U is for ULURU
Once again we’re off to the Red Centre today, right to the cultural, geographic and iconic heart of Australia, Uluru or Ayers Rock as it used to be known.

I can’t imagine there’d be too many of my readers who won’t have seen an image of this monolith either in a TV show or in a book. Perhaps you might think that, like the EiffelTower or the Leaning Tower of Pisa, you’ve seen it so often “virtually” that’s there’s little point in actually visiting. You expect that you’ll arrive and think “oh, yes, that’s what it’s supposed to look like”.
We were surprised when we visited Uluru on a long road trip from Brisbane via Adelaide, that it actually took our breath away. Like many we were initially fooled by Mt Connor with its look-alike appearance, but when you see the real thing, you’re in no doubt. I had no difficulty believing the Aboriginal sense of its religious significance. It may seem strange to say that a large lump of rock has an aura, but we found that it did. There is just something about it that holds you in thrall. Perhaps all those centuries of humans around it have imparted some human spirit as well.

Apart from the cultural prohibitions, there are practical reasons not to climb. It’s far from uncommon for people to die high up the rock from exertion, heat stroke or whatever. This means that the poor emergency service workers have to put their own lives at risk to get someone down.

There are alternative activities which will give you a much better sense of the place and my favourite was walking around the base looking at the colonies of plants and animals and seeing the impact of the heavy rains. I only wish we’d been there when it rained! If you’re there and it pours, don’t bemoan your fate, dash out with your camera and get some amazing photos. Check out this story about how a local photographer captured Uluru in a downpour. I’d give my eye teeth to see it running with rain like this and I was green as a shamrock when some of my work colleagues fluked exactly that.

We have some special memories of our camping stay at nearby Yulara. The ice on the water bucket in the morning (it was sub-zero) and the sound of our daughters tossing and turning under their heat blanket (they forgot their parkas when they left home to catch the plane to meet us). The sounds of the didgeridoo and singing from a corroboree nearby, and the howl of the dingoes.
One of the things this A to Z has done for me, is remind me how many places we need to revisit ourselves.
Why visit: to see Australia’s red heart and an iconic site. To learn more about Indigenous culture and life in the desert.
TODAY’S AUSSIE-ISMS
Not much to add here today so I’ll add a complete red-herring:
Rellie Run: the compulsory visit to the family interstate, very common in a place with many transient residents and where few have deep roots in the state. Hard to believe we’re now a three generation Territory family….where did the years go.
Up the creek without a paddle: no hope
Uluru really is a magical place. You have captured the colours beautifully in your photos.
Thanks Curtain Raiser…it’s intriguing how many of us have felt its magic pull despite its photographic familiarity to Australians.
The color of that sand is just incredible – so red! It makes the red rocks of Sedona pale in comparison.
Thanks C B. I’m sure that there are other places with equally magnificent colours, just different. I’ve heard of Sedona but never been there.
I have never seen a photograph of Uluru before. It looks amazing. And the rain photographs do too. If I had perfected time travel, I would be there in a flash.
We do have “up the creek without a paddle”. Never heard the “rellie run” but think I could grow to use it.
Seems like I’ve introduced you to somewhere new Kristin -if we could time travel we’d be zipping everywhere including back to chat to those rellies -a new form of rellie run.
Visiting Uluru is on my bucket list. I love the colours that you have captured in your photos.
Definitely worth visiting Sharon. Thanks for the compliment on the photos…the colours were magical that time and with the rising moon made it even more special.
I love the title of this post, just rolls off the tongue, might have to work on that.. 🙂
Our son loved Uluru, as well as the Brolgas. However, he said also that there certainly is a mystical quality to Uluru. On the list…
Yes it’s weird, we’ve all seen so many photos of Uluru you wouldn’t expect to “feel” anything…but you certainly do.
Another for your “U’ words… my Dad and his siblings, if they weren’t/aren’t feeling too well, use ‘up tuh’ as in up to putty… no good.
Indeed, a good addition Chris -I haven’t heard that for a long while.
Great shots. Fantastic vivid colours in Uluru. I didn’t realise about the name change either. I’m much more informed having read your blog 🙂
Thanks Pete. Yes I was pretty taken with the colours. But check out this professional photo http://www.stevenpearcephoto.com/blog/2012/10/16/uluru-ayres-rock-tour-the-first-in-two-years.html. Quite amazing and a cause for envy.
Wow, that makes it look alive.
Thanks Pete