Tuesday, November 26, 2013

ULURU


From King's Canyon I drove to Uluru. I spent one afternoon there and watched the sun setting on the rock. I camped at the resort and then set out early to watch the sun come up on the rock. I had thought about climbing the rock but I had twisted my ankle a day or two before so decided against this. I did go and look at the waterhole nestled into the side of the rock, though the water-level was down. I also had a look at Aboriginal paintings in a cliff overhang near the waterhole. There were large crowds there for the sunset and the sunrise. At the resort I also saw Aboriginal dancers and even joined them for the men's dance.

In 1993 a dual naming policy was adopted and Ayers Rock/Uluru became the first name change under this policy; it was later changed to Uluru/ Ayers Rock. Uluru is the name given the rock by the local Pitjantjatjara people. The surveyor, William Gross named it Ayers Rock in 1873 after the Chief Secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers. The rock is 348 metres high; 3.6 kms long; 1.9 kms wide and 9.4 kms around the base. It also extends for several kilometres underground.

one end of Uluru

An early morning view

OK, so the rock looked better than me in the morning
Afternoon view



Aboriginal rock paintings at the rock
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View, late in the afternoon