The Perfect Outback Day

Something stirred in my brain.

Is something moving? Its too dark to be time to get up.

I open my eyes to the clear starry night sky and the light of the full moon.

Yep people are up and moving about camp. Must be time to go. Ugh. God only knows what time it is. It's cold?

Reality sinks in.

Man I am in the middle of the Northern Territory's outback sleeping under the stars. Need to take in the moment. hmm. Lets slip on my headphones and listen to my new Australian Anthem.

I listen to my Aboriginal inspired music as the night sky unfolds before me. My stomach goes giddy.

"Get up Steve! Do all Americans sleep in so late?"

I grunt. Not so much at the fact that I am the only American once again, but at the disturbance to the little world I had created for myself. I have breakfast in the dark, roll up my swag and boarded our safari van for our trip to watch the sun rise over Uluru. Everyone is waiting for me. What can I say? I am used to doing things on my own time. "Here comes the sun" is piped in over the speakers in our van.

Rachel thinks she is cute.

We get to where we need to be, disembark and watch something that should be mundane but its not. The sunrising. But this time it was over the largest rock on earth.

That's not something you see everyday. Good way to start my day. oh geez is that Swedish guy being stupid again?

After the sunrise we walk the base of Uluru. Good walk. Special place. Rachel gives a short guided walk about the history of the Aboriginal people. My mind wonders.

Did I leave the iron on? oh right..aboriginal people. Need to read more about them.

We load up the car and drive into the dessert on our way to Kings Canyon. I have nothing in front of me but the open road, my camera and the whole outback. "Ok folks", Rachel chimes in. " We are going to be making a stop at Kings Creek Station..oh and if any of you would like...they will take you up in a helicopter but they only will go if there is two people willing". My ears perked up like a kangaroo. I looked behind me and stared at the broke early 20 something group behind me.

Nobody is going to be willing to pay to go with me.

"Steve upfront wants to go" Rachel cracks over the mic reading the look on my face. I look behind me again and read the looks on everyone's faces. That crazy American.

"I'll go with you"

Oh ya the weird German guy. What's his name again. Frank? Matt? Amadeus? oh right Daniel. Hmm...maybe Germans are not so stoic after all..no matter what I am taking the front seat.

The motor rang to life and up and away we went for 15 minutes into the "back" of the outback. "So how long have you been flying this thing I asked our pilot". "Two years" she chimed back. I took a double take as if I expected it to be longer.

It's only 15 minutes. What can happen in fifteen minutes?

"Lets see if we can find you some wild horses" our pilot chimes in.

Horses? Chase down wild horses in the outback? That would make my day..

Two minutes later my day was made. A small pack of wild brumbies (horses) emerged on the plateau before us along with a couple of wild camels. She circles and gets in low.

Hmm. It's not everyday I chase down wild horses and camels with a helicopter in the Australian outback. Is this a movie?

We land with a wild grin on my face. We load back into the van and in honor of our flight Rachel selects "Danger Zone" from the movie Top Gun.

Shes thinks she is being cute again.

We drive a bit further and arrive near our camp at the mouth of Kings Canyon. I am giddy the whole way. We stop and take picture of the mouth of Canyon. The others giving me looks as I hop up on the trailer to get a better shot with a big smile on my face. I love taking pictures.

We arrive in camp just as the sun was setting over the landscape. We scamper up a small cliff and we watch as the earth does its thing as it does everyday but each day different.

This place is magical.

We make dinner in camp. Spaghetti Bolognese my favorite. After dinner we break out the wine and converse with people from all walks around the glow of the campfire. There are crazy stories of getting stuck in the outback while driving and dust storms that envelop whole towns. The sky becomes the pale dark blue that only becomes from the light of the full moon. My eyes grow heavy and I roll back into my "Swag".

Man these things are comfortable. Need to invest in one when I get back home.

Before exhaustion of the day sets in I slip back on my headphones and listen to my Australian anthem once again. I take in the glow of the milky way stars and the grandeur of the outback night sky. I am right back where I started.

If only I could spend everyday under the stars, chasing horses in a heli.......zzzzzzzzzzzzz.