Uluru & Kata Tjuta

Immediately after breakfast at the Uluru Cultural Centre we took a field trip along one of the paths around Uluru. This was the trip scheduled for yesterday but was  wisely cancelled due to the extreme heat. This morning's temps were probably in the low 80s but with higher humidity. Nevertheless, it was more tolerable.

Uluru is a sacred site for the Aboriginal people. It is where they have traditionally held tribal ceremonies and continue to do so. It is believed that the original Aboriginals walked to the Australian continent from Indonesia thousands of years ago. Their original settlement is now thought to be under water. They lived off the land and continue to feel that they must maintain strong links to the land.

When the giant monolith was discovered by Europeans, they claimed it and named it Ayers Rock. It continued to be called that until recent years when the Aboriginals began to assert their rights. Today all rights to Uluru have been returned to the  rightful owners and the Australian government leases the land for tourism.

Uluru is the tip of a huge sandstone slab of rock that continues well below the ground surface. The circumference is about six miles. Uluru and the surrounding area is eroded rock with a strong iron content. Hence, the iconic red color we all identify with the middle of the country.

On our field trip we visited the Mutitjula Waterhole and heard an Aboriginal tribe creation story about two ancestral beings - Kunija, the woma python woman and Liru, the poisonous snake man. In part the story teaches about women's intuition and that a woman may use force to protect her children. Here you see the snake on the side of Uluru.

We also visited the Kulpi Mutitjula where families gathered around campfires. The elders told stories to teach children about this place and the paintings on the rock. The age of the cave markings, or rock art, is undetermined but thought to be at least 100 years old. This piece drawn with white clay is the modesty apron worn by Aboriginal ladies

We heard more about the desert flowers and trees and how they adapt to the area's arid conditions. Again the temps soared and we were encouraged to drink water.

Our next stop was Kata Tjuta, an expansive collection of 36 domed rocks. The uneven pathway toward the two peaks we visited were lined with rock pieces that had broken off the domes.

The traditional tribal culture is gender specific. While we know some of the stories associated with Uluru, Kata Tjuta stories are all related to the men. Those stories are only shared among the tribal men so our guide had no stories to tell us about this site.

The tallest of the domes is Mt. Olga at 1,050 feet above sea level. Total circumference is 14 miles. Kata means head and Tjuta means many. Both Uluru and Kata Tjuta are in the Uluru-kata Tjuta National Park.

After lunch, we headed to the airport for our flight to Cairns. With all the sweating I did this morning and no opportunity for a shower, I'm hoping to get an empty seat beside me on the plane.