Ayers Rock (Uluru)

Welcome to Ayers Rock! We were actually saying goodbye when we took this group picture.

After Alice Springs our Outback Group rode about 350 km (220 miles) of good and rugged roads to Ayers Rock. I would not be able to drive on roads with so much water from the rain. The main road was actually closed and we used alternate road so that we could experience the Outback.

Ayers Rock is known as the world's largest monolith which stands out in the desert. It is 348 metres high (approx 1150 ft), 3.6 km (approx 2.2 miles) long and has a girth of 9.4 km (approx 5.9 miles). What about the mass that we cannot see underground? Well, some geologists believe that the roots are as deep as 6000 m (nearly 20,000 ft) below the visible surface.

You have to go there to experience the thrill and wonders. There were cave writings conveying graphic messages. Oh, the aborigines must have a lot of strength for their writings to withstand the weathering through so many years! Each symbol has a meaning. I think it is much easier to learn than the English Language.

There is a trail which you can climb to the top. However, when we were there it was closed because the rock was slippery. It hardly rained there. However, we were very lucky to see the waterfall on the Uluru which could happen only once in 10 years!

We had a campfire where we baked damper, a special Aussie bread which used beer as one of the ingredients. It taste so good. Our tour guide/driver had some eskis filled with food to feed our group.

I was surprised to see free gas bottles (gas tanks) and barbeque pits in the desert for campers and travellers. I'm not sure whether they still have it today. You may want to check this out.