Chris & Sean Down Under: ULURU

I struggled with how to write this post at first - captioning the pictures below would be easy, but how to introduce Uluru? As I have pondered, I have come to realize that Uluru (AKA Ayers Rock) means something different to just about everyone... which is really strange because all Uluru is, really, is a big rock formation poking up from the surface of the Outback, way out in the middle (almost literally) of Australia. Why all the fuss, then? Well, I have come to the conclusion that - for me at least! - Uluru is all about the contrasts. Any time I thought I had it all figured out, I would really that there was a completely opposing fact or opinion about the site that sent me all the way back to square one. So, how to introduce Uluru before our picture slam? A list of six Uluru facts, in no particular order, highlighting just how hard it is to nail this place down (especially after just a three day visit!).

A brief list of the many contrasting features of Uluru:
- While Uluru may seem to be "just" a rock formation, it is actually a hugely significant religious site to the local Aboriginal people. Our tour guides compared it to the Vatican for their faith system.
- From a distance Uluru appears large, imposing, slightly angular, and smooth; up close it is curvy, covered in pockmarks and cracks, impossibly complex and somehow - oddly - smaller and more personal.
- People are technically permitted to climb it; simultaneously, the park and Aborigines strongly discourage visitors from doing so.
- Who "owns" Uluru? The Aborigines had always lived here, then the Australian government took it over and kicked them out, then in 1985 they gave it back to the Aborigines, who promptly leased it back to the government! So both groups "own" it in different ways.
- It is easy to zone out while staring at Uluru's curves and surfaces; the Aborigines have memorized the rock and can read every crack and bend like a book (almost every surface has a story and significance).
- You are constantly unloaded off busses and told to photograph it at all times of day... except for ONE SIDE, of which photos are strictly forbidden.

And so on and so on... So basically, Sean and I flew out her to see this big formation and figure out what it meant to us. The neat thing is that you can make Uluru mean whatever you want it to be - religious pilgrimage, a mountain to climb, a cool place to take pics and then move on, a spot to ponder your place in the universe, or - for me - a place that hasn't yet found its proper spot in my mind. For what it's worth, Sean said it was the most deeply emotional experience he has ever had and now sports a henna tattoo of the rock and wears a woven bracelet to remind him of "this place, this moment, my journey." He's really gotten a bit overbearing with it...

Oh! One more contrast! There is also Kata Tjuta - ANOTHER large rock formation a handful of miles away that no one outside of Australia ever talks about. In my opinion, it is even cooler than Uluru! It's bigger too. So there is not one fascinating site to see here, but two!

On to the pics!! They're divided into three main parts - Uluru, Kata Tjuta, and Kings Canyon. Enjoy!!!

I came over the rise before Sean did, so I got the first view of Uluru! I had just enough time to turn around and snap a reaction shot of Sean - he was so surprised to see it! Love the candid expression!

Our first night at the Uluru resort featured watching the sun set on Uluru with champagne, followed by an outdoor meal in the desert!

The sun has set on Uluru.

The next morning we got up at 5am for a sunrise breakfast and tour of the park. Awesome pictures!

This was our vehicle for the morning's tour! Sean wants to get one so he can contrast my SmartCar.

Uluru!

A great example of how photos don't quite do Uluru justice. This view was so impressive, the rock face and boulders were so huge and high up... But in the picture it looks strangely small!

We had some time to walk around part of the rock. To circle the whole thing on foot takes about three hours, to give you an idea of its size.

The Aboriginal culture is the oldest continuous living culture on the planet. The culture dates back 30,000-60,000 years, and remains basically unchanged today. This is a great example - cave art! The most recent additions are from the 1930s. The earliest detected on this wall (and in the same style) date back five THOUSAND years!!

Something I hadn't thought of until we saw it... after rains the water flows off and this is a pretty reliable water hole. The tour guide said that right after a rain this is a roaring waterfall and really something to behold. The water source is one of the reasons the Aborigines valued Uluru.

Uluru lit up by the sun at sunset.

Sun sinks beneath the horizon...

Sun is gone.

This is Kata Tjuta! Looks small, right? It's bigger than Uluru - aka taller than the Eiffel Tower. Boom.

We enjoyed an hour-long Kata Tjuta canyon walk!

Kata Tjuta means "Many Heads." It's made of different rock than Uluru, so over the eons it has split into individual sections, some with canyons in between.