Uluru is the name the local Anangu people have for the giant sandstone rock lying at the heart of Australia. In one of the understatements of all time, Uluru translates as “great pebble”. It’s hard to explain how massive, imposing and impressive the “pebble” is unless you visit. It is higher than the Eiffel Tower and almost 10 km around the base. It changes colour and texture constantly as the light migrates from dawn to dusk. During this visit much of the red desert sand that surrounds the Rock had been replaced by spinifex and other desert vegetation after a rare wet year. Nearby Mount Olga is also impressive with places like the Valley of the Winds just waiting to be explored. Strangely it was named in honour of a Russian Dutchess, Olga, daughter of Tsar Nicolas I. It’s now known as Kata Tjuta, which means “many heads”, and is a much quieter place than Uluru as most tourists don’t undertake the 55km drive across the desert (on a good sealed road) to explore it. GH
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