This morning we left on the Uluru sunrise tour at 5:15. It had rained very hard over night and still some clouds lingered. Generally the rock looks extremely red as the sun rises, and it was still beautiful, but not as brilliant as it can be.
Following the sunrise viewing we proceeded to take a cultural walk around the base of Ayes Rock. We heard several legends and saw ceremonial sites on the rock. Several of these sites are off limits for photography due to spiritual significance. The Anangu, who are the local Aboriginal people, work with the National Park system to keep these rules in place. We visited the Mutitjulu Waterhole which was very full. Due to the rains overnight the rock had waterfalls at many areas which is quite unusual.
Early afternoon we left on a tour bus to Kings Canyon, which is approximately 200 miles from Ayers Rock. This drive was very isolated from most tourists. We were glad to have an excellent driver and guide. We are traveling the center of this continent.
Sunrises and sunsets are very important here and we saw a beautiful moonrise tonight over the canyon.
The temperature today was 101 degrees.