The return trip

There wasn't anything eventful on the return trip to Sydney. The scariest thing we did was a night drive from Coober Pedy to Broken Hill. All you see is black and whatever the lights manage to illuminate. I had a close call almost running over what appears to be a dingo.

I did manage to take a wonderful shot of the Breakaways. The previous shot was in the mid-morning sun. This one was right on sunset! It truly is amazing how the light changes a whole landscape.

The Breakaways at sunset

Compare the shot to the mid-morning take

We are small (Day 3)

Uluru and Kata Tjuta are the only landmarks on an otherwise flat featureless desert. To appreciated this we hired a helicopter for a aerial tour of the national park. I hope the readers enjoy these photos, which show just how small we are and the vastness of nature.

Me with three birds

The red center is a semi-arid environment

Uluru in its semi-arid environment

In this photo is the Lesseter Highway which is the main road into Uluru. On the left is smoke from a back burning operation and on the right is Ayers Rock Resort

Uluru and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas)

Ripples of life

Mala Walk (Day 3)

People pay the tour operators hundreds of dollars for a bus ride and tour around Uluru. At times the information given is inaccurate. Ask yourself this, do the tour operators know and work with the first Australians? Do they respect the culture and significance of the site? I bet, most of your answers would be 'NO'.

You may not know this, but the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Parks offer a free guided tour at the base of Uluru. This tour is called the 'Mala Walk' and is highly educational. The ranger takes us through the history and culture of the Anangu first Australians. They work with the Anangu community to ensure that Uluru is preserved for all.

This tour is a must  and I highly recommend people to take the walk, learn and embrace the experience. The tour ended at the Kantju Gorge. You really get to see Uluru up close and it was a fabulous experience. 

Uluru natural colour is a light grey with an iron composition. The red you see is the result of iron oxidation (otherwise known as rust). You can really see the colours in this shot. The oxidised section of the rock flake off and can be a hazard to tourist as they drop from the top

Us at Kantju Gorge, which is one of the many waterholes at the base of Uluru

Something you may not know is that Uluru is a major source of water for the area. The rock stores and releases water and basically supports the life around it. You can see how the vegetation changes for each of the waterholes that make up Uluru.That is why this place is sacred to the first Australians.

Sky, rock, trees