“Ladies and gentlemen we are now approaching Connellan Airport. We will be landing in approximately 10 minutes but before we do, those of you on the right hand side of the plane, make sure you check your windows for an aerial view of the magical Uluru as we fly over.”
As soon as the announcement was made, the whole left side of the plane sighed with disappointed and leaned to the right in desperate hope of a glimpse of one of the natural wonders of the world. Sitting comfortably with a window seat on the right hand side of the plane, I casually peered out of the small circular window waiting patiently to see this magnificent site. I was intrigued to know as to just how ‘magical’ this big rock was. I had seen many documentaries about it before and heard many tales of its mysteriousness, but now it was time for me to see it for myself. The left side knew exactly when the point they were missing out was, when the first ‘wows’ and ‘let me sees’ came around. Having not taken my eyes off the arid, red ground for a couple of minutes, I too was trembling with excitement when the huge rocky outcrop crept into my frame of vision. Being at the back of the plane, I knew it was coming; it was just a matter of seconds. There it was, Ayers Rock from above. It seemed to come out of nowhere; a place so remote and flat suddenly produced such a large landmark.
“Well I now know why they call it the red centre”, my Dad blurted to me. “It certainly is red, now move your head and let’s get a photo of it”.
My old man was right. It was incredibly red. The colours were rich and bold and the sunlight burnt a deep crimson into the rock. It was as if we had arrived in Australia’s heartbeat and the giant rock was the country’s vital organ, penetrating up through the ground.
On arrival at Connellan Airport an Aboriginal man by the name of Sid greeted my family and me and drove us to the Emu Walk Apartments. The drive provided an insight from the ground as to how barren the region was. Red dust swirled up behind us as and a searing heat haze loomed in front. The air conditioning in the van fought furiously against the sweltering heat of the day to keep us cool but nothing prevailed. The journey from the airport to Emu Walks was filled with Sid’s fascinating tales of the outback. This was a man with ancient Aboriginal ancestors and who had lived in this area for his whole life, now a guide to enlighten tourists of his culture.
“What’s so magical about Ayers Rock then Sid?” I asked in awe.
“Well kiddo, your just going to have to wait and see. This is a spiritual place here in Uluru -Kata Tjuta, but I promise you will see the magic tonight and tomorrow morning.” Sid replied.
Sid had packed a barbeque into the back of the van and we set off from Emu Walks to spend the rest of the day at the Olgas or Kata Tjuta. When we arrived he explained to us the importance of the area.
“It is sacred under Anangu men’s law. This law means details of the stories cannot be revealed and access to some areas here is restricted.”
Sid was trying to create a sense of mystery about the place as we walked amongst the sheer domes and took in the vastness of the landscape. It was as if we had landed on mars, the ground so orange and the landscape in front of me appeared so unworldly. On top of a rock sat a Thorny Devil, rocking back and forwards, basking in the evening sun. This bizarre creature sat amongst inconspicuous and rare plants, somehow content with a strange, white human peering down on top of it. As the sun began to set the smell of the barbequed meat took over my nostrils and the sound of Crimson Chats tweeting filled my ears, aptly named due to their red heads and breasts matching the colour of the land. My eyes were presented with their own treat as the rocky domes began to change colour as the sun sank below the horizon.
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| The amazing Ayers Rock |
To carry on the magical experience, early the next morning Sid took us to a vantage point in front of Uluru, Ayers Rock. This was what all the hype had been about, the magnificent colour changing of the sacred rock. You have to experience it to fully understand it and as the sun began to creep back up, Uluru was illuminated from the darkness. Through yellows and oranges it was slowly turning scarlet and from the distance it looked like a ruby glowing and standing out against the brilliant blue sky. I was satisfied; I now appreciated the magic of the red centre.
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