Australia 8/19/2022 - 9/6/2022

Sunday 8/28/2022 - Sunrise, Uluru Base Walk, Field of Light Dinner

We were up bright and early and waiting outside the lobby of the hotel when the Uluru Hop On Hop Off Bus arrived at 5:40 a.m., exactly on time. This bus, which you book ahead of time, does rounds between Yulara and Uluru, stopping at each at appointed times during the day. If you take the earliest bus in the morning, which we were doing, you get dropped off at a viewing spot to watch sunrise before being driven to Uluru. We met our driver, Snakebite, and, after picking up guests at other hotels, he drove us to the sunrise viewing spot. As we got off the bus, he told us to be back by 7:15 for him to drive us to Uluru.

We walked up the hill to a viewing platform. It was quite chilly. Although we knew that we would be warm once the sun came up, we had to wear warm clothing. As the sky lightened up, Uluru's rock faces changed color. The sun rose behind us and cast its golden rays onto the surface of the rock. Uluru looks so massive, even from a distance, protruding from the flat desert. We were excited, knowing that we would be hiking around it soon!

Official sunrise occurred at 7:02, and we were back to the bus by 7:12. Snakebite drove us to the Mala carpark at Uluru, and asked what return trip we were likely to catch. We were shooting for 1:05 p.m. If we missed that bus, we would have to wait an additional two hours for the 3:05 p.m.

We used the rest rooms near the Mala carpark. Then, as we approached the rock, we happily noticed a sign which read, "Permanent Closure: 26 October 2019." Just 8 days after our previous Uluru base walk, climbing of the rock had been permanently outlawed. This was a victory for the Anangu, who have been Aboriginal custodians of the land for the past 30,000 years. The rock is sacred and the climb was dangerous. The Anangu, having been the spiritual guardians of this land, felt responsible for people who died or were injured when undertaking the climb. We would later learn that Anangu creation stories even mention the taboo of climbing Uluru. A fence now prevents people from accessing the prior hiking trail, and a security camera monitors visitors to make sure they don't breach the fence.

We started our ~10 km Base Walk at 7:50 a.m., proceeding clockwise around the rock. It was shady along the first stretch, known as the Mala Walk. The Mala Walk runs from the Mala carpark (where we started our walk) to the Kantju Gorge.

Anangu creation stories are known as "Tjukurpa." The Anangu prefer this term to "Dreamtime," which is a term coined by anthropologists. They feel that the terms "Dreaming" and "Dreamtime" imply that their beliefs are not real / legitimate. In the Anangu consciousness, Tjukurpa is incredibly real, and informs their day to day life.

In Tjukurpa, ancestral beings created the world. These beings advise appropriate behavior, as well as how to travel from one place to another, and where to find food and water. Tjukurpa is passed down orally. It does not change over time and refers to the past, present, and future simultaneously.

Although Tjukurpa is the ancestral way of enforcing law and inflicting punishment, the Anangu have had to modify some of their traditional punishments since the coming of non-Aboriginal people to this area. However, they have also adapted non-Aboriginal law to incorporate Tjukurpa principles, especially in the governance of sacred sites and laws around hunting and foraging.

There are some parts of Tjukurpa which can be shared with outsiders, and others which can't. During the creation period, Tjukurpa ancestors traveled across the featureless land, in the form of humans, plants, and animals. The sites at which these ancestors performed various creation activities are linked by paths called iwara.

The Mala Tjukurpa is associated with this first "Mala Walk" section of the Base Walk:

The Mala are Anangu ancestors who took the form of rufous hare-wallaby people, who traveled to Uluru from the north. Once arriving at Uluru, the men gathered in the Kulpi Watiku (men's cave) to make preparations for an inma (ceremony). Once the inma had begun, Wintalka men came from the west and invited the Mala to the Wintalka inma. The Mala declined, saying that they were in the midst of their own inma.

The Wintalka were offended by their refusal and created a devil-dog evil spirit called Kurpany to destroy the Mala inma. Luunpa, a kingfisher woman, was the first to see Kurpany, and she warned the Mala people. Unfortunately, they didn't believe her.

Kurpany killed some Mala men, and chased the rest to South Australia. Luunpa turned into a rock and continues to keep watch at Uluru. Kurpany's footprints are still visible on the surface of Uluru, heading southeast. The men who were killed remain in the Kulpi Watiku cave. You can see their forms in the rocks.

The moral of this Tjukurpa is that you should finish what you start, and that you should watch for and heed warnings of danger.

We saw the Kulpi Nyiinkaku (teaching cave), which was used by Anangu elders to teach boys how to survive and travel in Country. The boys were taught by their grandfathers, and were separated from the rest of their families for up to several years while they learned the skills that they needed to become men. The grandfathers would create cave paintings to teach the boys how to track and hunt animals for food. The rock would be painted with ochre, charcoal, and ash paints. Once this "classroom" education was complete, they would be taken into the bush to learn how Country can provide water, animals, and materials for food and weapons.

It was really amazing to see these cave paintings in Kulpi Nyiinkaku; such ancient history which ties the Anangu people to this land!

We were allowed to enter the Kulpi Minymaku (kitchen cave) in which the Anangu traditionally processed bush foods and distributed it to community members. This cave contains a structure which is believed by the Bhutanese to be Guru Rinpoche's giant footprint. Sonam Choki did some prayers in front of the footprint, and we photographed both of them there.

We saw the Tjilpi Pampa Kulpi (old people's cave), which was also adorned with cave paintings.

We then entered Kantju Gorge. There is an 850 meter trail which leads into the gorge. The water hole was not dry this time, as it had been when we visited three years ago. We were alone here, and sat down on a bench to eat our muffins and fuel up for the rest of the hike still to come.

The Anangu hunted at this water hole, but only when animals were retreating. When a flock of emu would walk away from the water hole, they would kill the last emu in line. This ensures that the other emu would not be afraid of the water hole, as they would not witness what had happened to their straggler.

When we emerged from the gorge, the sun was now upon us. Craig and I became warm and started to shed some layers of clothing.

There were large areas of the Uluru base walk where you were not allowed to take pictures, because the Aboriginal Anangu people do not want these images to be viewed out of context. These are places of "women's business" and "men's business". You can see them in context with your eyes, but the images can't be reproduced. This actually worked well for me; it allowed me to pick up my pace, since I wasn't stopping to take photos every 5 feet!

One such stretch is the North-East Face Walk. During this longest stretch of the base walk, which runs from Kantju Gorge to Kuniya Piti, the rock formations themselves depict creation stories. These creation stories need to be observed in person, and are not allowed to be recorded via photographs or videos.

It was so amazing to be so close to such a massive and imposing sacred site. The sandstone monolith is 348 meters (1,142 feet) high, rising 863 meters (2,831 feet) above sea level. Most of its mass is actually underground. The total circumference of the exposed portion of the rock is 9.4 km (5.8 miles).

The rock dates back half a billion years. It is made of arkose (sandstone with a high concentration of feldspar) and conglomerate. Several hundred million years ago, the whole rock shifted position by 85 degrees, which means that what appear to be vertical stripes are actually sedimentary striations which are exaggerated by the rivulets of water which follow those paths during rainstorms.

Uluru looks quite weathered when you see it up close. Its surface is pitted, and layers of rock are flaking off, giving it a mottled appearance. The rusty color comes from a patina of oxidation in the iron-rich minerals. In some areas, seeds have taken root in cracks in the surface, causing vegetation to emerge from the rock.

Though it wasn't officially wildflower season, we did see a few colorful blooms amidst the spinifex and desert oaks.

We passed a large puddle where many small birds were playing, bathing, and drinking. There is definitely a lot more water around than there was the last time we visited, even though it is roughly the same time of year.

The next part of the walk is the Kuniya walk, which runs from the Kuniya carpark to Mutitjulu Waterhole. We walked into the crotch of the rock where the waterhole is. As we crossed over a metal grate, Craig's cane busted through its rubber footpiece. He had a spare, but it was back at the room. He would just have to go easy on his cane for the remainder of the hike.

We had been looking forward to being able to spend some time in solitude here. The last time we had been here, we had been a bit rushed. Unfortunately, there was a family here who had a very fussy toddler, and it was anything but peaceful. They monopolized the benches and insisted on talking very loudly despite the fact that signs even encourage quiet here. Eventually, they left, and we were able to have a few quiet moments here. We refueled by eating some nut bars.

The Tjukurpa of Kuniya is associated with the Kuniya walk:

Kuniya the woma python came from the east with her eggs strung around her neck like a necklace. She rested at Kuniya Piti and left the eggs on the ground. She camped at Taputji, and there are grooves in the rock which formed as she entered and left the camp.

Her nephew's enemies, a group of Liru (poisonous snakes), came to Uluru to get revenge on him. As he was resting at the base of the rock, they threw their spears at him. The spears pierced the rock face and left a series of round holes still visible today. The young python was killed, and his aunt Kuniya rushed to Mutitjulu Waterhole to confront one of the Liru who had killed him. She hit him twice in the head with a stick, with immense force. These blows formed two deep cracks in the western wall of the rock. The Liru died, and after his shield fell, it was transformed into a rock.

Kuniya is now a sinuous black line on the eastern wall, and her spirit combined with that of her nephew and became Wanampi the water snake. She has the power to control water. The Anangu would chant "Kuka kuka" to entreat her to release water into the waterhole for them.

Near the Waterhole was the Kulpi Mutitjulu (family cave). Anangu families would camp here. Men would hunt, and women and children would collect bush tucker. Families ate in the cave, telling stories around the campfire and illustrating lessons to their children via cave paintings. There are many concentric circle motifs, which represent waterholes, campsites, or other places of significance. Multiple of these concentric circles linked by lines could represent a journey.

We saw the more claustrophobic Kulpi Nyiinkaku cave, where boys would hide while hunting for animals at the waterhole as part of their training.

The last portion of the walk is the Lungkata walk, which goes from the Mutitjulu Waterhole back to the Mala Carpark.

The Tjukurpa of Lungkata:

Lungkata was a blue-tongued lizard who arrived in Uluru from the North. One day, when he was hunting at the southern base of the rock, he encountered a wounded emu who had been struck by another hunter's spear. Even though Lungkata knew that it was wrong to kill and eat this animal which technically belonged to another hunter, he did it anyway.

The two hunters who had injured the emu saw the smoke from Lungkata's fire, and approached him to ask if he had seen their emu. He hid the meat and said that he had not seen it, but they later found the emu's tracks and knew that he was lying.

Lungkata gathered up his meat and ran westward toward his camp, accidentally dropping pieces of meat along the way. The emu's thigh is still visible at Kalaya Tjunta. The dropped meat was like a breadcrumb trail, and it was easy for the two hunters to track Lungkata. They lit a huge bonfire under him as he struggled to climb up to his high camp. Lungkata was burned by the flames and suffocated by the smoke. He rolled down the face of the rock. His flesh came off, leaving stripes on the rock face, until he was nothing more than a small stone.

Above this stone, you can still see the stain left by the smoke and ash on the side of Uluru. The lesson from this Tjukurpa is that you should not be dishonest or greedy, and that climbing Uluru is very dangerous. This Tjukurpa is testament to the fact that the Anangu have never approved of climbing Uluru; this taboo is woven into their very creation stories!

As we embarked on the final stretch of our walk, time was against us. We really didn't want to miss the 1:05 bus...we would have to wait another 2 hours in the hot sun if that happened. And it would give us less time to unwind and prepare for our Field of Light dinner tonight. This lit a fire under Craig, and despite his blown-out cane, he took off like a rocket. I stopped to take some photos, and then literally couldn't catch up to him.

We had feared that this section of the trail would really slow us down. Last time it had been the site of some deep sand, so you felt like you were trekking through a sandy beach. Combine that with the strongest sun of the day, and it made the end of the hike challenging during our last visit.

Luckily, this time around, the sand was much firmer, so the walk was easier than expected.

The Sonams and I finally caught up to Craig at the Mala carpark at 12:42 p.m. We had made it! We had walked 10.6 km around the base of the rock. We had gotten to see this sacred site from all angles. It is absolutely humbling and breathtaking. Its size is massive and we were dwarfed by it. The hike took us just under 5 hours at a liesurely pace (except for that last stretch, when Craig was practically running!), with plenty of time to stop and enjoy our surroundings.

We were waiting for the bus when an elderly man from Victoria in his camper offered to take our photo. He was super friendly and chatted with us until the bus came at 1:05.

We boarded the bus. On the ride back to the hotel, Snakebite recounted a harrowing tale of how he got his namesake bite while working as a tow truck driver. I could see Sonam Choki squirming and trying not to pay attention; she is deathly afraid of snakes and anything that remotely resembles a snake.

When we got back to the hotel, we showered and prepared for our Field of Light dinner. We made some coffee in our room to keep us perky after our long morning of hiking.

We were out in front of the lobby waiting when the bus arrived to pick us up at 5:35 p.m. The set-up was similar to the Sounds of Silence dinner that we attended in 2019. There was a designated area to watch the sunset, with Uluru visible in one direction and Kata Tjuta in another. Servers circulated with champagne and canapes: carmelized onions, sweet potato, and spicy kangaroo (the latter tasted like kielbasa).

We toasted with the Sonams and took photos as Uluru changed colors in the waning sunlight.

After sunset, we proceeded to an area where tables were set up in the open air. We were seated at a table with other people, and were served wine and beer (Craig had a Little Creatures beer) and bush tomato soup. It was delicious. A didgeridoo player provided some musical accompaniment.

Table by table, we were called up to the buffet. We had kangaroo with bush bbq sauce, lamb, barramundi, crocodile salad, pasta salad, salad, veggies, and chicken. I thought that the kangaroo tasted like steak and the crocodile tasted like tuna. There were plenty of vegetarian options for the Sonams.

Following dinner, they put out the lights and we were enveloped by the dark desert night. The effect was entrancing. The only time we had seen a night sky this brilliant was the last time we were here at Uluru. We do try to stargaze when we travel, but cloud cover and/or light pollution always seems to interfere. In this dry, clear, desert environment, hundreds of miles from the nearest city, star visibility with the naked eye was absolutely amazing.

An affable guy named Luke "Skytalker" gave us a star talk. He had a laser pointer which he used to point out various constellations and other heavenly bodies. We saw a shooting star. He pointed out the Southern Cross, and said that when it is on the horizon, it tells the natives when quondongs are ready for harvest and when to hunt stingrays. Two other stars above it tell when sharks are hunting. It was very interesting to learn about the constellations in their local context. The stars were absolutely stunning here.

After the star talk, they put the lights back on. We headed back up to the buffet for dessert: cheesecake, quondong apple crumble, chocolate cake, and hot chocolate.

We saw a couple of small spinifex hopping mice, which are nocturnal. It was cool to see some animals in this wild environment.

After dessert, it was time to explore the Field of Light. This is a temporary art installation by British artist Bruce Munro. The popularity of the installation caused its time to be extended. We hadn't had a chance to see it on our previous trip, and the Sonams were very interested, so we decided to pair it with the dinner. The installation consists of 50,000 solar powered LED lights which illuminate a field in the foreground of Uluru, reminiscent of wildflowers. (He was inspired by the mulla mulla flower at Uluru, whose name means "beautiful but useless.") The lights cycle through different colors.

We had 40 minutes to walk the path through the Field of Light and eventually pop out where the buses were parked. It was a magical experience, though it was difficult to capture it in photos because you were almost too close to it. The spherical lights extended it every direction, and gently changed colors.

We were somehow some of the last to get back to the buses, even though we had tried to keep moving. We got onto the second bus at 10:10 p.m., and were driven back to the hotel.

We said our goodnights to the Sonams. Sonam Tshering was a little giggly after his champagne and a bit of wine, since he doesn't normally drink. It was cute.

Once in our room, I quickly typed up a few notes from the day's activities, but I was eager to get some rest. We had another sunrise excursion tomorrow morning, and were already running on very little sleep. We went to bed at 10:40 p.m.

Uluru Sunrise Viewing

Uluru Base Walk

Field of Light Dinner