A Spiritual Moment!

“Palya”! Or…

Welcome, and it’s another busy day in Australia with an early wake up alarm again at 5:00 AM.  We are heading for sunrise at Uluru, the heart of Australia!

This 11,000’ red sandstone tower, taller than the Eiffel Tower or the Sears Tower in Chicago, a World Heritage and UNESCO site, towers above the desert floor commanding your view and respect.  A sacred place and also the site for their Creation Story multiple ceremonies are conducted here for aboriginal men, women, and young children.

We see the pink and orange glow of impending sunrise as we near Uluru.  It stands quietly sentinel…waiting…as I walk to the lowest viewing area.  I want to see Uluru from the bottom looking up among the shrubs and grasses as generations of people have done before me.  I want to be still…and just be.

It is difficult to explain how I felt or even write about it.  It was a spiritual moment, and even though I have loved every moment and adventure of this trip, I knew that only in Australia could I see Uluru.  I could not stop crying, and I cry now just writing about it.  Cities, and towns, tours, and animals…all wonderful, but there is only one Uluru.  I felt truly blessed, and God and I had another special moment of thanksgiving and blessings!

I hated to leave, but I knew Uluru would remain along with a few of my tears.  I hope my children and grandchildren will also get to see this special place one day and remember that I stood here and communed with one of God’s glorious creations.  This more than anything else made me realize I am really in Australia!

In the afternoon, we visit the 36 domes of Kata Tjuṯa, or “many heads” which only 20% of people visit along with Uluru.  It is actually higher at 1,750’, and we climb a gentle slope of red colored rocks along one of the domes.  This monument is also featured in the aboriginal Creation Story with a serpent woman and her nephew.  

The rock underneath is actually light colored, but rainfall washes the iron out coloring it red, and streaks of black and gray are also evidence of rain and waterfalls.  At a distance, the surface appears smooth, but it is covered in gullies, caves, pits, and holes.  Many of these features are part of aboriginal lore.  We also see where a chain was attached to the rock face, and for years, people climbed it but not without risk sometimes resulting in injury or death.

We learn about plant life and waterways where a young aboriginal boy splashes with his father today.  Small plums and fruit with more Vitamin C than 4 bushels of oranges and tiny seeds that can be ground into a flour were all part of the aboriginal diet.  They also dug large white larvae or grubs from the roots of trees as an excellent source of protein.  Supposedly they are much better roasted and taste like a cooked egg!  We are cautioned to not eat the heads which is also the end of their digestive tracks!  I ate grubs in Africa so I’m good passing on these in Australia!

Uluru and Kata Tjuṯa were formed in layers that were broken down into alluvial plains of rocks and stones and another of finer particles like sand.  Over time these compressed into stone four miles under the surface and upheaval raised and tilted them 89 degrees at Uluru.  It was almost like an iceberg flipping.

In the 1970’s, a period of upheaval and unrest began as the aborigines wanted to reclaim their land, receive equal pay, and also equal rights.  Australian prime ministers worked with them, but this national park comprised of Uluru and Kata Tjuṯa was a complicated issue since the aborigines said the white man had alienated the land.

In 1985, the prime minister handed the deed to the aboriginal mobs in the area.  Five minutes later, they leased the land back to the Australian government for ninety-nine years with a review every ten years.  A group of four aboriginal men, four aboriginal women, and four people from the park constitute a board of management.  The aborigines also receive 1% of the park’s profits which they use to improve their communities.

A park cultural center has been constructed; although, we did not have a chance to visit it.  The architect hired to design the center spent time with the aborigines in the area and asked them what they wanted.  In 1995 the center opened with buildings looking like two snakes locked in battle, another one of the Creation Story!

My afternoon is spent in several lectures, one about bush foods or “tucker” and another about the cosmos.  The lectures are interesting, but I struggle to stay awake after our early morning sunrise at Uluru.  As I mentioned previously, the aboriginal people were very creative and industrious surviving in a harsh and demanding environment.  I also listen to a native talk about weapons used by men and tools used by women in their daily lives.  It was pretty amazing!

We are returning for sunset at Uluru supposedly the “best sunset in the world”.  The ending of the day is a quiet and more peaceful time than the beginning at sunrise when endless possibilities seem to await.  Damien has a spread for us of meat, cheeses, crackers, fruit, and a cake to celebrate one of our group’s birthdays.  We toast the day with champagne, or for me, lemon lime bitters, and watch Uluru fade from sight.

I hoped to purchase a piece of aboriginal art, and I looked at the town’s center today as several women displayed their creations.  Each piece tells a story, but nothing spoke to me.  I looked again tonight, and almost pulled the trigger, but another woman bought the one I was interested in.  Several more were beautiful, but too expensive and out of my price range.  It must not be meant to be, but perhaps something else special is waiting for me!

We leave for a scheduled flight to Cairns, our next destination, and time exploring the Great Barrier Reef.  As the plane gains altitude, I have a final visit with Uluru before it is covered with clouds.

Queensland, another of Australia’s states, is 2x the size of Texas, with an emphasis on cattle and sugarcane farming, and tourism focused on the reef and the world’s oldest rain forest.  There is good soil, lots of sunshine, and plenty of water in Queensland.  Until WWI, no major roads were here when the timber industry and sugarcane became important.

In the 1800’s, people were lured often from the South Pacific islands, with the promise of good work and the possibility of earning good money.  However, they learned there was no means of escaping an almost enslaved system and the term “blackbirding” was coined.

John gives us several serious warnings.  Beware of murky water, and except for swimming pools, stay 6’ away from all water.  The reason…saltwater crocodiles!  We pass beautiful beaches with scarcely anyone on them, and the reason is crocs!

Australian crocodiles are 4x the size of Florida alligators often weighing 2000 lbs with the ability to launch themselves out of the water.  They won’t eat you, but they will kill you, and take you fishing to lure fish and other small animals that the crocodile will feast on.  Whereas a Tasmanian devil has 170 lbs of bite pressure and a grizzly bear has 900 lbs of pressure, a crocodile has 3,000 lbs of pressure in a single bite!

Marine stingers and jellyfish should not be a problem while we are snorkeling on the reef since they are more prevalent December to March.  We are also warned about the cane toad which was brought to Australia to control the cane beetle.  This experiment failed, and 13 original cane toads have now resulted in billions with no natural predators.  They are poisonous, killing pets who bite them, and are often the subject of people attacking them with sticks, golf clubs, and bats.  We are warned…Do Not Lick a Cane Toad!  Drats!  I was so looking forward to that!

Water is everywhere which is so different since we were just in the desert.  Evidently we are trading the flies for mosquitoes!  Being in so many different hotel rooms is always fun when I check in for breakfast.  Hummm…what room am I in today or was that yesterday?  We are here for four nights so I should figure it out by the time I leave!

The rest of the day is “cruisey” with time to rest, drink, or spend in the pool.  That is where I am heading!