12Oct08
After breakfast, showers, and packing up we were finally on our way to Ayers Rock / Uluru. In the daylight our roadhouse campground looked much nicer - especially considering it was free. The eating area was shaded by a nice big ramada and the adjacent stucco building was turquoise with pink trim - it reminded us of the desert southwest US :)
Only 200km to Ayers Rock! Stopped for fuel at Curtin Springs roadhouse ($2.23 per liter - ouch!) and entertained a gaggle of tourists - including a man videotaping the gas pumps. We also stopped for a view of Mt Conner. The land here justifies the "Red Centre" name - beautiful red dirt with scrubby trees and golden spinifex grass clumps. I kept oohing and aahing wanting to stop for photos until Justin exclaimed, "just how much have you seen of Oklahoma?" hmm. Well, I still think it looks exotic.
The only place to stay near Uluru is the giant Ayers Rock Resort complex that encompasses five hotels, a big campground, caravan park, several restaurants and a shopping center. Before we started our trip I had always thought Uluru was right outside of Alice Springs, but it's actually fairly remote, so the resort is a hub of activity. The national park itself is owned by native Aborigine tribes and leased back to the government. Most of the land it covers is restricted as sacred so you can't camp in the park itself or wander off the few trails.
In Adelaide I browsed through a book on Aboriginal rock art that strongly recommended a self-guided rock art tour pamphlet that you could get at the visitor's center, but after much searching I was finally told that it had been out of print for a couple years. Probably due to increased restrictions on sacred sites.
So, disappointed at the lack of information we could get to guide us around the park (seems like collusion with the tour operators) we headed out for the 9km walk around the base of Uluru. However any disappointment quickly vanished as we approached it. Uluru is truly an awesome sight, towering over the flat plain around it - and of course a photographer's dream! The rock itself isn't completely smooth, but has a somewhat scaly or flakey surface and has eroded in the most stunning way.
When it rains waterfalls cascade down channels and chains of potholes - that in the dry season are stained dark.
And there are many enticing caves and overhangs - most of which you aren't allowed near unfortunately. The whole rock is actually composed of thick sandstone layers that have been lifted into a vertical position, perpendicular to the ground. So on the west and east sides you are looking at the edges of layers, and on the north and south sides you see the flat faces of layers.
The walk around the base took us longer than expected - particularly since I had to take a photo with practically every step! And so instead of watching sunset from the designated sunset viewing area, we watched the famous sunset right at the foot of the rock. I actually thought that this was a better way to experience the amazing range of colors the rock takes on as the sun sets. It absolutely glows and the subtlety of colors is more apparent up close.
Ayers Rock photoset
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