Uluru

Uluru is deep in the heart of Australia's outback. Geologically, it is a rock that incongruously sticks out from the middle of the red desert, which makes it a unique sight for hundreds of miles around.

While only 350 meters (1150 feet) of it is visible above ground, it actually goes down to the depth of 2.5 kilometers (1.6 miles). It's basically a land iceberg.

It is also a sacred place to the Aborigines.

The combination of low humidity and red sandstone and soil produces amazing contrasts.

This cave is called Kulpi Nyiinkaku - The Teaching Cave.  This is where grandfathers of teenage boys taught them how and where to hunt. The boys were separated in this cave for several years while they learned. The cave still contains rock art painted by the grandfathers.

Up close, you can see that the rock is a bit patchy, but that's just on the surface. It is a type of sandstone, rich in iron (which, as it rusts, gives Uluru and the rest of the outback its red color).

Look at this picture carefully - what do you see on the top of the ridge?

That's right, Uluru used to be climbable. There is one path that took tourists to the top of the rock. We came a few weeks before the climb was closed, to honor the sacredness of the place to its Aboriginal owners.

But while we were there, we did climb it a bit. In some places, the slope is so steep, and the path has been worn out to such smoothness, that the only way to get down safely was on your butt.

The view from about mid-way up:

Uluru is not the only outcropping in that place. Another set of rocks called Kata Tjuta is about 50 kilometers away.

Up close, you can see that these two outcroppings are made out of completely different materials. Uluru was made of solid sandstone. Kata Tjuta is made from composite rocks - basically compressed layers of sedimentary rocks. 

The layers give Kata Tjuta a completely different texture:

And yes, they have feral camels in Australia...

Driving the Outback in the outback...

Australia - Blue Mountains

Ah, this is why one comes to Australia:

We drove for a few hours through the Blue Mountains near Sydney to get to a place where the kangaroos are regular.

On the road through the Blue Mountains:

Blue Mountains views:

A place called Scenic World in the Blue Mountains claims to have the steepest railroad track in the world (with 52 degrees of incline):

It certainly felt like it on the way up!

Parting shot:

Sydney Opera House

In Sydney, we signed up for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Opera House. We had to get there before 7am. Thankfully, with the jet lag, it wasn't all that difficult to wake up on time.





From afar, the Opera House seems like one building. But up close, you can see that each "sail" is its own hall.


They are all connected inside though. The Opera House actually contains 6 performance spaces, including the opera space, concert hall, and several performance stages. This is the main hall:


The wooden paneling inside is exquisite. We were told that all of the it came from a single tree, cut very very thinly.


Opera was out of season, but the main stage was set for an upcoming performance of West Side Story.


Inside the stage, we could see all the internal signs, props, and even costumes for the show:

Sydney

Everyone has to take this picture when they come to Sydney:



Another classic Sydney pose:


One of the numerous incongruous sights in and around Sydney:


Queen Victoria Building - designed as a marketplace more than a hundred years ago, and converted to an upscale mall now:


Sydney Town Hall:


Sculpture garden in one of the new bayside developments:




View from our apartment:




Don't you feel like this sometimes:


Another view from our apartment. Not an auspicious sign if you are a bird-watcher! And I did get rained out on my planned birding day-tour, in a rare tropical storm.