a waterhole to have tea and biscuits. While chatting with an Irish friend, I swallowed yet another fly. It flew right in my mouth, and I had to swallow not to choke. It’s a hobby of Australian flies to simply kamikaze their way in your nose and mouth while you breathe and speak. There are nets you can use, but my experience is that you get less air when you wear a net and it was too hot for me to breathe.

We finished the hike at around 9.30 am and we were completely ready for a barbecue!