Uluru

Day 10                                                                                                                                24/7/2013

Come to Uluru, it’s great! The national
heritage, the awe-inspiring geology and the aboriginal culture all adds up to a
big, red rock!

If you observe the rock during sunrise or
sunset it looks like a big orange rock, or a big yellow rock. But no matter the
circumstances, or the colour, this rock will draw your breath
away.

The warm walk around the bottom of this
rock will give you a great insight to Uluru’s background and the aboriginal’s
culture. The signs are very helpful and easy to read, after just one sign you
begin to understand what the place is all about. The walk itself is very easy;
all very flat and full of flora and fauna; great for oldies and
kiddies.

A must do of the Uluru experience is the
cultural centre. It is full of history and a lot of the beliefs of the
aboriginal people. There are lots of stories and videos of how the aboriginals
live. The art part of the centre is fantastic too; it is all very bright and
incredibly unique. My favourite painting was one with lots of bendy lines
radiating outwards from a central point. It looked really cool and it had a lot
of different shades of purple, it reminded me of the native flowers around this
area.

The climb that they provide looks
terrifying and all the rangers, signs and aboriginal people highly discourage
you from climbing it, for three different reasons. One: danger, the climb is
very strenuous and medical help is not readily available. Two: the climb is a
sacred walk for the aboriginals because two elders walked up there and erected a
ceremonial pole a long time ago. Three, pollution is a very bad thing up there
because people drop electronics, rubbish and just about all of them relieve
themselves up the top. So when it rains all the rubbish and body waste ends up
in the water ways and does not help the native flora or fauna. So on behalf of
them and myself please don’t climb it, and if you do please consider the
risks.     

Coming here is very remote and very hot.
The flies are terrible as well. But these factors are not a problem with a
phone, some fly repellent and a trip in winter. Everything is just magical in
winter, the sun is up but not too hot, the flies are around but are not a bother
and the tourists are around so you are not too lonely.  

The Olgas, or the preferred name: Kata
Tjuta, is also worth a look mainly for the spectacular views and for all the
same reasons as for Uluru. The walks are nice, the sun is up and there can
sometimes be water in the streams.   

A wise man once said “It’s not about the breaths we take, but of the moments that take our breath
away.”This huge rock will do just that; take your breath away. Thank you for
reading and I hope you enjoy you stay!