A primary reason for the longer route is to avoid sacred areas as designated by the Aborigines who are the traditional owners of this land. Our driver gave us some information about the Aborigines. Until recent times they were considered wild animals here and could be shot without recrimination.
During that time, an effort was made by the government to “break the culture” of the aborigines. The government took aboriginal children away from their parents and resettled them with foster parents or orphanages operated by the churches. The children were randomly placed with the idea that they would “be better off.” Some received an education and were assimilated into the general population. Some were less fortunate and were treated as slaves by their foster parents. In all cases, they felt the grief of leaving their own families behind, some never to see them again.
Our guide spotted another Thorny Devil on the road and brought in aboard the coach. This one was a bit bigger than yesterday’s find and we kept him with us until we got to Kata Tjuta and released him.
There is a path with a slight rise into Walpa Gorge among the domes. Some of us made it just part of the way in and others hiked all the way in, about a 25-minute walk. There’s a wonderful breeze that flows through the Gorge, but it wasn’t enough today to keep away the flies. They are small and persistent and I was very grateful for the fly net.
While visiting white women are allowed to go into the Gorge along with men, aboriginal women are not allowed to go beyond the shelter at the edge of the road. This is considered a sacred men’s business area. It’s yet another interesting traditional belief that has been adjusted for non-aboriginals.
We stopped for photos and restrooms. The signage typically refers bluntly to the available of toilets, but they’re commonly referred to out here as dunnies. The women’s room was in temporary quarters in a metal building like we use at golf tournaments, something they call a donger. So as I stepped into the donger in search of the dunny, I saw a sign saying “Don’t feed the dingoes.” I realized that this was an experience I’d never imagined having nor would be likely to have again soon.
This is the area in which the Australian woman lost her baby and said the dingoes took it. Our driver said his uncle went to her trial when she was accused of killing the baby herself. The uncle saw her as "acting guilty," but she was acquitted. A memorable phrase from the movie--"maybe the dingo ate your baby"--echoed in my mind here.
Because this is a World Heritage area, we’re not allowed to pick up rocks or sand. There are heavy fines for removal of anything that belongs here. There’s a “Sorry Book” at the Cultural Centre with stories from people who actually did take away items and weren’t caught and punished by the authorities, but have since written letters about the bad luck they had as long as they kept those things.
We went from Kata Tjuta to the Mutitjula waterhole at the base of Uluru. Our driver walked us back to the waterhole along a path that included a stop in one of the caves used by aboriginals. There are paintings there that he described as something of a signboard. One painting might cover another as events occurred and were recorded in this way. He told the story of the first white man seen by the people here, a white man who arrived on a camel, it being the first of those ever seen. What a moment that must have been!
The Cultural Centre was created in 1985 when this area was turned over to them. The Aborigines, a culture without buildings, sat together with architects to design this place. The entrance represents Kuniya, the good snake of legend who lived at Ulura. You exit through the poisonous snake, Liru. that once lived at Kata Tjuta. As a sort of aboriginal joke, the “bad things” are in the bad snake, so that’s where they take visitors’ money for souvenirs and snacks. It’s a good place to get a better idea about aboriginal ways and what this area means to the local Aborigines.
Our flight left from the local airfield in mid-afternoon taking us across country to Cairns on the Northeast Coast. We were able to see the very green landscape below us when we came below a heavy cloud cover. It was dark by the time we got our bags and got on the bus, dark and raining. It rains in Cairns a lot and it is quite tropical, lying only 12 degrees below the Equator.
We checked in to the hotel, had supper in one of the string of restaurants along the marina behind our hotel and packed up for tomorrow’s trip to Dunk Island. We’ll leave our big suitcases here, taking only bathing suits and a change of clothes for our two days and nights there. We expect to share the resort with lots of people because their Easter holiday began this evening. Most Australians now have at least 5 days off through Tuesday and many take extra days for a long break. It’s common here for folks to have at least four weeks of vacation each year!
We’ve had so many different experiences on this trip and tomorrow’s boat trip adds another. I’ve come to understand that it’s perhaps past time to go home, but I’m looking forward to relaxing and seeing the Great Barrier Reef before we leave Monday morning for the long trek back to Charlotte.
Photos by Mike Lumpkin
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