Uluru: 2nd Day Base Walk

We saved the Mala Walk and the Base Walk for our final day at Uluru. From parking at the base of the climb to the return point, the Mala Walk must add a full km to the 11+kms of the base walk. I was determined to complete the walk. This was my bucket list item - of all of our Australian trip outings, the most important one to me. No one should attempt this feat without being fully prepared. Because of the cold mornings at this time of year, we took our time and did not begin until close to 11 a.m. OK, but better to have started much earlier. Required: good walking boots, sun block, hat, fly net if needed, and absolutely 1.5 litres of water. Each of us carry a 1 litre steel cannister, and a 750 ml collapsible plastic drinking bottle that hooks easily to belt loops or bag straps. Be advised! Benches are few and far between around the path. Even less frequent are the water taps. Only 2 to be precise, both toward the halfway point. All set? Here we go!

The Mala walk tells the story of the Mala ancestors at Uluru. But it includes visits to the caves those ancestors actually used - the boys' cave with the peephole that allowed them to watch the men hunting the last emu leaving the waterhole so that the other emu would come back next time; the men's cave where the faces and eyes could still be seen of the men killed in the attack that drove the Mala south; the women's and girl's  cave where the seed grinding spots are still visible; and the old men's cave where the grandfathers sat around a fire that left the roof blackened with soot. We left the Mala story and started the base walk, intermittently looking up to see where we were along the wall of Uluru, spotting landmarks set for us by Justin the day before, and admiring the flora and fauna along the path. There are signs and dark outlines on the maps to indicate where photos are not allowed - even ao, it can be confusing. I hope we were correct in where our photos were taken. The forbidden areas are sacred and meant to be viewed in situ. In some areas the path veered far enough away that places for  Men's or Women's business, as it is called, was lost from sight. We made our way into another waterhole, impressed with the lack of litter. But we were disappointed to find that many footprints left the barricade at the waterhole itself, regardless of signs explaining the sacred nature of the spot and inviting people to sit and reflect on what they were seeing and feeling. It is a shady rest area, the plunge of rock above it utterly breathtaking. However, some folks seemed compelled to ignore this request and disturb the shores around the water, even leaving their initals carved into the sand. At one of the several large benches, curving branches pieced together artfully by a skilled craftsperson, and to be clear, placed too far apart along the path, we put up tired feet and ate our packed lunches. By the time we made the water stop around the 1/2 way point, our bottles were low - thank you to whoever built that shelter! Having started the walk late morning, we chose to walk clockwise. I believe the stories are told in that direction anyway. And it meant that for the hottest part of the day we were on the far side of Uluru, the path more shaded even when it swung quite far away from the rock wall. The shady spots made the sun drenched spaces more tolerable - something to aim for! August is late winter here. It would be impossible for me in the heat of January. Only the last leg was into the late afternoon sun, and once we could see the silhouette of the climb, we knew we had made it.

A wonderful, unforgettable walk. We drove to the Arts Centre and the 'Toilets' as they are called here. One last quick look around as everything was shutting down - no time to pick and choose yet again. Someday perhaps I will find a piece of art from Uluru that I simply must have. Until then, photos and memories will suffice.