Day 166 April 24th 2007, Serpents and Lizard Women - Ayers Rock

It is possible to climb Ayers Rock (Uluru using is Aboriginal name) but the local Aborigines prefer that you don't, because of this we decided to walk the 9.4km around the base.

Some facts about the rock

1. Taking rocks for the site is banned and it is said that those who do will be cursed, over the years people have mailed stolen rocks back to various agencies to try and get the curse removed
2. At its highest point Uluru stands at 348m above sea level, the majority of the sandstone rock is under the ground.
3. The climb itself is quite dangerous with 35 people killed attempting it


It was damn hot but due to the amount of flies and the intense Sun we kept covered up, taking several litres of water was essential. As you walk around Uluru there are some interesting formations although many of which are in sites that you cant photo. The explanation for this is an interesting one. Spiritual sites on the rock are either for the males or females with the other not allowed to even see the site. Because of this the Aborigines don't want to accidentally see the site in a photo and violate this ban.


"A variety of Aboriginal legends account for the existence of Uluru and its many cracks and fissures. One tells of serpent beings who waged many wars around Uluru, scarring the rock. Another myth recounts that two tribes of ancestral spirits were invited to a feast, but were distracted by the beautiful Sleepy Lizard Women and did not show up. In response, the angry hosts sang evil into a mud sculpture that came to life as the dingo. There followed a great battle, which ended in the deaths of the leaders of both tribes. The earth itself rose up in grief at the bloodshed, becoming Uluru."

Luckily we didn't come across any of these serpents or sleepy Lizard Women and after recovering from the walk we watched the sunset over the rock. This is when many of the photos you see that show the rock as being red are taken. A lot of the redness in the rock and soil is caused by rust, yep the iron ore in the soil rusts giving it a red/brown color. When the sun is low in the sky the amount of blue/green light decreases (hence sunsets, sunrises being red) and this gives the rock a more intense red look.

Highlights: Sweating it all the way the rock