Margot Ogilvie

VICTOR HARBOR, AUSTRALIA

RUNNER- UP $ 250

The trip had been a long one. Seventeen hours in the air. Too many movie reruns. Not enough sleep. Bland in-flight food. Who knows how long in various airports across the globe. Then straight from plane to train.

They call it the Ghan, heading north. No movies now. Just a parade of strange wildlife – emu, kangaroo and wildly coloured birds amidst the red dust out the window. Endless rattle and sway.

The bus from Alice Springs takes us further into scrubby nowhere.

Then suddenly, the rock appears – red. No, gold and glowing. Breathtaking. Uluru. Worth every minute to get here.