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Flew from Port Douglas across huge stretch of arid land before arriving at Uluru ( Ayer's Rock to the unitiated). One hot , hot place! It was 42C when we arrived- apparently the normal temperature for this time of year( sometimes it gets really hot!)
The first things that struck us were the startling red soil and the rich diversity of trees and plants. We were expecting a desert, but it is not- in fact the area receives nearly as much rain in a year as the east of England. Most of it falls in the summer months( January to March) and when it does the vegetation really makes the most of it because there will quite a wait until the next rain. Officially the area is semi-arid. We have flown over large stretches of real desert on our travels. The areas surrounding Adelaide in the south have not received any rain for nearly 50 days and look more like a desert than Uluru!
On the first morning it was very hot( what a surprise) so what did we decide to do- go out on a camel ride of course( the Noel Coward song" Mad Dogs....." comes immediately to mind). What an experience! Being 30 years older than the other riders was not a good start! Getting on the camel was interesting! When the camels gets up, it feels like a bucking bronco. Somehow we both managed to get on the same camel and stay there- her name is Diana- the poor thing deserves a medal but first needs to visit the local physiotherapist! We strode across the desert in a convoy. The face of the camel behind was bouncing up and down on Brian's left thigh. He thought that the camel was very sweet, until the guide told us that he had bitten some one the day before- after that Brian was very, very kind to the animal!
The views were sensational- to Uluru and across the desert to the Olgas( another set of hills near by). We learnt so much about the native vegetation, but the journey on its own was awesome. Apart from heat exhaustion and minor saddle sores, we survived unscathed!
Returning to the weather theme- it is hot and dry in Uluru. Wrong! We tried to see 2 sunsets and 2 sunrises in various locations- we saw none because of the cloud. What we did see were some spectacular thunderstorms and a very wet "desert." The Olgas are a complex rock formation with a rich Aborigine heritage. We arrived there to see waterfalls flowing off the cliffs and the near by river rising very quickly. The guide was in raptures- apparently this does not happen that often( she had not accounted for our influence on the course of events). We were told that kangaroos are very rarely seen in this part of the world- so what did we spot? A mother and her growing Joey watching us from further up the hill. The guide thought that the rain and the near by river had brought them down- we think that they had come to see us.
We had a great day at the Aboriginal cultural centre near Uluru. Wally our guide taught us a great deal about his customs and way of life.He spoke in his own language and some one else translated for him. He showed us how they used trees and plants in their daily lives. He told us how skills had been passes through the generations- it is the grandparents who teach the children and not their own parents. Grandparents are revered for their wealth of knowledge. Wally told us many stories to explain his way of life and kept referring to his people as the animal people.
He lit a fire by rubbing a spear head through a particular branch. once the fire caught properly he prepared a type of glue from another tree( it looks and smells like Bitumen.) they use this glue to make and mend everything. He showed us the baskets that women carried and the little coil that they use to balance it on. In addition they use the coil as part of the support for carrying babies around. Brian had a go at spear throwing- the wild life were in no danger, just the rest of the group.
Finally we looked at a painting/carving on the ground that depicted a great and heroic story- elements of the story relate to the strange holes and caves on the side of Uluru. If we had been listening more closely we could have told you the full story- but since it is an story of epic proportions it is probably a good thing that we did not remember it.
Later in our stay we hired a car for half a day and went back to explore the Rock ourselves. We visited one of the few permanent water holes, that sustained the locals through many a severe drought. It was breath taking to see the variety of flowers and trees that were being sustained by this water supply.The near by caves contain some of the best cave paintings in Australia. (the photos that we took have come out really well- one day you will get to see them) It is incredible that they have lasted so well for so many years.We waited in vain for the rays of the setting sun to hit the rock, but the clouds were in the way. However the experience was amazing, waiting in the shadowy quiet of Uluru. The atmosphere was terrific- there is definitely some thing special about the Rock. ( P.S Sandy is convinced that she saw real colour changes in the Rock despite the clouds,Brian is more sceptical. The photos will decide!) We headed back towards our hotel- in the distance was incredible fire show- continuous lightening flashes with the accompanying thunder cracks. Half way back we saw that a lot of cars had stopped by the side of the road. Brian thought that there had been an accident. When we got much closer we realised that it was a wild camel that was causing the commotion. Every one had stopped to take photos. So what did we do ? We took some photos as well. The camel must have been a model in a former life. He just stood there turning his head and flashed his eyelashes as each new person arrived. He was so professional I expected his agent to appear and demand a fee. I had my autograph book at the ready, but Sandy dragged me away!
Uluru is a really special place- we intend to return one day if only to catch a sunrise!
Trivia question- How many places will we be returning to?
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