This has been such a hard topic for me – not because I am never blissful, but I don’t know if I’ve ever captured it on film! So I’ve stretched my mind and come up with the following…..Are they blissful? I’m not sure, but they did make me feel very happy.
In 2015 I finally visited some of Australia’s iconic landmarks.
Uluru, Northern Territory, was once known as Ayers Rock.
Kata Tjuta, formerly known as The Olgas, is a short distance from Uluru.
And then heading north from Alice Springs are the famous Devils’s Marbles.
Devil’s Marbles Northern Territory
Neatly stacked by nature!
It’s all a balancing act!
Bliss? Sitting around a campfire with fellow travellers at the end of the day.
Jose was our resident fire lighter!
And being visited by the locals at some wonderful camp sites –
I’ve got the feeling I’m being watched!
The locals called in for a look!
Wild birds? Sitting on my knee? Gotta love it!
My idea of absolute bliss? Lying on a pristine beach, feeling the sun warm you to the bones and drifting off – not to sleep, but to that blissful state of being aware of what’s around you but not being part of it at all. Now that’s hard to capture with words, let alone a photograph!
It is amazing to be here and I am in awe of the magnificent natural rock formations of Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
There it is!
Some quick Uluru and Kata Tjuta facts:
Uluru is 348 metres above ground and 9.4 kilometres around the base.(5.8 miles)
Kata Tjuta is 546 metres above the ground and consists of 36 domes spread over an area of more than 20 kilometres
Kata Tjuta is a Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal tribe word meaning ‘many heads’.
These are intensely spiritual places for indigineous Australians, the traditional land owners, and many white Australians also feel the spirit of these stunning landmarks.
Traditional religious philosophy, Tjukurpa, provides an interpretation of the present landscape, flora, fauna and natural phenomena in terms of the journeys and activities of ancestral beings and consequently binds the people socially, spiritually and historically to the land.
The Cultural Heritage Centre tells the story of how some of the features of the rock are formed and I love these stories that form the basis of the culture and law of the Anangu people. This site I found has the most comprehensive rendition of the stories that are depicted in the Cultural Centre.
And this YouTube clip has Barbara Tjikatu, a tradtional owner of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta region, telling of the Creation Story and how some of the features of the rock were formed.
Here’s another couple of links that give some great information
Fellow Solo traveller Margaret and I camped at Ayres Rock Resort Campground and drove the 20 or so Kilometres to Uluru (formerly known as Ayres Rock) and then a further 50 to Kata Tjuta. Between us we took masses of photos and I hope I’ve chosen some of the best to show you here. Margaret’s have been identified with (MC).
As you move around this massive monolith there are so many different features and I hope we have captured some of the better ones. From a distance you can’t see the hidden crevices and fissures that make the variations so interesting.
NOTE: Our apologies to the traditional owners if we have photographed culturally sensitive areas of Uluru and upon request I will certainly remove any photos that may unintentionally offend.
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From Uluru we drove about 50kms to Kata Tjuta (formerly known as The Olgas). Here is some great information:
There are 36 domes that make up Kata Tjuta and they cover about 20 kilometres. Kata Tjuta is a Pitjantjatjara Aboriginal tribe word meaning ‘many heads’ and you can certainly see how it got this name. I never realized these domes were so huge,
Once again, these photos are a combination of Margaret’s and mine and I’ll let them do the talking …
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Our Uluru experience is far from over! Today we are attending some of the activities the resort offers such as the Bush Tucker Garden, Indigenous Dancers and Didgeridoo Playing and to cap it all off tonight I am celebrating my birthday at the Sounds of Silence dinner watching sunset over The Rock!
The Snail Trail 