Day 3: Kings Canyon and Heart Attack Hill

If enough people haven't already died from climbing Uluru, you can also have the opportunity to hit the bucket on Heart Attack Hill. We had to start the Kings Canyon walk very early in the morning to avoid the sizzling heat of the afternoon, and to get to the top you must climb this hill, which in fact is more like a mountain. Puffing and panting we climbed up the steps to see the breathtaking view over the canyon and Hello Kitty girl began to cry, it was just too much for her. Several people have had heart attacks as the name would suggest and our guide drummed into us for the millionth time, "You need this much water (pointing to a litre bottle) otherwise I won't let you go."

I was extremely peeved that I had to wear trainers- I'm a bare foot, even-if-you-get-glass-in-your-feet, kind of girl. I try to wear flip flops in winter in the UK and always regret it when I get muddy black water splashed up my leg. Azza said we had to wear closed shoes in case we stubbed our toe or something and the company was liable, then he would lose his job; stupid health and safety world we live in. So you can imagine how he flipped when he noticed one of the Japanese people wearing flip flops- another result of miscommunication. So by this point my feet were so sore and so blistered I wanted to rip my shoes off- I would have gladly paid the Japanese boy to remove his shoes and let me walk around with size 9 boats on my feet.

Once we were at the top the walk was pretty easy and we enjoyed the breathtaking view from the top into the valley below. I was a bit grumpy because of my enclosed feet and didn't really feel like having a photo posing awkwardly, but the Germans insisted "You have to make a photo, come on, stand there...."