Right opposite the Shrine of Remembrance is the Botanical Gardens, and a restaurant called Jardin Tan. We had lunch there, and it was an absolutely incredible meal! Both presentation and taste were exceptional! Here is an approximation of what we ate (different dishes presented in a similar fashion).
After lunch, we strolled through the Botanical Gardens. Very scenic and interesting. After that, back to the hotel for a rest, and and an included dinner at the hotel.
Very early (wake up call for 4am!) the next morning, we flew from Melbourne to Uluru, via Sydney. We experienced sunrise in the air. I managed to get a good photo over Sydney, as we approached our landing there. Over Sydney Our flight to Uluru from Sydney was delayed by an hour, but aside from that, it was uneventful. I took photos of the terrain below us, as we progressed into the bush. Just after leaving Sydney Approaching Uluru We disembarked at Uluru Airport, where they don’t have jetways:
We waited a while for our baggage in the single room that contained everything needed in the airport: car rentals, baggage claim, check-in, etc. Not actually my room, but virtually identical. Then, we boarded our bus, which took us to our hotel, Sails in the Desert. This is luxury, in an unconventional way. Here’s what my room looks like. Throughout the hotel there is lots of influence from aboriginal art — note the carpet! It was about 105F outside, so it was a great relief to get into my air-conditioned room, change, and take a very welcome shower. The bathroom is superb!
After a bit of a rest, we all went on the bus to a viewing area, where we could see Uluru at sunset. Uluru is certainly impressive, but the sunset didn’t cooperate, and we didn’t get a great show of color. But still it glowed… And on the way back we were treated to a great sunset over Sails of the Desert: