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| From there we were off to an Aboriginal guided tour, complete with interpreter, where they shared a bit of their culture and a story associated with Uluru that our guides are in charge of passing down. Frank was taught how to throw a spear (men's business) while I took photos. (pic right) That afternoon we returned to Uluru for a base walk. It is about 11km to walk all the way around. (We respected the wishes of the traditional owners and did not climb Uluru.) There are lots |
| Red Center - Page 2 |
| of places that you are not allowed to take photos because they are sacred sites for the Aboriginals, but there are lots of photo opps left, I assure you! This is Frank on the base walk path, us in a cave in Uluru, and a formation in the rock that people call "the brain". |
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| That night we attended the "Sounds of Silence" dinner. It's a dinner held in the desert. It starts with sunset drinks & appetizers at a loction that includes views of both Kata-Tjuta and Uluru. Then there is a 3-course meal under the stars with an astonomy talk between the main course and dessert. On the way to sunset drinks we nearly tripped over a thorny devil (pic right), and Frank did get to see Uluru at sunset after all, albeit from quite far away. Indeed, Kata Tjuta was more picturesque from our vantage point pic above). |
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| The next day we were off to King's Canyon. I fell in love with this place last year and it was just as majestic this time. Frank & I walked around the top rim of the canyon as well as down to a waterhole called the Garden of Eden. I ws a bit more nervous about how close I got to the edge than Frank was (pic below)... But I did get my picture (below) with a little rock formation that I took a photo of past year - it reminded me way too much of something out of a Road Runner cartoon! Unlike last year we actually went all the way down to the waterhole instead of just across a bridge nearby (pic below). Another big difference was that there had been a huge bushfire there in the last year (started by lightening strikes) and the remnants of the burning were visible everywhere (pic below). |
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| From there we went on to Alice Springs. To be honest we didn't really take many photos. Despite seeing many neighbourhoods on the bus ride in that contained far more barbed wire than a town of 28,000 should warrant, we walked around the better and more populated areas of town and saw the sights! The cultural precinct was cool, but involved mostly aboriginal art and memorials that you aren't supposed to photograph. I refrained from buying a $670 aboriginal painting only because it was already sold... I figure I owe a huge thank you to the buyer! |
| on to the Top End ...or |
| Frank & Lisa's Amazing Cross-Australia Adventures |
| Northern Territory: Red Centre , 2 / Top End , 2 NSW & ACT: Hunter Valley / Sydney / Canberra , 2 Queensland Coast: 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 South Australia: Barossa Valley / Kangaroo Island / McLaren Vale & Coonawarra Victoria: Great Ocean Road , 2 , 3 / Melbourne New Zealand (North Island): Aukland / Rotorua / Tongariro / Wellington (South Island): Nelson / Westland / Queenstown / Milford / Dunedin / Mt Cook / Christchurch |