October 17, 2005

The Centre of the Outback

Oh, woh, a lot to catch up on! The cost of everything was ginormous at Ayers Rock so I sadly had to avoid internet. So here I am in Alice Springs, but first I have to describe the 2 wonders 6 hours from here.

Ayers Rock is Uluru and is a fascinating rock that changes colours throughout the entire day. My first glimpse of it close up was a huge black silhouette as we drove towards it in the very early morning. The sky was already light before the sun appeared above the horizon. Uluru gradually lightened into a brown and dark long shadows, showing the tall clumps of rock. Soon, circular holes appeared and gradually more detail was seen within them. Suddenly, the sun hit it and the emmense rock glowed bright vertical stripes of orange and black. It popped out of the sky, hundreds of cameras clicked, and moments later everyone hopped back into their cars to leave. Can we ever have enough sunrises and sunsets? No! Because I saw them several times within those few days and each one was completely different.

More exciting was the Olgas, known as Kata Tjuta, which is a group of several rocks. Their bulby roundness and strange angles make them so unique, I felt I was walking on a different planet! The highest rock is 200m higher than Uluru and has a "Magrite" surreal composition with the bright red walls on each side and the perfect flat sky behind and a white moon pasted in the middle of the gorge. I really don't think I was on earth!

Our very informative driver Simon, used to be a traveling journalist and has taken photos all over the world. I showed him the cute, furry catapillar I saved on a stick from being trampled on in the middle of a path. He said, when threatened, they shoot out their long hairs like daggers at the enemy! I'm glad the catapillar and I are friends. P

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