Ayers Rock (aka Uluru)

The red hot centre of Australia is home to this world-renowned sandstone monolith, which stands about 1200 ft high with most of its bulk below the ground and connected to the nearby Kata Kjutas (Olgas) rock formations. Christmas eve was marked by temperatures in the 100s, and being summer, the black flies (which fortunately don't bite) were out in force. Head nets came in handy!

On Christmas morning after sunrise we walked around the base (about 7.5 miles).

There is much to see on the walk. Caves and unusual pockmarks on the rock, formed by erosion, illustrate the legends and stories passed down through multiple generations of the Anangu. Uluru is owned by the Anangu, the local aboriginal population, and is a sacred part of their culture and laws. The national park is jointly managed by the Anangu and the Australian government.