Australia #7 - The Red Centre - Uluru, Northern Territory

My last post in this series, Australia #6, got us from Perth to Alice Springs, and then along the Lasseter Highway almost to Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock or just the Big Rock. But first we have to visit the Olgas!

Uluru at sunset!

Mount Olga, or Kata Tjuta (named this because 36 large rock domes look like 'many heads'), is about 40 kilometers from Uluru, and is not as well known. Partly this is because the rock formation although higher is not as striking as the one big rock that is Uluru, but more importantly Kata Tjuta is more sacred to the Aboriginal people and access to it more restricted.

One of the rock domes of the Olgas. Emu Run Experience picked us up at Alice Motor Inn at 6 a.m., gave us a nice breakfast including a cheese and tomato toastie, drove about 5 hours with a stop for coffee and washrooms at Mount Ebenezer, and then provided a rock lobster lunch just before arriving here around noon. 'Rock lobster' by the way was a joke made by our comical drivers, which upset brightonbonnie initially because she's not a big seafood fan; turned out to be a nice ham, egg, and lettuce wrap!

Walking into Olga Gorge. It is now very hot, plus 43 at least, and saying ‘It’s a dry heat’ doesn’t make it any more palatable! Tony & James the driver/guides are very safety conscious, reinforcing water uptake to the point of checking bottles are refilled from the onboard tanks before we set out on walks and, for some they suspect are less disciplined, either subtly or directly checking their bottles are empty on return. Throughout the afternoon they give us regular snacks of orange and watermelon slices, and apples, also for rehydration.

Finally, after a short stop at the Cultural Centre and gift shop - nice work, but expensive, e.g. the $2000 snake carving much too long to fit in your luggage, so we could only afford the ice cream - we finally reach Uluru.

James suggests we take photos of the interpretive signs so we can remember each stop around the base of Uluru. While the Olgas are sacred Uluru was a habitation, where Aboriginals lived, and where they taught their young people how to live in the harsh conditions of the Red Centre.

These caves provided protection against the sun. That's me facing the camera with essential kit: daypack, long lens, water bottle, hat, flynet!

James explains at one of the stops. Two water bottles, and flynets on most of our party! In addition to being very safety-conscious regarding water uptake, James also reacted extremely quickly at one of our stops when it appeared brightonbonnie might have been bitten by a snake! Seven of the deadliest snakes in Oz live around here! Turns out it was probably a razor grass cut. All safe! Much relieved!

Rock formations and some faded drawings in some of the caves.

A more elaborate and better preserved Aboriginal drawing inside a cave. If you were paying attention to the interpretive sign you should be able to pick out the symbol for waterhole!

Natural formations on the steep sides of Uluru used to explain Aboriginal history and culture to their young people, this one representing a snake.

About an hour before sunset we arrive at the viewing area, along with about a dozen other buses (there is a separate area for cars). While we take our chairs and stake out our spot on the fence, Tony, owner of the Alice Motor Inn, sets up for dinner, including a few kangaroo sausages, the very dark ones, if you want to try them. I did, very nice.

It is possible to drink sparkling wine wearing a flynet! Even two glasses. Relaxing with our fellow travelers, this one from UK, we tell them we had heard from friends yesterday that it was minus 45 Celsius (with windchill) back home in Canada, so plus 45 being the highest we've had today the difference is 90 degrees! No-one understands how we can live like that! Simple - warm homes, very warm clothing, don't go out unless you have to!

The effect of the setting sun and some cloud changes how Uluru looks as we watch:

One last shot -

brightongreg and brightonbonnie with flys, and flynets! And then, a 5 hour drive back to Alice, ending a very long but amazing day!

Join me for my next post - we take The Ghan to Adelaide!

Thanks to @benfenson for watching over my Oz posts!

!steemitworldmap -25.344982 lat 131.038712 long Uluru Australia d3scr