The sunrise freeze, walkabout at Kata Tjuta and flies!

Had to see the sunrise of course, did I mention 'ants' in a previous blog.  It is sooo.. cold out here we're wearing winter gear most of the time - beanie, gloves, jackets and boots (most stuff is getting a faint tinge of red dust now too).  We met our bus at 6.15am to catch the first rays on Uluru - the colours weren't as spectacular though I think it depends on weather conditions and the time of year.

Had a great breakfast at the Cultural Centre then headed off on our tour with an Anangu elder - Sammy. He taught us through an interpreter how to make bush glue by grinding acacia leaves then melting them in the fire, how to make and throw spears, and cutting tools.  Sammy also told us another Tjukurpa story: the panpanpalala and lungkata (bellbird and blue tongue lizard).  Its a moral tale about the birds hunting an emu that escapes them, then the lizard kills the emu and takes the meat for himself.  In the end the lizard is smoked out of his cave by the birds and falls to his death.  Sammy related this to the white visitors to Uluru who take things or do things that are not right by their laws.  He said that many people who had taken souvenir rocks from Uluru have returned them to the park rangers with 'sorry letters' because bad things had happened to them.  The interpreter said that there is another small Uluru building up at the back of the Cultural Center from all the 'sorry' rocks!

After lunch hired our 4wd and headed out to the amazing Kata Tjuta (Olgas).  They are an awsome collection of large red domes the Aboriginal people call 'many heads'.   One of the mountains stands 546m compared to Uluru's at 348m. At this stage the flies were bothering the kids so they were wearing their fly nets which they thought was fun.  We headed off on our walk through Walpa Gorge a rocky but easy path to the joining of the two mountains.

On our last day after a panicked car key search we headed out to the Cultural Center again at Uluru and bought some Aboriginal art.  Any thing sold in the art center ensures that after expenses the artist receives their income so it goes back to the local community.  With new laws now royalties have to also go back to the artist which is great and prevents them from being ripped off.  So I'm pleased to have purchased something from Annie, Beryl and Lydia who's beaming faces on the authenticity certicicates will benefit from. 

Finally drove out to the airport with little time to spare to catch our flight home.  We had a fantastic holiday would recommend every one particularly on the east coast to venture west and as they say "Get Centered!"

We met one older couple who take each of their grand kids on their 10th birthday to show them the real Australia - its certainly been an eye opener for us.

Palya!
from the Petersen mob

There's been a delay in the broadcast!

Due to the nightly illness of Oren on the holiday and then my subsequent flu we are now continuing our transmission - though its a recollection of events!

Our second day started with a camel ride at the camel farm just outside the resort area.  We stretched the truth about Oren's age so that he could experience a quick ride around the pen, you can do camel tours in the desert but chose the shorter option.  The camel's name was 'Chester'  and amazingly there was an 'Oren' camel at the farm too.  The small museum attached explained the history of the camel in Australia that was facinating.  They've been here since the mid 1800's imported from India/Pakistan/Afghanistan and surrounds to help open up the center of Australia though exploration, connecting Adelaide to Darwin with telegraph line, moving supplies, produce, piano's any thing. The 'Afghani' handlers were employed to man these camel trains up to about the 1920's when train rail made them obscolete. There are still wild camels roaming the desert today.

In the afternoon we joined our sunset tour - one of the things you have to do when you come to see Uluru.  We chose a local aboriginal company instead of the flashy tour groups to teach us some of the stories linked to the great rock.  The Anangu people run this and with the help of the National Parks run the Cultural Centre.  On this tour we were picked up by James who was proud to say he was dry and lived in an alcohol free community.  He introduced us to Rebecca and Sarah who were our guides on our brief walk to the base of the rock to look at a cave and the Mutitjulu waterhole.  Through an interpreter anient stories were told about these features.  To the Anangu people Uluru and Kata Tjuta bear the marks made by their ancestral beings during the creation period of Tjukurpa (chook-orr-pa).  They don't like to call it the dreamtime because it is real to them and not imaginary. They also strongly advised against climbing the rocks as this is disrespectful to them and their beliefs, the way it was explained to us was that the rocks were like their ancient 'bible' and law, and each cave, crack, discolouration and divit indicated another story to be handed down (The walk is closed most days any way because of conditions - wind, rain or heat, and it is very dangerous only 5 weeks ago someone died on the rock).

The story translated to us was about the Kuniya and Liru snake spirits, a Kuniya offended the Liru, so the Liru warriors came to punish him and threw spears which hit the rock (many holes at the base of Uluru) they killed him but this made his Kuniya aunt angry she left her eggs (collection of large bolders) then she sped across the rock leaving a dark trail which can be seen.

We learnt to say 'palya' which means many things hello, goodbye, how are you. Some of the bush foods were also shown to us.

We joined the rest of the hoards of buses, 4wds and touring homes to catch the glorious sunset of brilliant orange reds. I can see why the Anangu call us 'little ants' because everyone is compled to run around to see and do as much as you can.

Palya!

from the Petersen mob.

Head wounds, rusting sand and heli rides - Anangu land is amazing!

We have had a very eventful start to our holiday, the night before we left Oren ended up in the emergency dept with a gash to his head - we were trying to get the kids to bed on time because we were getting up at 5 am but they were being silly in the bathroom of course and Oren's head smashed into the bath tiles!  Any way got home late - head wound glued and taped and then had to stay up late because we hadn't packed so everyone is buggered but excited too.

Flying in over the red center was amazing, we found out that the reason it is red is that the sand has 'rusting' iron in it.  This is the land of the Anangu people who have been here 30ooo years and the monolithic iconic formations are very important to them - Uluru and Kata Tjuta dominate the flat desert landscape and have many dreamtime stories attached to them.  We are doing a few Aboriginal guided tours and will be going to the Cultural Centre to learn a bit more about them.

The resort town is all that exists out here - a little oasis in the desert.  The apartment is lovely theres alot of resturants, shops, a grocery store every thing you need really.  We had a helicopter ride around Uluru and Kata Tjuta the after noon we arrived which was a great way to see them and put every thing into perspective.

Bye for now,

Susan and the clan

We're off to Uluru!

The gang is heading off on a quick sojourn to the center of Australia to see the iconic Uluru and Olgas.  The itinery planned so far is a heli joy flight over Uluru: because were not game to climb it, sunrise and sunset tours with a local Aboriginal tour company who also tell us dreamtime tales, show us bush skills and take us on some walks to caves and a waterhole, and because Alex wanted to create some red dust clouds we are hiring a 4wheel drive to head off into the desert to the Olgas (Kata Tjuta).  A whirl wind visit but it should be fun. Will post some pictures when we get there.
Bye for now,
Susan