Postcards Travel Album
Uluru-Kata Tjuta
Australian Druid Assembly

Episode 7, Thursday 21 June, 2001 - Solstice

I don't shower this morning. No point - I'm putting on quite dirty clothes and hiking again. My clean clothes are ripped beyond wearing.

Watch the sunrise.

We get started slower, and get to the Olga's about 11 am. I'm happy now - this is where I wanted to be. I may be the only one. We start out on the Valley of the Winds walk. I get an urge to yell out 'Honey, I'm home'. It feels great.

About 800 m in, at the top of the first down slope, Vivienne backs out. It's not right for her. 5 go on.

We find a lunch spot by a stream. They wonder if it is a spring. I say "No", because we've walked across the trickles that feed it several times now. One goes to collect water for tonight's ceremony. They think this water will be quite pure, so they start to put the bottle down on the big green algae clumps to fill. Then someone says "No, the pool!". There's a small pool where water is collecting. They argue that the pool might be stagnant, so they take the water from the nice little rapids at the pool's outflow. The lady collecting it drinks some straightaway and says it tastes great.

At this point, two decide to turn back. Three of us continue on.

We walk to the first lookout. It's hard to describe what this was like. Not an easy walk, but I feel charged up and filled with strength, excitement, joy. It is beautiful, and I am home. I am disappointed that we have to turn and return instead of continuing on, but am satisfied with where we came to. Wouldn't have missed it.