This morning I walked around the base of Uluru. It’s 10.6KM around and flat. Too beat the heat I was up at 5AM and out the door by 5:30 it was still dark so I had my head lamp on to find the car. Even though Ron is here with me in the NT, this is a walk I really want to do on my own. There was only one other car on the road, buses were still collecting people to take them to the sunrise viewing spot. I headed straight to the Mala carpark at the base of Uluru. Two locals had told me to ‘start early and walk anticlockwise from Mala’ it took me a sec to workout where I was and my left from right then I was off. I had to wear my headlamp to start but very soon there was enough light to see the path.

There was a loud chorus of cicadas and the crunch of the stone under foot. The flies soon found me but there was enough breeze to keep them at bay to start with.

Around the base are many areas well marked as being sacred and for you not to take photos or movies. There is information at each location and these are well cordoned off and there is a description of its importance to either Aboriginal men or women.

There are also emergency radios at help stations these are a few kilometres apart. You can also get water and there is a shade hut to stop at and some have seats. There are however no toilets.

I started at 6:00AM by 7:00AM I was at the halfway mark at the most eastern end. I still had not seen another person at that stage. I had spent the first half of the walk in contemplation about how lucky Ron and I are that we have the ability to come to this place. It has not been an easy trip with the vastness the heat the flies and seeing some of the social issues here first hand. I choose this time to make my Australian Pilgrimage not really knowing what I was going to find when I got here.

Once I headed out from the Safety stop I thought I heard dog’s barking as I walked it got louder and louder there was obviously a large number of them having a disagreement somewhere. My mind raced and I straight away thought they were Dingos, I picked up my pace and walked as fast as I could I had seen warnings about what to do if your approached by Dingoes, you never know what your going to deal with on pilgrimage and fear was racing through me. I got further away and the sound disappeared. I kept turning around but there was nothing there. Of course as soon as I told Ron this story he tells me Dingoes don’t bark, if only I had known ……..

I was now on the northern side and had the sun behind me. I also had shade from trees. Then people started to walk towards me only 3 couples one after the other all Americans and all with a friendly greeting. My legs were starting to get tiered at about the 8KM mark and the heat was starting to pinch. The good thing was the last section was shaded by Uluru its self and then a nice breeze started to blow from behind. As I rounded the last corner a noisy rustle to my right and out jumped a large Kangaroo I got a bit of a fright but he was off with no interest in me at all.

I then passed a large group of people being lead by a guide and I could see the carpark now. The flies were really swarming now and the noise and heat becoming distracting.

It was 8:15AM and 32Deg when I finished. I got to the car and jumped in turning on the engine so the aircon would blow the flies off. I then drove back around to see Uluru before heading back to the hotel for a welcomed shower and breakfast.

Although there was time for some contemplation at the start of the walk my fear of the barking and imagined dangers took over then the distraction of the flies meant the journey around Uluru was not a peaceful one. But I feel exhilaration from having walked around such an old and special place. I am very pleased we came here together and that I got to do this walk today. Uluru is an important place for the Anangu people and I can understand why Uluru is physically powerful and you get a sense of its age and the power of nature just by looking at it. Uluru is important to all Australians and today I got to see why up close!

Just a few of my travelling companions this morning.

Distance Traveled 50KM

Distance Walked 13KM

PS, I have now found out there is an Aboriginal community living on country just to the east of Uluru and they have a lot of dogs. 🤷🏻‍♀️