Uluru

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Finally get to write about Uluru (Ayers Rock). Really long coach ride from Alice Springs to the Outback Pioneer Resort, 450 K or over 200 miles across the Northern Territory. Took a really long time to get there. Had a Happy House (rest stop) where some of the group climbed a red sand dune. Another short (ha) two hours later we stopped for lunch at a cattle station. The place was so big it even had it's own Mesa topped mountain. Guide called it a false Uluru because from the vantage point of the road, it looked like what we all expected Uluru to look klike. The grandfather of the family had built a bower house when he first arrived there and had turned it into a restaurant in order to cash in on the tourist trade. It was an open sided housebuilt from the boughs of a tree with supporting beams covered in thatch. While the temperature outside soared into the low 100's, under the shade it was a balmy 85 or so. We finally arrived in the national Park and out latest stop. His was the only non-fancy place we have stayed so far. After we dropped off bags, took a quick dip in a cooled pool, we headed out for our first close up look at Uluru and a an educational walk. Great coach driver with lots of insight into the aboriginal lives, lore and men's and women's business. Talk about a segragated society. Neither attended each other's ceremonies. Women dealt with plants, gathering food and medicine and raising the children. Men hunted and taught boys after they turned 13. Saw a lot of cave painting depicting stories and teaching. Then we went to the sunset viewing place where the coach company provided champagne, OJ (me), and all kinds of nibbles. Sunset was marvelous with all the changing colors on the rock. By the time we got back at 8, I was exhausted. At 5 in the morning we heade back to Uluru to check out the night sky and sunrise. Coach company provided coffee, hot chocolate, tea and bikkies (cookies). Watched gorgeous colors show up again as sun rose. So different from sunrise. We then took a different path around the rock and passed several sacred areas, both men's and women's teaching caves. On the way out we passed the birthing cave, situated far from the other caves.

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