Central Australia: Part Two

Central Australia: Part Two

ULURU AND THE FIELD OF LIGHTS 

I sat watching as the sun’s rays lit the giant rock. The orange glow was a contrast to the green grass that stretched for miles around this sacred site. The grey sky was fading turning to a light blue. Morning had arrived.

I brushed aside a tiny fly that flew around my face. I breathed in the dry heat as I covered my head with my cap. Resting my arms on the wooden railing, I stared at this enchanted scene and realised pure magic had been created. Patches of fluffy clouds formed above the rock. The red rock towered above the dusty red ground that slithered underneath the areas of green.

Nature had created this masterpiece, a painting for everyone to observe. Other people started to gather around me. They too had travelled from far and wide to be at this place, to capture a glimpse of the famous rock. I had heard stories of how the rock changed colour at different times of the day and was excited to be returning for an evening session.

The rest of the morning was spent exploring the national park. The drive back to the hotel allowed us to view Uluru. This time the rock was a shade of blue. Amazed by this, I wondered what colour it would appear tonight. What had drawn me back to visit this barren area was an art installation project. A field of lights had been arranged in this setting. I had seen photos but longed to walk through this frosted fairy coloured glass field, created by artist Bruce Munro.

Stepping off the bus, again the sun was soon to set. The group sat on a log and looked out towards Uluru. A dark patch covered half the rock and a few streaks of bright orange highlighted the other side. The picturesque scene presented dark green trees scattered amongst the lighter green grass. Like white flowers shooting from the ground, 50,000 slender glass stems with rounded tops were sprinkled across the area. I waited for darkness to fall. During the waiting period a man held a long wooden hollow log that rested on a piece of timber. The log pointed to the ground. He breathed slowly in and out, holding the instrument with one hand tapping and striking it with the other hand. Long, bouncing and repetitive sounds echoed into the air. The name for this outback instrument was the Didgeridoo.

As the blue, yellow, orange peachy sky started to slowly transform to darkness, we were led along a path for a dining experience. During the walk, I looked down at the footprints left by earlier walkers and also noticed a little lizard scampering along the path. People gathered around tables covered in white cloths and then were invited to indulge in a bush tucker inspired buffet. I sat back in my chair and watched the night sky transforming. The dark blanketed sky above was covered in twinkling lights.

I held my breath as in the distance I could see a field of colour that lit the ground. Under the night sky, it had come to life. We were guided to where the colourful light path began. Magic surrounded me. In complete darkness, I strolled amongst the glowing field of red, green, gold and blue. I was in another world. This surreal experience was something I was glad not to have missed.

Happy Travels.

Spread sunshine and inspiration Juliet x

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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