Ayers Rock

As we approached by bus, Ayers Rock became visible on the horizon.

As we got closer and closer, the sun dipped closer and closer to the horizon. We were attempting to arrive in time for sunset.

And we did. Just as the sun touched the horizon, the rock lit up, glowing red in the dying sunlight. And because we're in the desert, it got pretty cold pretty quickly once we lost the sun.

Next day, we set out well before sunrise to watch the rock come to life. We had considered climbing the rock but it was too windy. The aboriginal people oppose climbing the rock because it is sacred to them and they feel it offends the sacredness of the place. Being too windy, we avoided having to make the decision to climb. But we did walk around it.

The picture above and the ones below chronicle the walk we took. From afar, the rock looks smooth. And at a large scale it is, worn by wind and blowing sand. But up close ...

... it's not so smooth after all. There are places where huge chunks have fallen from the stone face creating a texture in the large to the rock. Many of these textures are so unusual, aboriginal people considered them even more sacred than the rock as a whole and used them for ceremonies. These are fenced off today and there are signs asking you not enter.

We're about half way around, and the sun's been up for a couple of hours now. It's starting to get hot. We are shedding layers of clothing and very glad we brought water with us.There is an area of fallen stone that looks a little like a brain. In the growing heat, we're starting to see things.

By now we've walked the complete long face and in a few minutes we will turn the corner and start up the shorter dimension of the rock. As in many parts of the world, place names are reverting back to names native peoples gave them and the western names which explorers coined are giving way. In the case of Ayers Rock, it is known locally Uluru.

Rounding the corner, the angle of the sun on the rock changes and so does its color and texture. And this is interesting, it looks like there are caves at the base of the rock. We wonder if we can get there.

We came upon a path leading right to the base of the rock. It leads to where we thought we saw caves. It's hard to see in the thumbnail, but there is a dark cascading path for rainwater runoff coming down the side of the rock. Since the rock isn't porous, when it rains, all the water must run off. It must be pretty spectacular just after a big thunderstorm!

And there certainly are caves here. This is one of the sacred sites that is open to the public. I loved the curve of the rock. Kind of reminds me of a big ocean wave.

In another part of the cave, there are cave paintings.

Leaving the caves, the rock bends out again. The corner we rounded before was a false hope. We still have a few km to go and it is really getting hot. Our water is gone. Makes me wonder how primitive people survived. Where did they find water when none has been visible to us all morning.

Not at our destination. The crest of the rocky slope on the right behind the tree is the route climbers follow to reach the top. Back to our transportation and water, this has been a fantastic morning. The highlight of the trip so for me.

Actually, I presented these pictures in reverse order. before visiting Ayers Rock (Uluru), we hiked around the Olgas ( Kata Tjuta). Similar geology. Similar history. Similar sacred importance to aboriginal peoples. And similar dramatic scale to things.

On the way back, this fetal termite mound caught my attention. We would later see huge termite mounds and the chance to see one 2 inches across was interesting.