23 July - Day 9 - Uluru

Our first full day at Uluru today. After a leisurely bacon and eggs breakfast we drove to the Uluru national park and purchased our 3 day entry tickets. Once through the gates it is then a further 14 km drive to a spot where you can park the car and choose from a variety of walks around 'the rock'. We have both found that the impact of seeing this Australian icon is surprisingly profound. Initially there's the excitement of catching the first glimpse, after driving nearly a week, but the real effect takes hold as you get close to the rock. The size is imposing of course, but the majestic beauty not only of the rock itself but also of the surroundings is very powerful.

We drove around to the car park for the Mala walk which takes you right to the surface of the rock. Once you get close there is an infinite variety of details to capture the imagination.

Even in the short walk we undertook we discovered many caves which to the local Aboriginal people all have significance - many of them feature rock art.

One of the strange effects of visiting Uluru is that it seems to command reverence and stillness. While there are hundreds of visitors there at anyone time, everyone seems talk in hushed tones as if they're visiting a cathedral. It is no wonder that the local people treat the whole area as a sacred place.

We've been extremely lucky with the weather. The cool weather which has blanketed Australia has produced mild and very pleasant weather here. I can imagine that during the summer when the temperatures can reach 50ºC our walk would have been rather challenging. On the way back to the campground we visited the Uluru Cultural centre which was very interesting and a great example of architecture which is sympathetic to its surroundings. Unfortunately at the request of the local people we refrained from photography here. Tomorrow we plan to visit the nearby (50km) Olgas.