Sorry to leave the Outback

The drive from Alice Springs to Uluru was right through the heart of the Outback. Starkly beautiful, this terrain fascinated me. The sky was pure deep blue and the earth went from sand color to iron red. A willy willy (a small spinning whirl of dust) just flashed by the bus window. The shades of green range from silver to yellow to brown. There is little to none of our verdant green. The trees are small and the desert oaks have a tap root that shoots down 40 to 50 feet to reach the water table.

All of a sudden out of the desert rise such majestic geological phenomenon as Uluru (aka Ayres Rock) and Kata Tjuta. These are both in the Aboriginal/Federal (jointly owned) National Park. We have spent a day and a half learning about both the geological history and the stories of the people. The Aboriginal people have deep and lasting ties to their land and their families. It is rather inspiring!

The sense of a dry and barren land was reinforced by the 100 degree temperature! The water bottle is essential! Now we're off to The Great Barrier Reef and Cairns!