Day 64: Uluru & Kings Canyon

Woke up early today to head out to Uluru to view the sunrise.  Beautiful sunrise -- and amazing how the rock just glows once the sun hits it.  After that  -- we dropped off people who wanted to climb the rock (see more below) and then drove around the rock --- and then stopped to take a couple of walks around portions of the rock.  Our walking guide was excellent -- great explanations on the geology of the rock & Aboriginal beliefs / stories.

After the walks -- back to the hotel for lunch -- and we then left to do the 4 hour drive to Kings Canyon.  We arrived there just in time to grab a glass of wine and watch the sunset.  The "resort" is very remote -- no wi-fi & no mobile signal -- although there was TV -- so they must have satellite.  Food was just ok -- fortunately there was a good live band playing -- made up for the lackluster meal.

Weather:  sunny, 55 - 75F
Miles Walked:  7.0
kms - Bus Driven:  304

Book/s Read:  The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult.  Difficult subject and a bit contrived at times -- but overall I thought it was very good.

Trivia for the day:  Uluru is known as one of the largest monoliths in the world.  Click here to read why that isn't exactly true.  Also, Uluru geologically is very different than Kata Tjuta -- Uluru is composed of only arkose sandstone -- Kata Tjuta is composite and is made of many different types of rocks.

Pic Notes:

• 1 - 2:  Sunrise at Uluru
• 3:  Kata Tjuta in the distance (at sunrise)
• 4 - 22:  Uluru
• 4:  People doing the climb up the rock (more below)
• 10:  Shows some of the marks made when Kuniya killed Liru (see below).  The 2 lines on the right are cracks made when Kuniya smacked Liru against the rock.  On the left is the dead Liru.  (you have to use your imagination)
• 23 - 29:  Sunset at Kings Canyon

Climbing the rock:  The local Anangu (the Indigenous group that "own" the park land) request that visitors not climb the rock.  Mostly because it's sacred to them and also because if people die why they are climbing the rock (40+ have died during the climb) -- then the Anangu feel responsible.  Unfortunately a clause was added when the Anangu leased the park back to the National Parks that the climb would not be closed.  So the Anangu can't prohibit the climb.  Although the request is repeated / explained many times -- there are still a lot of people who do the climb -- rather sad.  

That's a really important sacred thing that you are climbing... You shouldn't climb.  It's not the real thing about this place.  The real thing is listening to everything.  And maybe that makes you a bit sad.  But anyway that's what we have to say.  We are obliged by Tjukurpa to say.  And all the tourists will brighten up and say, "Oh, I see.  This is the right way.  This is the thing that's right.  This is the proper way:  no climbing."

Kunmanara, traditional owner

Note:  Australian Indigenous people don't believe that anyone can own land -- that the land is there for everyone

Aboriginal story about Kuniya & Liru (2 snakes):

Long, long ago in the Dreamtime the animals gave shape to some of the Rock.  At that time a young Woma Python (a boy) was surprised by a group of Liru, which are venomous snakes.  The Liru threw spears at the python and killed him.  So hard did they throw their spears that the points made holes in the Rock.  The boy's aunt, called Kuniya, was so angry that she killed one of the Liru with her stick.  They made holes in the rock when the points of Kuniya's stick hit it.