REDHOT red centre
There is a sense of anticipation among those in the viewing area as we watch the shadows fall away from Australia’s most recognisable natural wonder. We’ve all seen numerous pictures but nothing has prepared us for the real thing.
The sun eases up over the horizon behind us and a rich redness washes over the mauve monolith. Rising majestically 348m above the sandy floodplain with an impressive 9km girth, Uluru is a natural light show par excellence.
During the day, as the sun moves across its many faces, they change through shades of fiery red, blues, pinks and browns. And when it rains – yes, it does rain here – rich deposits of iron mean that Uluru actually rusts.
Forty-five minutes and many photographs later, we board our coach for a hearty breakfast at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre. Before taking us on a walk around the base of Uluru, our two Anangu guides – Cassidy, a tribal elder who speaks no English, and Arty, who acts as interpreter – treat our small group to a demonstration of bushcraft, hunting and spear skills.
Arty throws with deadly accuracy. He laughingly agrees with me that I couldn’t hit a dead kangaroo at five paces.
Uluru means ‘‘meeting place’’ and many Aboriginal Dreaming tracks or ‘‘songlines’’ intersect here. The Ananga are believed to have lived in the region for more than 20,000 years and for them it is a centre of spiritual power.
Walking in the shadow of this overpowering monolith with Cassidy and Arty, we gain an up-close insight into the forces and mythology that make this a sacred place. And we can feel it.
But the true significance of Uluru is either not understood or ignored by many visitors. I ask Arty’s opinion on a long ant-like line of tourists struggling up the rock face.
‘‘As the custodians, we don’t approve. It’s against our spiritual beliefs. And it’s dangerous. People have died and this distresses us.’’
I think we’ve just enjoyed a far more rewarding experience.
Sunset. And the party is just beginning. Jan and I stand on a desert dune sipping sparkling wine, nibbling canapes and admiring uninterrupted 360 degree views of the vast reddening wilderness with Uluru as the blushing centrepiece. This is the prelude to a unique dining experience under the stars – the Sounds of Silence.
As dusk falls, we drift with the crowd to our table in the desert – set with crisp white linen, polished silverware and glasses of bubbly – to enjoy a real taste of Australia including smoked kangaroo crepes, crocodile Caesar salad and barramundi in chilli and wattle seed glaze.
Afterwards, the resident ‘‘star talker’’ – a Kiwi – takes us on an amusing and informative tour of the dazzlingly clear night sky, which appears to be dusted with an infinity of glittering, smashed ice crystals.
The midday temperature is over 30 degrees Celsius and rising as we board an ATT Kings coach for Kata Tjuta. A 53km drive from Yulara, Kata Tjuta – meaning ‘‘many heads’’ – is an otherworldly, 600 million-year-old collection of 36 domed rock formations that rivals Uluru as a tourist magnet. The tallest rock, Mount Olga, is about 200m higher than Uluru.
Oven-like heat envelops us as we emerge, water bottles at the ready, from our air-conditioned coach into the red glow of Kata Tjuta and head for the slopes to begin our hike up Walpa Gorge.
As we walk, dwarfed by the moody, glowering gorge walls that seem to move under the everchanging shades of vibrant red, iridescent orange and burnt yellows, it is easy to appreciate that for the Anangu, Kata Tjuta has great significance – a world alive with spirits and legends.
Ever the diva, Uluru has beckoned us back one final time and as sunset spreads over the countryside we enjoy wine and canapes, courtesy of AAT Travel.
Slowly, the pink face of Uluru begins to redden until it seems to glow from within. We take numerous photographs but we probably won’t need them to remember this extraordinary experience.
As Uluru fades into the gathering darkness we join our AAT - Kings hosts for a slap-up Aussie barbecue at the company’s exclusive venue adjoining the park’s cultural centre. Although we can’t see anything in the surrounding blackness, we feel the brooding presence of Uluru behind us.
The evening is a fitting finale to our all-too-brief exploration of the mystical, magnificent Red Centre. Tomorrow we fly back to Alice Springs and board the Ghan to continue our journey.