The highlight of our trip to Uluru was the guided hike around the base at sunrise. It is such a lovely site and so full of sacred sites for the Ananu people as well as other indigenous peoples of Australia.

We had a great guide that could tell us the Ananu stories and show us so many interesting sites. The colors on the rock and the significance of the area is breathtaking.

Thankfully the kids also enjoyed it and handled the 11.5km hike without too much issue. Approaching Uluru before sunrise.

Walking to the best area to see the sunrise.Sunrise – no filters.

5000 yr old cave paintings.

Colin wanted to make a mushroom omelette for breakfast:

Then helped peel apples for the sage-apple-Gouda pie (which is delicious!)

This:

Led to this:

I’m sore, but fine. All patched up and disappointed to have ripped the sleeve of my favorite riding jersey. Very glad to have had my helmet on, which has a big ding in the front. Guess I need to go helmet shopping.

We enjoyed a quiet ANZAC day at home. Laura and I did some sewing. She is working on a set of sheets for her doll’s bed, and I am making baby blankets.

One of our first adventures on holiday was learning some of the stories of the local people. Millie showed us a lot of the tools her people have used for 35,000 years and, in the sand, explained the stories and shapes that are now used in dot painting. We then got to crest our own story in a dot painting.

The kids watched and listened to all the stories and were excited to do their own paintings.

This was after our 11.5 km sunrise hike around the base. We were tired and dusty and hot – Colon refused to get out of the air conditioned van for a family photo and we could understand his desire to stay put.

The kids learned to play the musical sticks while listening to bush yarns at Uluru.

More photos to come when I download them from my camera.

Here is a view of Uluru as we came in on the plane, and a photo of a didgeridoo (Yiḏaki) being played at a supper that Sarah and I attended.

Rids is a gentleman that I took for a cycle and coffee through Cycle Without Age where I volunteer. Colin got to join us this week. He enjoyed the ride, was great conversing with Rids, and learned a little magic.