31 October 2022 Uluru Australia: Uluru on the Kuniya Walk to the Mutitjulu waterhole

 

As we left the Mala Walk we rounded the Northwest tip where the area was off limits to photography.  I sincerely hope that I did not infringe on any of these areas as I watched for the signs and listened to Jack as we were driving.  Being on the other side, we found ourselves in the sun which made the color of the rock pop.  Perhaps some of the clouds had cleared, but it was nice.  We arrived at the trail head to the Kuniya Walk and we strolled in the sun to the waterhole.  The Mutitkjulu waterhole is very sacred and the Dalia Llama once came here and meditated with the Original Owners of this land.  We heard and saw the scars on the rock from the battle of the python woman and  the brown snake man.   The waterhole was serene and on the way out I saw a mystery.  Jack did not know what it was, nor did the ranger at the visitors center.  With a bit more research I am sure that it is a marsupial mole.  The recent rains must have chased him aboveground.  We saw more rock art, some cool birds and then headed back out.  A final stop at the cultural center and a brief picture stop at the sunset viewing center and we were back at the apartment in time for lunch and a nap.  4:30 AM was a very long time ago.

The tall protrusion on the right represent a type of sign post that the people put up to announce a meeting

The figure facing left is of a man thrown into the rocks by an evil spirit and the impact left an imprint of his face

We have rounded the north tip and have arrived at the place where the sand python left her eggs

Now we are at the head of the Kuniya Walk

The sun is out and the rock is orange

A tree up on top!

Off to the waterhole we go

Many of the trees are gum trees, ghost, white and red gum trees

I see a face and a hand on here

The scar from the whack that the python lady gave

So many cool shapes of the rocks

The python lady's head

The gum trees are very white

Nic waterhole

The water flows along this bank

We three trees are thirsty no more

Huge caves

The mystery marsupial mole

I think it is a match

Birds photobombing

Lots of rock art

The original owners are the only ones who know what all these symbols represent

These are most assuredly boomerangs 

Big graceful shapes

Kangaroos?

Old swallow nests

A turtle

Black Faced Cuckoo Shrike

Big swallow nests look like a skull

This huge slab has two eyes, a nose and a mouth

The Flaming Falcon was written on the back of this car.  Look close and you can see the coat hanger as an antenna

 It has been 148 days since we began our Migration

31 October 2022 Uluru Australia: A Sunrise and a Close Up Experience With Uluru on the Mala Walk

 

Our day began very early. A 4:30 AM alarm was set so we could be at the bus stop at 5 AM.  Darkness and a cold wind gave us a blast of "wake up" as we left the apartment.  This was necessary to be able to see the sun rise over the Australian outback and shine its light on Uluru.  This massive sandstone monolith rises over 1141 feet above the ground.  There is some disagreement as to its status of the largest rock in the world, but it is freestanding and so there is some credence to the claim.  It is actually like an iceberg as an additional 5 km of rock lies below ground level. The trail that goes completely around it is over 10 km long.  We only did two trails, the Mala Walk and the Kuniya Walk.  We did drive all the way around it.  There are sections that are closed to photography much like the sacred areas in a cathedral or a mosque.  The origin stories of the Anangu are written on the faces of Uluru and that is why some sections are very sensitive. Jack was our guide and he told us of three stories of the Anangu as we rounded Uluru.  The first was of a blue tonged skink man who was greedy and ate an Emu that other hunters had already speared.  Another told the tale of two different groups coming into conflict and the third was a battle between a python woman and a brown snake man.  Each story has a moral and lessons to be learned.  There were also distinct features on the rock face that highlighted important aspects of each tale.

Thick clouds as we got to the top of the dune

Our 4x4 vehicle

A blustery morning

The sun warmed us up a little

Warm tea and hot breakfast sandwiches helped too

https://youtu.be/wtSZboKbl70

Arriving right on time, the sun

https://youtu.be/hIngWxp84U4

Our guide Jack

The red sand of the local terrain

Our first view as we got closer

From the car Jack begins his first story from the local peoples

Time to get out and get close

It is really much taller than we thought it would be.  The shiny bit on the right hand side is the grey scar.  It is where people used to climb up.  It was a dangerous climb and 36 people have died while attempting the climb. Climbing is no longer allowed. 

We start the Mala walk.  The mala were rock kangaroos which are no longer found in the area but are being bred in hopes of reintroducing them

It is very rugged

All the dark streaks are places where the rain from last night is still seeping through the porous rock

Fresh Flows

Uluru is looking back at us

It is unusual to get to see the water flowing

But we get lucky again

So many holes

Right next to the Old Peoples Cave, no climbing required and nice and sheltered.

Caves are everywhere on this sandstone monolith

https://youtu.be/vBlptBK0moQ

The Kantju Gorge

https://youtu.be/MlQ9appxbpM

Kantju Canyon is huge

https://youtu.be/Ih9d-iYEZAc

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Rock art used to teach the young ones

Red ochre and clay pigments

Part of the oral tradition of the original people

It was full of figures

It was also sheltered from the wind and sun

All of the waterholes were sacred and visitors were supposed to be quiet

The smallest of waterfalls

An odd formation

This overhang was sacred and told another story

These ancestors were killed by a shape shifter 

And they are still to be seen in the rock face

Areas where the grain was ground

More rock art

I wonder, termites, moles???

The waterhole at the gorge

The trees love this spot

 It has been 148 days since we began our Migration