Uluru

There is something about this huge rock in the middle of Australia has been drawing me in. The largest rock in the world, in the centre of one of the most ancient pieces of land in the world…how awesome is that? :-)

The cheapest option I found for a single traveler was a backpackers tour full of European 20-somethings. I think I was the oldest person on tour and the only Australian....at least I had the vegemite to myself ;-)

The tour started with a drive out to King's Canyon with a quick stop on the way to ride on a camel ;-)

At the camel farm ;-)

King's Canyon is a really lovely place. Not quite as pretty as the canyon in Kauai but really lovely and unique in itself. The 6.4 km walk around the canyon was enjoyable even in the drying heat.

King's Canyon

It was really beautiful to observe the three separate ecosystems that meet in this sacred site. It's no wonder this site was of such importance to the indigenous culture. They could always come here for food and water.

King's Canyon

After a night in a swag in the 5 million star hotel, we drove out towards Uluru. On the way we stopped at Mt Cooper, a flat-topped mountain in the desert.

Mt Cooper

On approaching Uluru I could feel it's amazing, unique energy, both neutral and activating in nature.

Uluru at sunset

We spent a few hours hiking around the rock. I throughly enjoyed connecting with the site and found the Kantju Gorge waterhole to hold a particularly beautiful energy...very peaceful space. It's easy to see why this was such a sacred site to the indigenous people.

It's suprising to see how much the landscape of the rock varies around the perimeter. Much of this is sacred to the indigenous people however and tourists are asked not to photograph these particular areas.

Uluru at sunrise

Lastly we stopped at Kata Tjuta, the 'Olgas'. Another amazing site but somewhat overshadowed in fame by Uluru. This one is a 'male' site and traditionally only initiated men would enter with females only entering with the presence of an initiated male. We have this tendency to consider the aborigines to be a patriacal society, however I learned this is not the case. The most sacred part of Uluru is an ancient birthing site, where males were not permitted.

The Olgas - Kata Tjuta from a distance

Hike to the valley of the winds - Kata Tjuta

Having visited and felt the prevailing energies, I can understand why these sites where segregated into male and female. For example, I feel awful around Mt Warning in Northern NSW, an ancient indigenous initiation site for men. Traditionally women would not have entered, understanding this was a 'male' site, just as the men would not have entered sacred 'female' sites.


Overall I enjoyed connecting with these sites. I have gained greater respect for the indigenous culture who have revered and maintained these sites for thousands of years, yet felt some minor frustration at how the culture only permits us to know of the childrens version of the dreamtime/creation stories. Clearly there is a much deeper level of understanding but this is only available to those who are initiated, ie handed down from grandparent to grandchild.

While I certainly respect this tradition, I wonder if we have reached a time where we are opened-minded enough to accept these stories/traditions…particularly when we may be in danger of losing this knowledge. Although these stories may seem strange to us, these people lived harmoniously in a difficult environment for many thousands of years; surely we can learn to respect their culture and beliefs that has enabled them to live sustainably, in a challenging environment, for such a long time.

Quite a ride this has been, last flight (for now) Alice Springs - Sydney - Brisbane :-)