Uluru, To The Top!

Ayres Rock, Northern Territory Australia

As the “Rock” came into sight, I began feeling the energy from this
ancient monolith, which was formed from a featureless landscape during
the Tjukurpa, or creation.  As the bus approached Uluru, I began to
wonder what adventure awaited me.

The “Rock” became a very impressive sight, rising from the floor of the outback.

It was the only object to be seen for miles!

To Aborigines, Uluru is a Cathedral and though the outside form is
visible, the underlying spiritual concepts are not a matter of public
record. It is a living reminder of the Dreamtime struggle. The stories
which relate to every aspect of its extraordinary form carry clear
moral codes, good prevailing over evil. The spiritual over the
physical, the importance of hospitality and the maintenance of the law.

If I was to climb this monolith, it would be very difficult as  my right
arm  was still very weak from my  motorcycle accident three months
earlier. The way to the top was very steep and the only way was to pull
oneself up by a large chain that had been provided.  I almost quit
climbing twice.

I had to do it, several months earlier I
had felt the need  to climb to the top and find a man sized pit
surrounded by three circular ones,  this was one of the reasons I had
come to the Land of Oz.

Intuition had  told me to leave my
forty pounds of camera equipment in the bus,I didn’t  do it, the reason
became apparent, myself and some of the other photographers had extreme
difficulty . Our light meters would not give a correct reading. After I
had returned home and had the slides developed, they were all black!
Whatever energy that emits from this shrine had played havoc with the
electronics in our cameras. I encountered the same problem in Egypt, as
I had to replace some of the electronics  in my camera after trying to
photograph the step pyramid.

Arriving at the top I immediately found the pit and three circles that had been carved into the stone many ages ago.

As I Lay in the pit I could only imagine what ancient ceremonies had taken place here.

It was very beautiful, standing on top of this ancient landmark, with the
Australian plain stretching out before me , I could see forever.

After several minutes of contemplating the wonder of being  in this great
place, it was time to start the trip down the side of the “rock”. The
trip down was a lot easier, as the old saying goes, it’s all downhill
from here.

By the time everyone reached the bus it was nearing
sunset, so we raced to get a photo of Uluru as the sun sat behind us.
As the sun raced down, the sky changes  from blue to orange and back to
purple, the color fading as darkness descended upon us.

Time to eat!! Time for a tinnie (can of beer) , our dinner of streak, shrimp ,
beans and potato was being prepared on the barbie! It doesn’t get any
better than this!!

The weather was turning cold, we were headed
for a record low of twenty degrees F, it would be a long night with
only my  light jacket and an uninsulated swag to sleep in!!

The effects of the tinnies and long necks were being felt, three o’clock in
the morning and it was time for a bathroom call, freezing, I made the
long trip to the latrine, being chilled to the bone, there would be no
sleep the rest of the night.

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Gary has been a writer/ photographer for over 20 years, specializing in nature,landscapes and studying native cultures.Besides visiting most of the United States, he has traveled to such places as Egypt,the Canary Islands,much of the Caribbean. He has studied  the Mayan Cultures in Central America, and the Australian Aboriginal way of life.Photography has given him the opportunity to observe life in many different parts of the world!

He has published several books about the various cultures he has observed.

For more information and a link to his hard cover and Ebooks,and contact information: please check his website.www.commonsensejourneys.com

A photo essay featuring the native Australian Aborigines along with the contributions their way of life could be to the modern day world.

Kindle Version.