Due to the unique nature of Uluru and its sister outcrop, Kata Tjuta, we decided to splurge and take the helicopter ride. It is simply not possible to see the entirety of the structures from the ground. We try to be very positive in all our posts but some times we have to tell it like it is. This ride left us feeling like we had been taken advantage of. There were 10 of us going on the ride and they squeezed us into two helicopters. There was no attempt to even out the load of each helicopter. For some reason they put the tallest person, me, and the two largest people, 250 and 300+ pounds, into the same helicopter. Poor Leslie was sandwiched in the back seat with the other two folks and myself. We were uncomfortable from the start and it did not get any better as the ride continued. Luckily it was only a 31 minute flight. Enough of that. Our goal was to see Uluru from the air at sunset and we accomplished that goal. As a bonus we also flew over Kata Tjuta, the lesser known sister sandstone outcrop of Uluru. This formation is roughly the same age as Uluru but is more sacred to the original owners of the land. It has large portions of its' area closed off to the public due to cultural sensitivities. We passed over Kata Tjuta first and I got a few pictures and a video or two. Then we flew off to Uluru. The skies had cleared and the setting sun threw a bright red spotlight on Uluru so intense, that the pictures seem to be photoshopped. We were able to see it in its entirety, even the top.
The helicopter
Leslie on the left , Fritz in the middle and a rather large couple to the right
The other helicopter is off first as they are substantially lighter
Ridges of rock
the sun is still a bit too high in the sly to get the burst of orange
These rocks are taller than Uluru and there are deeper ravines found between them
Now the sun is setting
The red light really highlights the orange oxidized rock
The number of rocks and the overall size of Kata Tjuta is larger than Uluru
A bit of glare from the window
But it is cool to see the tops of the rocks
From this vantage it seems like the two structures are close to each other. However they are 19 miles apart and are distinctly different geological features
A series of old sand dunes
Approaching Uluru
The sun was off to our right so you can see the shadows that the rock faces throw
The sun is directly behind us
Uluru is not smooth, it is pitted and deeply grooved
In this picture you can see depressions on the top where water collects and slowly seeps down
These deep pockets and grooves are where the water collects and slowly drains down to the waterholes
Settlements and resorts could be seen on our ride back
One last peek at Kata Tjuta
And we are back to finish up our time in Uluru
It has been 148 days since we began our Migration
