Tuesday, June 26, 2007
KINGS CANYON AND ULURU
THE WORKING TOGETHER PAINTING by Jennifer Taylor.For those interested in Aboriginal Art here is an explanation (click on the photo to enlarge):
The central circle represents Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The twelve seated figures are the members of the Board of Management: four pairs of male and female Anangu (brown) and four non-Anangu (white). They have surrounded the park with yuu, a traditional windbreak. This is the protection that their decisions and policies provide both for the culture and the environment of the park, as well as for park visitors. Waiting and listening to the Boards's decisions are the Anangu and non-Anangu rangers. The Anangu rangers are barefoot, representing their close connection with the land and knowledge derived from thousands of years of looking after the land. The non-Arangu rangers wear shoes, representing their land management training and knowledge derived from European scientific traditions. Surrounding all are two more yuu (windbreaks) representing the protection and support of Tjukurpa (Anangu traditional law) and the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, which are working together to guide the management and protection of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Undulating sand dunes and rich bushland encircle the park. (taken from the visitor's guide; Uluru=Ayers Rock; Kata Tjuta=the Olgas).
Have a look at the corrugated road, at times it goes on for hours and it rattles the fillings out of your teeth. Lower the tyre pressures and hit about 80 km/h and it is half bearable.
At Uluru in the Cultural Centre Tanneke did a course in dot painting and here is a sample of images often found on Aboriginal paintings.
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Uluru just before sunset. On the right Tanneke's produce!
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Also pictures of Uluru at sunset and the view from the top.
The Standley Gorge is another impressive waterway cut through the Ranges.
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Dingoes roam the country; we hear them at night, howling like wolves.
Driving west of Alice Springs we first see the Simpson Gap where a river took millions of years to erode a gap through the West Macdonnell Ranges. Note the sign behind Tanneke! Many camping areas are supplied with dedicated fire places to avoid bush fires getting out of hand; this family was cooking their meal in a "Dutch Oven", surrounded by hot ashes.
Tanneke is looking at spinifex, a very hardy and thorny plant that grows in large patches through the centre of Australia; it loves puncturing tyres and is infamous for getting caught around hot exhaust pipes with vehicles often burning down completely. The picture is taken after our walk through Palm Valley when we returned on the top of the escarpment.
