Ayres Rock rocks!

After 25 hours on the rails we were reving to go. A Ford Falcon station wagon awaited us complete with camping equipment. One small minor detail - no tent only a swag (google it, then imagine Fe in one, no flippin chance). The wagon had cruise control so the 440 km wasn't too bad but no time was to be wasted in order to arrive by dusk, not just roo action here, cattle, camels and thorny devils also roaming around!
Our first night of swagging was interrupted due to some dramatic thunder, lightening and rain. The station wagon then became our new digs and to be fair it wasn't bad as she was so big she almost needed reverse beepers.  Accommodation at the rock has been limited to one resort which has multiple options. From boutique hotels to outback camping, guess which we went for?

Obviously our wagon didn't have curtains but that didn't matter as at 4.30am we were up and heading for sunrise at the rock.  You start to see the rock some 30 kms away as you work your way along the Lasseter highway with anticipation on what's it gonna be like. And then wham there she is just sat there glowing. Its one of those really, an object when no matter how many times you've seen it in pictures nothing really prepares you for your first sight of such a mass of red rock just sat there on the horizon.

After our chilly sunriser and a hot cuppa we spent time in the cultural centre reading out the rocks aboriginal history. As climbing the rock is a big no no (the aboriginals don't want people climbing it) we opted for the 14km base walk. She really is a big lump!

Dusk brings another wave of tour buses back to the rock for the sunset. After a bit of a cloudy day we were treated with a gap in the clouds and the sun showing itself just before dipping on the horizon.
Completely lighting up the rock with an orange glow, awesome!

Ulura (Ayers Rock) is 3.6km long and rises a towering 348m from the surrounding sandy scrub land. It is believed that two thirds of the rock lies beneath the sand. Archaeological work suggests that Aboriginal people have lived in the area for at least 22,000 years.

The beliefs of Uluru are that of strong aboriginal history acting under aboriginal law. The aboriginals hear of this law from others who know. Their grandmothers and grandfathers who held the law and culture
strongly, they lived strongly and happily.  Today within Uluru both white people and black people work together as equals.

Everything at Uluru still runs according to aboriginal law. All rangers wear a badge carrying the image if Uluru. The aboriginals believe this is the way things should be. The national park is protected according to the law. Aboriginal people are constantly training rangers and scientists about the animals and plants within
the park. They teach them where to look for animals and where to find their burrows and what and how they eat to survive.  Government laws are written on paper, Anangu (Uluru Aboriginals) only carry their law in their heads and souls. They do not or will not put it down on paper. The laws are continually passed down from generations held only in their heads and hearts.


The rock, A question of climbing : The climbing of the rock is not encouraged as it's deemed as a sacred
thing in the eyes of Anangu. It's believed that Tjukurpa law has taught the aboriginals the correct way to behave, therefore they ask people to respect the law and not climb the rock or photograph any sites that are marked as sacred. Over 35 deaths have occurred through people attempting to climb the rock, the Anangu people feel great sadness when a person is hurt or dies on their land.