Drove the long drive from Alice Springs to Yulara taking in the Henbury meter right craters (which have given rise to green oases in scrub desert). The scrubland is not all the same unlike the Daintree which is like a goulash of trees. At times in the Red centre poplar like trees dominate so it looks like a crowd of people turned to word sometimes part shaped sometimes low bushes. Much burning – a cloud of smoke overhung Uluru – I’m still jaded but the rock seemed to glow, seemed to be plastic not really there. The Olgas were even more fantastic. The hotel is a little washout – no telephone (socket so I could have use the laptop) or TV. Note Bona the trees were one tree – the Desert Oak has a single trunk while it is young but when it finds water with its roots it matures assumes an oak design.
It is cold here as soon as the sun dips down – needed my jacket for tonight’s star gazing at Yulara. The stars seem much brighter here. The star gazing was educational – I now can find the Southern Cross with Alpha Centauri and Beta Centauri pointing at it (Alpha is first brightest star in a constellation Beta next et cetera) Alpha Centauri is in fact three stars. M6 looks uncannily like a butterfly.
The Red Centre lives up to its name by the way. It is very red. A scrub desert with red sand. Vast distances to cover on roads with no speed limit and seemingly no other cars. Suddenly you might sight a wild camel or lone dingo by the side of the road, right by the side of the road. And then you're past it, glad you didn't add to the numbers killed.
Day started rather early with watching sun rise over Uluru, then breakfast at the Ananga cultural centre (they have leased Uluru and Kata Tjuta to the Australian Park service for 99 years). Weakened and got mum an Ayer’s Rock jigsaw later on today. After breakfast two aboriginal guides and a female interpreter led us on a journey into their world – they made kiti glue from Spinifex grass (founded to get the sack which was welded in to a black ball of kiti which could be used later by warming it up – they said Kiti can be used for many things like radiators tyres balls spear shafts et cetera plastics good). The bowls are hollowed out tree sections – some of us had a go at spear chucking or posing with a ring then a bowl on head (women only).
The natives here wove human hair into belts from which they could suspend staff round their waists – they also stuck staff in their hair. One of the two guides told us the story of the blue tongued lizard and the bower bird (told differently in the cultural centre). (Lizard steals emu’s meat from bird and gets burnt to death). Did some washing then had a look at Kata Tjuta (the Olgas). Impressive but light not right – started Valley of the Windswalk but gave up as a fly was bothering me – tried a sunset picture of Uluru from the sunrise point but not worth it – at least one picture worked today (of some Bauhinia the natives used as a sugar substitute). Had an expensive supper with a glass of wine which has made me tipsy – I confess very cold at nights in the red centre and they’re half an hour out (only place I’ve found like this).
Uluru is the big tourist attraction here (Uluru being the Aboriginal name for Ayer's Rock.) I didn't climb it by the way. The Aborigines prefer that you don't, and the climb is strenuous and exposed. I was disappointed by Uluru. Disappointed by this symbol of Australia which people almost worship at sunset and sunrise. Perhaps it was expecting too much. Perhaps it was that experiences need to be shared. Life needs to be shared.
Every hole and cleft in Uluru is part of Aboriginal lore.
I preferred Kata Tjuta (or many heads) as an enigmatic group of rocks to Uluru. Kata Tjuta is what is also called the Olgas. There are many different Aborigine groups and languages and names for things like kangaroos vary. The dreamtime stories of the Aborigines bind together their history, the geography, the lore of plants and animals, the way they live. For them (if I understand correctly) life is an integrated whole in which the parts reinforce each other. They find identity as part of the whole not as individuals.