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Australia 2011
Day 5 - 2nd August - Kata Tjuta (Part 1)
The previous night I'd tried to download map data so my Navigation app would work, since Google Maps needed data to work. However despite 7 hours the download didn't finish. This wasn't that big of a problem, since when there was no data the direction to proceed in was generally clear.
We woke up early to see the sunrise from the Kata Tjuta viewing point.
"Le safitei de feu"
I've no idea what went wrong in the translation process.
Direction of viewing area from walkway near carpark
Ironically, though the viewing point was for Kata Tjuta everyone was looking at Ayer's Rock in the distance.
Sunrise: Ayer's Rock in the distance
There was a Japanese tour group, which was comforting after all the PRCs.
Sunrise panorama at 7am
Sunrise panorama at 7:07am
Kata Tjuta
Sunrise panorama at 7:21am
Sun rising like Aten
Emerging Sun Disc
Sunrise panorama at 7:29am
Crowd
On the Kata Tjuta landscape
Kata Tjuta stitch
"Kapi - Drinking Water. Anangu, the traditional owners, say:... always drink water and you'll be sure to survive here"
On Valley of the Winds
"Detailed knowledge of the area is restricted to certain people only. It is forbidden to pass this information on to the wrong people. Therefore we cannot share any of the creation stories with you."
Hopefully nothing will happen to those certain people.
We then walked up to Kata Tjuta - the sand domes. Unlike Uluru, you can't climb them (and you're threatened with criminal penalties if you do so). As they are probably less sacred than Ayer's Rock, the reason is of course that this wasn't in the agreement with the Australian government, like with Kata Tjuta.
Due to time constraints, we took the Karu Lookout route, the shortest of the 3.
The approach. The aea reminded me of Las Médulas.
Kata Tjuta panorama
Dome
Another panorama
Side of dome
Third panorama
Rocks on floor
Dome
Path, with relac one corner in the background
Valley from Kata Tjuta
Panorama within domes, in Valley of the Winds
Flora
Wind whistling in rocks. It was quite spooky
Others continued on but we turned back.
Tree
Rest stop, with another relac one corner
No climbing
More flora
