Silent Giants: Uluru and Kata Tjuta
Trip Start
May 22, 2005
1
95
107
Trip End
Jan 22, 2006
Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas),
Australia
Thursday, December 15, 2005
We made the drive from Kings Canyon to Uluru. One resort complex has a monopoly over accommodation near Uluru; consequently, we were forced to pay their high rates and we checked into the modern and comfortable Lost Camel Resort.
After dropping off our bags we were anxious to get our first glimpse of Uluru and so we made the short drive to the rock. Our first glimpse of Uluru gave us goose bumps. Religious significance or not, the massive rock formation that rises improbably from the desert floor leaves a heavy impression on the imagination. The rock is 9.4 km in diameter and 348 metres high. Scientists say that it was formed by sediments laid down 600 to 700 years ago in an inland sea and that these sediments were thrust up above ground by geological forces. All of this makes for one impressive sight.
We returned early the next morning to see Uluru more closely and to do the climb. The Aboriginals discourage tourists from climbing Uluru since the path taken by climbers today traces the path that the Aboriginal ancestral Dreamtime Mala men took when they first came to Uluru. We took this into consideration, but decided we couldn't pass up the once-in-a-life time climb. The tourists who do the climb are called "minga" or little ants by the Aboriginals and when we first spotted the tiny figures making the steep climb we understood this description perfectly.
The climb is closed if there are high winds (over 25 knots) or high temperatures (over 36 degrees Celsius). These strictly enforced safety precautions are taken because people have died while making the trek. We crossed our fingers and arrived at the start point early enough before the midday heat could gather. The beginning of the climb is more or less straight up the relatively smooth walls of Uluru. A fixed chain helps you along the way. Once at the top, the view and the winds take your breath away. We scampered our way through the ravines that score the top of Uluru until we reached the highest point. From there we basked in the views of the plains, Kata Tjuta and Mount Conner. On our way down the winds picked up considerably and we thought to ourselves that this was getting dangerous. Upon safely reaching the bottom we discovered that while we were at the top the climb had actually been closed due to high winds. Our luck had held out.
Kata Tjuta means "many heads" in the Aboriginal language. Kata Tjuta got its name because this geological formation consists of 36 momentous red domes that bulge out of the earth. The tallest dome is 200 metres higher than Uluru. While it is less famous than Uluru, Kata Tjuta is equally impressive and is held in even higher esteem by the Aboriginals since their secret creation story takes place within its rock domes. At Kata Tjuta we took the 7.5 kilometre, 3 hour Valley of the Winds walk which wound in and amongst the rock domes. Once you reach the valley it feels like you have wandered into the Lost Valley and you expect dinosaurs to start battling King Kong. By the time we finished the walk the burning midday sun had reached its zenith and we hurried back to our hotel to cool off in the pool.
While staying at the resort we signed up for the "Sounds of Silence" dinner. For this dinner you are driven out into the desert where you are served Australian outback food (i.e. kangaroo, emu, and alligator) and treated to an astronomy lesson with the clear desert night sky as the backdrop. Unfortunately, our dinner got cancelled due to rain and we had to settle for an indoor meal of traditional outback food. The "exotic" food was quite tame compared to our culinary adventures in China, but we still enjoyed trying all the different grub.
Throughout our stay in the Red Centre we sensed the uncomfortable tension that exists between the Aboriginals and the rest of Australian society. Their situation is akin to the problems and discrimination that the Aboriginal peoples in Canada face. However, we get the sense that the average Australian is less compassionate or understanding of the plight of the Aboriginals than the average Canadian. Apparently at one time it was legal for Australians to kill Aboriginals.
Uluru was our final destination in Australia. After Uluru we made the flight back to Sydney in order to catch our flight to Auckland, New Zealand. Here are some closing thoughts on our Australian visit:
1) Many of the Australians that we met on our travels told us to expect a large degree of racism in Australia. We were quite surprised by this. But their comments were confirmed when race riots broke out in Sydney along Bondi Beach on the weekend we left for Cairns.
2) Surprisingly, watching the toilets swirl the other way was only mildly amusing.
3) Australians love a bizarre spread called Vegemite and a chocolate creation called Cherry Ripe. The spread tastes like crap but the Cherry Ripe tastes like a cherry-flavoured Bounty bar.
4) There is a substantial Chinese population in Australia and the Chinese cuisine in Sydney is quite passable.
5) If Australia is the "land down under" where is the "land" that it is actually "under" and how do you visit that place?
