Uluru base and sunset

The bus returned us to Yulara. I had lunch at the lodge and rested a bit before the afternoon tour picked us up. This time they took us for a circular drive around the base. At one point we alighted for a short walk to the Mutitjulu waterhole.

There are cavities in the rock face which figure in stories.

This is the entrance to a cave with paintings but one half of the group was viewing it first so we came back to this after visiting the waterhole.

Another view of one face of the awesome rock.

The waterhole. This picture was taken by raising the camera above the heads of the people at the railing so it's tilted. Nobody took up the invitation to have a dip, even though the tour description said to bring swimwear.

More of those cavities.

Beautiful light and shade.

A river red gum, thriving on the moisture from the waterhole.

These chairs have an interesting provenance. After the Darwin cyclone disaster (Tracy IIRC), an artist collected driftwood and made these chairs. They are glued together; no nails or other metal are used in the construction. They are very sturdy.

And finally we got to look at the paintings in the cave, with accompanying explanations by the guide.

After this they took us to the cultural centre where we browsed displays explaining Anangu culture, history of the area, and the natural environment.

A catering van was setting up a dining area. I figured this must be the extra BBQ option that some of the passengers had opted for. They would be dropped off here after sunset and the rest of us would be bussed back to Yulara first.

Sunset was around 1800. The guide told us we should take a photo every couple of minutes to catch the subtle changes in the colour of Uluru. This was at 17:45.

17:55

17:57

17:58

18:00

Some Japanese backpackers were on the tour. Some of them had been on a working holiday in Central Australia. Not surprisingly it is easier for them to get a job in outback Australia.

18:02

This is what the crowd at the viewing area looked like. There were tables set out with crackers, potato crisps, veggie sticks, dips, and cheese, washed down with wine.

18:02+

18:03

18:04

18:05

18:06

18:07

18:08

18:10

18:12

We had boarded the bus when the guide spotted the full moon rising over the shoulder of Uluru. We all alighted to grab pictures of this fortuitous coincidence. Don't go too far away from the bus, yelled the guide. In retrospect, the guide and driver must have known about this and feigned surprise.

The trip back was uneventful and part of the busload was dropped off to enjoy their alfresco dinner.

Back at Yulara, I decided to try Gecko's Cafe. It was a self-service restaurant. The tables had white cloths but one ordered, paid and collected at the counter. It was crowded and stuffy inside and the evening not that cold so I elected to sit at an outside table. I decided to try the kangaroo and emu pizza which you see here. The meat is somewhat gamier than the usual meat but leaner. Unfortunately the size was large so I left some of the crust and cheese behind.