Uluru (Ayers Rock), the most famous rock in Australia (and the world?)

Yes, a childhood dream come true, after 5 and half hours drive from Alice Spring we finally reached Uluru! Like every tourist who comes here we headed for the only resort complex in the area (this one, but there is a wide range of accommodations for different budgets), and since it was late afternoon we strolled to a quiet Uluru viewing area to see the sunset.

Almost twilight... the sun is about to disappear from behind our backs...

The sun is at the horizon now and the sand looks really red!

Twilight! The viewing area had two chairs (and only us!) There was a table there too, I am sure that they set it up to do romantic dinners and photo shoots... if I had knew I would have brought out dinner for us and some props :-)!  Next time perhaps!

The second day we drove to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, and all around Uluru. There are a number of walks to do, we did one by ourselves and one with a park ranger.

At close distance every angle of the rock looks different. It is truly spectacular

The black stripes are where water falls when it rains

The guide showed us several rock paintings and he did a few designs for us on the sand to understand the meaning of them. You can find some here!

Although the local Aboriginal people, the park rangers and the geologists ask tourists not to climb, here is a long line of people who still does it. The whitish line that you can see there is rubber from under their shoes. The guide also told us that at the top a few people also 'do their business' which is quite polluting and yuk! And that some throw the ashes of their departed there too (and below, he showed us a spot where grey ashes were freshly sprinkled!) This too is very polluting in this sensitive area. 

Of course I didn't. None of us did. And after all I always dreamed of seeing Uluru, but I never thought that it was also necessary to climb it, and even if I would have want it to, I don't think that it is right or ethical to do so, especially with a bunch of insensitive tourists with rubber shoes who pee and throw ashes around!

On the third morning we got up really early to drive back into the park to watch the sunrise. It was freezing cold and also cloudy, so the light wasn't the best, but nevertheless, it was magic! 

Photos: Alessandra  Zecchini  ©