The excursion is called "2-day Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park," but it really is only about 24 hours, from midday today until midday tomorrow. It was this excursion for which participants over the age of 70 years had to send a doctor's certificate verifying a level of fitness to handle up to 5 km/3 mi of hiking in 26-degrees C/80-degrees F of weather. (We had been hiking in 90-degree F weather!)
After lunch on our own, we were picked up at The Lost Camel at 13:30.
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| As seen later in the day, the tour van held about 20 tightly packed passengers, and luggage was all supposed to go in the trailer, although people had backpacks with them |
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| Heading towards Uluṟu, a bonhardt/dome-shaped bald rock outcropping, which is 348 m/1,142' high, plus 3.6 km/2.2 mi long, 2.4 km/1.5 mi wide, with a circumference of 9.4 km/5.8 miles |
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| A stop at the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa Cultural Centre; unfortunately, no photographing allowed (KSS) |
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| We started at the southwestern "corner" of Uluṟu; a significant cultural site for the Anangu people (KSS) |
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| Mai Tjuṯa, where nomadic peoples would stop for bush tucker/food traditionally from native Australian plants |
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| Ficus Brachypoda/Native Fig (red when ripe) |
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| Corymbia terminalis/Desert Bloodwood Tree was used for medicinal purposes |
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| The bark of the bloodwood tree (KSS) |
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| Kulpi Nyiinkaku/Cave for learning hunting skills, contains paintings done by older men to teach the young boys |
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| Outside the cave is a sort of blind where the boys can watch the hunters in the trees wait for animals approaching the waterhole |
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| Kapi Mutitjulu/Waterhole with water drained from the top of Uluṟu |
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| Erosion caves |
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| Tjukuritja is a story from the creation time and is told in the markings on Uluṟu, beginning with the arrival of Minyma Kuniya/Python Woman (the diagonal curved line right of center) who learns her nephew has been speared by warriors of Wati Liru/Poisonous Snake (KSS) |
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| In the hollow area, Kuniya changes to human form and plants her club in the ground, then creates a ceremony to make poison, scooping sand to protect herself from the poison |
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| Kuniya weakens Liru with the poison, and uses her club to strike him on the head (first crack behind leaves), then again to finish him off (large crack); less prominent on the left side of the bluff is a horizontal line representing the closed eye of Liru |
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| Here Kuniya turns back into a python and curls up to keep an eye on the dead Liru, and on all who visit Uluṟu |
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| Now at the northwest "corner" of Uluṟu |
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| The west side of Uluṟu |
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| Kulpi Minymaku/kitchen cave where the women taught the girls about what was edible to forage in nature (KSS) |
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| Why is the inside of the cave grey and the outside reddish? ...Uluṟu has a high iron content, so weathering has caused oxidation turning it rust red |
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| Exploring the cave rooms |
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| Unusual erosion patterns, and rusting and flaking on the "roof" |
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| A peek into the Tjilpi Pompa Kulpi/cave for the elder men with stone seating |
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| Hiking to Kantju Gorge |
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| Kantju Gorge is known for its towering red rock walls and a seasonal waterfall |
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| Now the highest waterfall on Uluṟu is dry (KSS) |
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| A small amount of water at the bottom (KSS) |
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| Time for a geology lesson |
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| Simple license plate (KSS) |
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| A faint line marks the path along which one could climb up Uluṟu by pulling along a chain, but that is no longer permitted as of 2019 by the Anangu people |
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| Ocyphaps lophotes/Crested Pigeon (KSS) |
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| The many holes in Uluṟu are said to be from the spears thrown by warriors in the killing of the nephew of Kuniya |
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| Tamiko & Kent with Uluṟu, which, as an inselberg, actually extends at least 2.4 km/1.5 miles underground |
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| An Uluṟu Sundowner |
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| Snacks while waiting for the sunset |
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| the sun sets behind us and turns Uluṟu even redder |
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| Dinner was a BBQ with salad and cole slaw (KSS) |
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