I don’t understand why but apparently a huge number of travellers just go down the East coast of Australia and don’t go to see the Red Centre. I even heard someone call Uluru ‘just a rock’ which I have to say is proving they hadn’t been anywhere near it.
I could show you a huge number of images I captured of the majesty that is Uluru, however it is a very spiritual place and important to the aboriginal community. There are various ‘don’t take pictures here please‘ signs around the rocks. I respected all, whilst still capturing a huge number of photographs that permanently remind me of one of the most special 3 days of my life. If you look online at Uluru it looks like a big flat rock, it isn’t! It is shaped, ridged, carved, sculpted, beautifully detailed and rugged, it isn’t ‘just a rock’
We went with a tour operator who employed an excellent local who had lived with aboriginal people and showed us the majesty and spiritual importance of the location whilst having fun at a ‘sleep under the stars‘ and the secrets of sleeping in a swag. Thanks to Hannah who drew the ‘anti snake’ circle around my bed for the night, it worked. I would do it all over again. We felt we would expire of heat exhaustion whilst drinking the required 4 litres of water a day, walked around Kings Canyon, and I am proud to say I crossed a bridge over a gulley to yet again deny the power of my phobias.
On the way from Uluru our tour guide screeched ‘everyone off the bus‘ we jumped off thinking it was on fire until we saw him run back to the road behind us. He dusted his hands off with red dust prior to lifting a precious item from the middle of the road.
He quickly ensured he returned this sky beast away from the road, I’m so glad he survived to live another day.
Whilst walking around the red centre I was never so grateful as to the person who recommended we buy an insect head net. The flies are insane, little nitty ones who get everywhere although don’t bite. I also fell in love with the person who kindly installed a bench under a tree just for me!
What I always find amazing about nature is that no matter how tough the environment some wildlife will thrive. I’m assuming this bird lives on the massive number of flies, I like this picture as the red and blue remind me of the heat and strong sun of the day but the leaves and bird prove that life is able to survive.
PLEASE Australia ban climbing on Uluru, most tourists now respect the importance, so please go with the majority and ban it for good.
Top 5 for Red Centre:
Kings Canyon
Uluru
Kata Tjuta
Take your own water bottle, and more water, and more water…
Trust professionals and take notice of travel advice