The Outback

After many hours and miles on the road with only the sights of scattered trees and kangaroo carcasses, it’s a celebration to see the faint outline of Uluru in the distance. It was another hour before we would actually arrive at the base of this massive rock. It was 110 degrees when we stepped out of the Land cruiser. There wasn’t another person in sight except for the 13 of us. All we could hear was the wind.

Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock) sits in Kata Tjuta National Park. There has always been a debate on whether or not people should be able to climb the rock. It is a sacred aboriginal sight and it is said that aborigines prefer people not to climb. But, others believe it is the tourism department that came up with the aborigines’ stance. The Tourism Department wants tourists' revenues but not the liability of climbers. Yet, they were afraid if they told people they weren't allowed to climb, no one would want to visit. Allowing the climb to stay open, but putting a moral question into the equation, limits the number of people who actually climb once they arrive.

The climb was closed when we arrived. It closes when it's too windy, too rainy, or too hot. 110 degrees was too hot. I grabbed my camera and two bottles of water and started to walk. The angles of the rock looked majestic with the sun shining from behind them. There were caves with aboriginal drawings that date so far back scientists are unable to determine how old they really are. Each crevice, cave, and natural picture on the rock has an aboriginal dream story to explain its existence. On the south side of the rock, a small lake surrounded by lush bushes and birds taunted us. But, we couldn't swim. The lake is considered sacred. It was nice to have this experience to ourselves… except for the pesky bush flies.

The bush flies are the most annoying insects I’ve ever encountered. They actually land on your glasses, fly up your nose, and in your eyes and ears. Even when you swat your hand past their backs they don’t move. You have to pick them up and throw them on the ground. I actually inhaled one. I attempted to cough it up – a sad sight – but at the end it ended up in my stomach. The buzzing, however, is enough to drive you mental if the heat doesn’t get to you first. I felt like a walking corpse.

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