Uluru - much more than a sunset

We left Coober Pedy just before the remnants of monster cyclone Yasi were about to hit Central Australia. To illustrate how cyclonic events can have far-reaching consequences, consider that Coober Pedy (South Australia) is thousands of kilometers away from Queensland where cyclone Yasi landed. Yet Coober Pedy, Alice Springs and Uluru (all in Central Australia) were all set to receive torrential rain. Since Uluru was our next destination, this surely was disheartening news.

After staying in parched Coober Pedy and Andamooka, the sight of all the greenery in the red centre was a relief. Australia had received record rain during last winter. The red, cracked landscape of central Australia had already been replaced by greenery everywhere. Not your typical desert landscape!

But deep inside I felt concerned, as the forecast of rain meant that Ania wasn’t going to be able to see Uluru in its entire splendor – meaning Uluru under a sunny sky. I had been to Uluru before so this really was Ania’s time to do “wow!”

Uluru (formally known as Ayer’s Rock) is an unmistakable feature of Australia. It is the second most visited attraction in the country after the Great Barrier Reef.

Most visitors who come to see Uluru only do so at sunset time. They tend to congregate around the observation decks a few kilometers away from Uluru where they snap a few pictures of the monolith. The tourists are then rushed back inside the bus by a tour operator anxious to finish his day.

These tourists don’t know what they are missing. For if Uluru looks great from the observation deck it certainly looks breathtaking up close and personal.

There is a base walk around Uluru that allows the visitor to appreciate the sheer size of the monolith and its odd-shaped scared walls. Seasoned walkers can choose to do a 10.2 kilometer walk around Uluru. After viewing the sacred aboriginal sites and paintings – Uluru is first and foremost sacred aboriginal ground – we stopped at spectacular Mutitjulu Waterhole where we enjoyed the sight of rain trickling down the walls of Uluru into the waterhole.

We didn’t have the pleasure to see Uluru under a constant sun. However, in this part of Australia where it seldom rains, a crying Uluru was a very rare sight.

It seems we were no so unfortunate after all.