Mutitjulu Waterhole

The Mutitjulu Waterhole is one of the few reliable water sources for miles.

This picture shows two species of tree. The one on the right is the same species I pointed out earlier (used by Anangu to make bowls, etc.). The other one's bark is smooth and white. It looked pretty spooky to us midwestern gals.

The pool was quite serene. Its water looked very clean, too, considering how many visitors it gets (bipeds and otherwise). The black residue was bacteria and the grayish white patches are spots that haven't oxidized yet.

Day 7: Missed opportunities

Our last morning at the campground we decided to poke around a bit. Too bad we didn't do this earlier.

Neither of us wanted to get up really early, brave the cold, and drive out to the sunrise viewing area. If I'd known this view was just a few steps from my front door, I would have taken advantage.

The campground lookout also had an excellent view of Kata Tjuta (the Olgas).

Driving around on the open roads in the outback wasn't too hard. The toughest part of driving on the left is keeping straight which one is the windshield wiper and which one is the turn signal. Hint: they're reversed.

We pulled off the road several times to take photos.

This photo was taken at Uluru's sunrise viewing platform (Talinguru Nyakunytjaku). The sunset viewing platform (day 5) showed the northwest side of the rock. The sunrise viewing platform (pictured here) showed us the exact opposite (southeast).

The second bump over Ma's shoulder is where we'll go next: Mutitjulu Waterhole.

The sunrise area also had a pretty good view of Kata Tjuta.

It was off to the left of Uluru.

I somewhat regret not visiting Kata Tjuta. We missed our opportunity by not going out there yesterday afternoon. It's a completely different rock formation than Uluru. It's not made of sandstone. It's conglomerate. It's taller, too. It's also 110 km away round trip and has even fewer facilities than Uluru. (C'mon people, are porta-potties really that expensive??).

Flora

Westerners would say that August is the middle of winter in Australia. But the Anangu recognize five seasons, not four. August begins the season of "Piriyakutu", sort of a false "spring". It's followed around December by a hot dry season called "Mai Wiyaringkupai". January/February/March (aka "Itjanu") is the wettest season, but Piriyakutu can bring some rain, too. Food plants flower in both seasons (more prolifically in Itjanu, but I assume less comfortable for tourists to enjoy since it'll be 100 degrees out here).

Uluru receives about 12" of rain annually. That's roughly the same precipitation as Boise, Idaho. So, more than lack of rain, the real problem is infertile soil. Few Australian trees are deciduous, which means no leaf litter to produce nutrient-rich humus. There are no volcanoes nearby. No glaciers ever brought top soil here. There are no mountains to provide a valley which could collect eroded minerals. And it's been hundreds of millions of years since oceans deposited dead sea life here. So, that annual rain adds up to just one thing: leached soil.

Despite those challenges, life finds a way. I saw lots of flowers on my walk.

Lots of yellow flowers on this bush, approximately 4 feet tall.

Tiny pink and white flowers on this bush.

This was a flower about 18" tall with striking, bright yellow flowers.

This ground cover had tiny aster-like purple flowers with yellow centers.

This was another ground cover with pretty purple flowers.

Walkabout

After the Mala Walk, Ma and I split up. Ma went back to the car park, and I started upon the "Base Walk" which circles Uluru.

It's 10.6 km (about 6.5 miles) and, according to the visitors' guide, it takes 3.5 hours. My circumnavigation took at least an hour less than that, probably for two reasons: I'm in pretty good shape, and early in the walk I realized I had to pee like a racehorse. There are no toilets en route, and I wasn't shameful enough to duck into the brush to relieve myself. So, I walked pretty quickly.

Never fear. I managed to take lots of photos along the way...

Every time I looked at Uluru it appeared different. I call this one "old man's face". See the long nose down the middle and the eye slits at the top? I have no idea what the Anangu would call it, but it would probably be something awful like a "beaten old man who had the audacity to smell a bowl of seeds".

I made good use of the little tripod Ma gave me for Christmas last year. Look at the odd indentations. It's hard to believe this monolith is ONE ROCK.

With the exception of the long distance, the walk was not difficult at all. It was flat and solid and wide. I saw evidence of people using wheelchairs and/or strollers, and the path was certainly conducive for both.

There was evidence of lots of human activity. I saw gangs of several rangers who were gathering up the dry brush and putting it into garbage bags by the side of the road. I think the idea is to remove the fuel source for any potential wildfire, or possibly to clear an area as a floodway. The Anangu have a tradition of purging burns to renew the landscape. I'm certain the "joint management" teams (whites and blacks) were involved.

The other side of the rock was in shadow.

The path would alternate at different points between several hundred meters away from the rock to being right up next to it. There were also areas marked for no photography. The Anangu don't want you looking at an area which has spiritual significance. In addition, it is against Anangu Law for a member of the wrong sex to have knowledge of certain sites. The stories of these sites are known only to Anangu of the right sex and maturation.

Ah yes, story time again.

Kuniya is the name given to anthropomorphic woma pythons. Liru is the name given to anthropomorphic venomous snakes. A young male Kuniya (python) was ambushed by several Liru (venomous snakes). The Liru threw spears at the Kuniya and killed him. The force with which they threw their spears left holes in the side of Uluru.

The Kuniya boy's aunt arrived, wearing her eggs around her neck like a necklace. She found out what happened to her nephew and became angry. Her rage became poison which she vomited all over the area which contaminated it. She then chased the Liru until she caught up with one. After talking to him for a while she hit him in the head with her digging stick (a traditional woman's tool) and killed him. (My question: how does a snake wield a stick? or a spear for that matter...?)

The dark wavy line in the photo is evidence of her sliding along during her chase.

I think this boulder is supposed to be one of the aunt's eggs.


Oh goody. Another horrific story. This one is my least favorite (or perhaps most favorite to deride) because of how gruesome it is. I'm not sure this is the correct area/photo, but...

Somewhere along the southwestern side of the rock is an area that supposedly tells the story of Lungkata, a dishonest blue-tongued lizard. Lungkata happened upon a Kalaya (emu) which had been speared by someone else. He knew it was wrong, but he decided to cook the bird and eat it. Two Panpanpalala (bellbird) hunters came along and asked him if he'd seen a speared emu. He hid the meat and lied to the hunters. They moved on, and Lungkata ran away in the other direction. The bellbird hunters then discovered the tracks of the emu and could guess what had happened. Lungkata had left a trail of meat, and the bellbirds easily found him. The bellbirds lit a huge bonfire under Lungkata as he ran up a hill. He rolled down the hill and bits of his flesh stuck to the hot rocks like chunks of steak on a barbecue until very little of him remained intact. The ashen color on the side of Uluru and the small rock "fleshy bits" accompanied by one solitary big rock are supposed to represent evidence that the story is true.

Charming.


I reached the car park where Ma was patiently waiting. And I could finally take a leak!

We headed back to the resort to book a "Discovery Ecotour Night Sky Show" where we would be able to look through a telescope and learn about the astronomy of the southern hemisphere (and possibly hear some more fascinating Anangu stories to explain the stars). Unfortunately, the only "discovery" was that they were out of business. Stupid guidebook! As I mentioned in the intro, the guidebooks were a huge disappointment on this trip.

Day 6: Heartwarming stories?

This morning we started with a guided walk along the "Mala" path. It started at the "Mala Carpark" which is where we were yesterday. Our guide's name was Mick. (No, not Mick Dundee.) He was white, but he'd been learning stories from the Anangu. By tradition, a story can only be told in the location in which it happened. I'm going to break that tradition by telling a few here.

I warn you, they're not happy stories. I realize that the Anangu have a very hard life out here in the wilderness, but even so, these stories really raised my eyebrows.

According to the Anangu, this cave (two holes on the right) was the home of Itjaritjari, who was an anthropomorphic marsupial mole. Totally blind, she lived here but dug many other caves at the base of Uluru. I'm told she was "playful".

You'll also notice several dark lines stretching from top to bottom in the photo. These are caused by bacterial growth due to water runoff. Remember what I said earlier about environmental impact of the runoff from the summit? It is suspected that human acts have increased the natural level of bacteria.

This species of tree is incredibly important to the Anangu. The bark has special properties. If you shave off a piece, you can dry it over a low fire and shape it into useful objects such as bowls, spear throwers, baby carriers, etc. And the tree will regenerate the bark.

This bush plant is also important to the Anangu. They use the spiny needles for many purposes. The guide told us that they're especially good for removing warts.

This was a "school". See all the writing on the walls? Anangu, especially the grandparents, shared their knowledge with the youngest generation by using cave drawings.

This cave picture means it's story time.

The Mala Story goes like this. The Mala people arrived at this spot at Uluru to perform a ceremony. Their law required that once the ceremony began it must be completed. People from the west arrived and invited the Mala to join their ceremony. The Mala had to refuse because their ceremony had already started. The other people took offense and conjured up an evil, black dog-like creature called Kurpany. Luunpa, the kingfisher bird, cried a warning to the Mala, but it was not enough. Kurpany attacked the Mala men, women, and children and killed many. The ones who escaped were chased south, with Kurpany attacking them all the way.

Lovely story, huh? Wait'll I tell you the one from my Base Walk...

This waterhole is called Kantju. It was the primary source of water for the Mala ceremony.

Here's our guide, Mick. He had lots of photos in his book of various native plants and animals. This one shows a nutritious grub. He passed around several everyday items the Anangu use (like a bowl and a spear thrower made from that tree bark). There's still an active Anangu community here. I think he said there were a few hundred members around Uluru and a few thousand throughout the Northern Territory.

Sunset

At sunset, Uluru has the amazing ability to change colors right before your eyes. Here's a bit of time-elapsed photography.

Beige.

Yellow.
Orange.
Maroon.
Brown.
Charcoal.

Introducing Uluru

The aboriginal people here are called Anangu. They've lived around this rock for 10,000 years. Yep, that's 8000 BC, folks. Read it and weep, pharaohs! Needless to say, they've learned a thing or two about how to live in the outback.

They believe that the earth began as flat and featureless. And over time, their ancestors, in the form of giants and/or animals, created the terrain and vegetation. One such feature is Uluru, known to westerners as Ayers Rock. In their belief system, these features are proof that the stories are true, and their ancestors really were here.

The geological history tells a different story. 900 million years ago, sea levels were much higher. This area was at the southern edge of the shallow Amadeus Basin. Sediment collected in one spot over millions of years, and then the water receded. There were no plants or animals here, so it turned into a solid silica plate. The water returned 500 million years ago, this time bringing sea creatures and algae. Their presence created layers of mud and sand. The silica layer compressed even harder underneath. The water receded once again. Then the earth's crust buckled, leaving a finger of hard rock in the middle of lots of mud and sand. The softer rock eroded and the hard rock remained, sticking up out of the earth. And that's Uluru.

I don't know about any of that, but that's a massive bloody rock, mate! And it photographs well.

We stopped by the sunset viewing area long before sunset just to take a few photos from a good vantage point. We'll be back later...

This area is called the Mala Carpark. It also happens to be the location of "The Climb" and has the only bathrooms for miles around. The Anangu strongly suggest you respect their wishes and not climb the rock. There are many reasons. The first is safety. There's a chain to hang on (it's the thin gray line in the photo), but the physical demands are still immense. It's steep. It's windy. It's slippery, even more so when it is wet. In the summer, it's incredibly hot and dry. Heart attacks are not uncommon. The second reason is environmental. There's no toilet up there. No trash cans either. People wee and poo and drop their rubbish, and the rain washes it down the side of the rock. It contaminates the very fragile ecosystem that exists down the side and at the base. Plus, the poles for the chains are driven into the rock and are causing it to break apart. The third reason is cultural. Uluru has great spiritual significance to the Anangu. The climbers disrespect their beliefs by climbing it. It's sacred and timeless. It would be analogous to making a crayon etching from the Ten Commandments.

When we arrived, the climb was open and people where making use of it. It closed several times during our three day visit due to wind.

According to a guide we talked to later, the climb will be closed permanently within 10 years for all the reasons listed above. And I suspect not long afterward, Ayers Rock Resort will close, too. Tourism will dwindle, and the park will see far fewer visitors.

And that's just what the Anangu are hoping for.

Ma and I opted not to climb.

The rock is not smooth. In fact, pieces flake off all the time revealing the true color underneath (gray). The reddish color comes from oxidation of the iron in the sandstone.


There are also lots of caves and pits and dimples all over it. Some are fist-sized and others could hold an automobile.

Day 5: to Uluru

It's another transit day. We flew to Uluru. It used to be called Ayers Rock. The only town anywhere around was called Yulara, and its only purpose is to accommodate the tourists visiting the Rock. It had apartments (for the "locals"), lots of hotels, a campground (where we stayed), a post office, a gas station, several gift shops, a beauty parlor, and a supermarket.

Travelers' tip: The Northern Territory (Yulara) has its own time zone and it doesn't use daylight savings time. In winter (April-October), it is half an hour behind New South Wales (Sydney). In summer (October-April), it is an hour and a half behind New South Wales (Sydney).

This photo was taken out the airplane window. The rock formation is known as the Olgas. The aboriginal name is "Kata-Tjuta". It's about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from Ayers Rock and is located inside the same sprawling national park.

The right half of the building was our cabin. It supposedly slept six (one double bed and four bunk beds), but I think six would have been incredibly tight. It was quite good for two, though.

This picture also shows our car. I arranged for a compact car, but Thrifty had a logistical problem and had to arrange for us to get a 4WD car from Avis. Yes, it's a right-side drive, and, yes, it's larger than I'm accustomed to driving. But I think I managed pretty well despite those challenges. It really helped that there was zero traffic on the outback roads.

All the comforts of home. There wasn't much television reception though.

Travelers' tip: Buy salt and pepper! You forget those little things when you're camping...

Shared facilities. This being a campground, I expected the showers to be pretty unpleasant. I was surprised by how nice they were. Excellent water pressure and plenty of hot water. And clean!

It gets very cold in the outback at night. The daytime temperatures probably reached into the seventies, but the nighttime was near freezing (below forty, I suspect). It made for a couple nippy trips to the loo at 2am!

Macquarie and museum

After leaving the soggy Royal Botanic Gardens we headed down Macquarie Street. (Ma and I couldn't agree on the pronunciation. MACK-ah-ree? ma-KWAIR-ee? Whatever.) It's a famous street with lots of old architectural buildings on it.

Here's Sydney Hospital (1868-1894)


And the Mint (1816). Looks like it belongs in New Orleans.

And St. Mary's Cathedral. Technically not on Macquarie Street, but close enough.

The last stop today was the Australian Museum, filled with natural history. They had a cool interactive hologram thingy where sharks or crocodiles or snakes would jump out at you. Ma's nerves are shot so she freaked a bit, but I enjoyed it.

They had some other neat displays.

I think we would have enjoyed it even more if we hadn't been so tired by this point.

Lucky for us, we didn't have far to walk home. The museum was just across Hyde Park from our hotel. This is a picture of the park's ANZAC war memorial and reflection pool. "ANZAC" stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps. They fought in World War I in the famous battle at Gallipoli, Turkey, which began April 25, 1915. While valiant, the ANZACs suffered tremendous loss of life during that campaign. The battle was ultimately won by the Ottoman Turks, but it served as a "coming out" for Australia and New Zealand from under Britain's shadow. Today, both Australia and New Zealand remember their fallen soldiers on April 25, Anzac Day.

For our last dinner in Sydney, we got delicious "takeaway" lasagna from Pasta Pantry down the street, and cooked up some potatoes, too. Ma had some Greek salad.