Day 1
Alice Springs
From Alice Springs we commence our voyage westward along Namatjira Drive following the natural spectacle of the Western MacDonnell mountain ranges to Glen Helen Resort. As we bump along the red stained earth there is plenty of time for everyone to introduce ourselves and get to know our fellow explorers.
Our first stop is the lofty red cliffs of Ellery Creek Big Hole Nature Park. A large waterhole and a sandy creek fringed with the infamous ghost gum trees, this is an internationally recognised significant geological site. A 3km dolomite walk provides a rare opportunity to explore and marvel at the centuries old rock formations here.
Further down the trail our second stop is Ormiston Gorge National Park. Thousands of years of natural river flow has meticulously carved this magnificent gorge. Ormiston Gorge is one of the many spectacular features of the MacDonnell Ranges. In summer, its deep waterhole is a welcome relief from the heat of the day.
We press on with our passage with a quick bag drop at our homestead for the evening at Glen Helen Resort, before taking a short drive to the colour soaked Ochre Pits. The ochre consists of dry clay with iron, lead, and other minerals creating the rich flavour of colours. Ochre is still used today by the Aboriginal Aranda people for ceremonial purposes. Taking our time here we explore the spectacular firework display that decorates the mountain side and learn more about the uses for ochre, how it is prepared with the use of a grinding stone and the ways in which the Aboriginal people apply it.
After an immersion in the pastel hues of our first outback sunset, we return to camp for an evening guided moon meditation to connect with the land and focus our intentions for our expedition.
A feast of camp cooked fresh local fare conveys us to slumber under the million stars blanketing Central Oz.
D
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Day 2
Red Bank Gorge: Tnorala (Gosse Bluff); Finke River
Today we progress further into the Wild West to Red Bank Gorge at the foot of Mount Sonder, the third highest mountain peak in the Northern Territory.
Ghost gum trees on steep slopes stand proud guarding the creek bed. Stand in a 700 year old river red gum tree for a unique photo opportunity. The eerie stillness and pastel dyed flood smoothed rock walls make this a fitting site for a group programme delving into the authentic self.
Tnorala (Gosse Bluff) Conservation Reserve is our next place of wonder. This is an area of great cultural significance to the Western Arrente Aboriginal people, as well as one of international scientific interest. Gosse Bluff is one of the most significant impact structures in the world and is an officially registered sacred site. According to Aboriginal belief, Tnorala was formed in the creation time, when a group of women danced across the sky as the Milky Way. During this dance, a mother put her baby aside, resting it in its wooden baby-carrier (a turna). The carrier toppled over the edge of the dancing area and crashed to earth where it was transformed into the circular rock walls of Tnorala. The Aboriginal and scientific interpretation of the Bluff are similar in that both have a celestial origin. This crater is thought to have been made by the impact of a large comet or meteorite that crashed to earth some 143 million years ago blasting a crater 22 km in diameter.
The enormity of the crater pervades our eyes at the Gosse's Bluff lookout on Tylers Pass road. From here, we descend into the paranormal centre of the crater, where we tune in to Tnorala's magic with a guided meditation on the surrounding energies. Lunch inside the crater makes this an ideal spot for a sharing of experiences from the entire group.
Late afternoon sees us driving to base camp in the Finke River. The Finke is one of the oldest natural river systems in the world. This river has never been dammed and has followed the same path for millions of years running hundreds of kilometers and finally running out at the Simpson Desert. There is an opportunity here for a refreshing dip in the Finke River natural billabong at Glen Helen and a refreshing ice-cream and shower as a reward for the days activities! Then we settle down to a camp oven dinner, with music and Aboriginal tales of the Dreaming by our guide.
With bellies and soul full we roll out our swags for a night under the lyrical silvery moon.
B, L, D
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Day 3
Lilla (Sweet Water)
An early morning to catch the sunrise is a fitting start to Day 3. For the yogis amongst us there will be morning asanas or free time to wander around the riverbed and get to know the local ghost gum trees.
After we pack up camp we bid our goodbyes to the Finke and set our sights on Lilla, our Aboriginal home for the next 2 days. A dusty bumpy ride on the Merenie Loop Road (weather and road conditions permitting) is a great introduction to the real outback Australia for the non-initiated. We take a break en-route for lunch under a thousand year old tree and the traditional boiling of refreshing Billy.
On arriving at Lilla we set up camp and prepare ourselves to meet the Luritja people living on this Aboriginal community. The name “Luritja” derives from the Arrernte word “Lurinya” meaning foreigner. This name was apparently given to the people of the Western Desert language community who had relocated onto Arrernte lands from remote desert areas.
A traditional smoking ceremony carried out by the Elders of the community sees us welcomed to country. In traditional times smoking ceremonies were used to spiritually cleanse people when entering unknown country.
Cultural workshops will be held in the afternoon offering a unique opportunity to meet with the traditional owners of the Lilla community and learn about their ancient culture. We will be guided in traditional men’s business and women’s business activities such as dot painting, bead/bracelet making, digging for honey ants/widgety grubs, spear making/throwing. Local community people will be on hand as we learn about traditional bush cooking/tucker, and native flora and fauna.
The evening will be spent gaining ancient wisdoms of the Dreamtime stories which, according to the Aboriginal people, carry the truth from the past, together with the code for their law. Each sacred Dreamtime story is unique to and concerns the country or area to which it belongs and we are privileged to share in this almost forgotten knowledge.
B, L,
D
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Day 4
Lilla (Sweet Water); Kings Canyon Watarrka National Park
As the sun rises over the sweet waters of Lilla we join together in the discovery of the colossal wonder that is, Kings Canyon.
Derived from an Aboriginal word referring to the umbrella bush that thrives here, Watarrka National Park has been home to the Luritja people for hundreds of thousands of years. Strong spiritual links are still maintained at this sacred healing place. Forming part of the Watarrka National Park at the western end of the George Gill Range, Kings Canyon is one of the great natural wonders of the red centre. Created over 440 million years ago, Kings Canyon is a sacred Aboriginal site of desolate beauty and has in excess of 600 native plants and herbs growing in and around it in the middle of the desert lands. As we meander the Canyon we absorb the native surroundings and tales of the sacred songlines of this majestic wonder. Our trek will take in magnificent views of the Canyon rim and the weathered, buttressed domes of ‘The Lost City’ and the ‘Garden of Eden’. Descending down to the Garden of Eden we pass by a plateau of trees and cycads to this sheltered valley with permanent waterholes and lush vegetation. We spend some contemplation time in the garden immersing ourselves in the raw energy of this magnificent Elysium. Weather being kind we may even immerse ourselves in the natural water hole in this gloriously rich flourishing garden.
After descending the Canyon, our voyagers have the option of a refreshing swim at a nearby resort pool before returning to our Aboriginal homestead where a guided walk to the sacred men’s and women’s areas and the ‘sweet waters’ natural water hole awaits. Arriving at the sacred water hole we wind our way through the salubrious entrance to sit in silent meditation and connect with the water spirits.
Evening Dreamtime stories and group sessions around the camp fire conclude this action packed day.
B, L, D
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Day 5
Lilla (Sweet Water); Kings Canyon; Uluru
A return to Kings Canyon is our morning quest where we tackle Kings Creek Walk for a different perspective of the mountainous rockface. This walk traverses the centre of the Canyon and offers 150m cliff wall faces surrounded by 900 year old river red gum trees. This is the place of the last known large gathering of many communities of Aboriginal people of the region who came together to perform traditional ceremonies in a bid to heal their suffering. Their voices echoed into the Canyon and the hum of their boomerangs and musical clapsticks to awaken the spirits reverberated across the entire Canyon cutting into the expanse of silence.
In such an energetically charged place we cannot miss the occasion to connect to the nature spirits in a guided meditation in the quiet of natures back yard.
Lunch readies us for the road once more when its tissues at the ready as we offer our goodbyes to our new friends, the gracious people of the Lilla community.
From Lilla, we travel south towards the looming shadows cast by the vastness of the rock that is Uluru. En route we encounter the huge mesa formation of Mount Connor. Situated in a salt pan dune and spinifex country this large rock formation viewed from a distance is commonly mistaken for Uluru.
As the evening makes its appearance we arrive at Ayers Rock Resort in time to saturate ourselves in the flow of the natural raw energy of this phenomenal place.
B, L, D
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Day 6
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
“Ananguku ngura nyangatja ka puku lpa pitjama
- this is Aboriginal land and we welcome you”.
This is the greeting we are welcomed with from the traditional owners of the world heritage listed Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. Here we are asked to open our minds and hearts to learn about the Indigenous land, beliefs and culture. As we drive into the national park our eyes are arrested by the mysterious silhouette of Kata Tjuta (once called The Olgas) that looms in the west rising 546 metres above the flat, sandy horizon. These domed shaped rock outcrops just 40 km west of Uluru now bear their rightful indigenous name meaning 'many heads'. This is a reference to the 36 mountainous pillars of un-jointed rock in the area, the tallest of which is 200 metres higher than the famous Uluru. This massive pile of rock domes dates back 500 million years and is a dramatic remnant of a catastrophic flood that engulfed the globe. It is also an extremely sacred place to the Indigenous people. Much of the traditional law for this area remains a closely guarded secret to this day. As our feet touch the ground we sense the serenity and the sacredness of this ancient land. Often our explorers are stunned into silence and reverence as they tread amongst the ancient energies of this mountainous valley. A perfect place for a morning meditation to connect with the land.
The afternoon will be one of discovery and learning at the Uluru Cultural Centre where the traditional Anangu people display their art, craft, bush foods and other skills. The centre has developed an excellent national and international reputation for high quality arts and other traditional artefacts and is an ideal location for the souvenir hunters amongst us.
As the colours of the day drain away we imbibe the dramatic textures of the vibrant aerial sunset display at Uluru.
With a new found physical and mental freedom from our journey together, we embark upon an evening of self-reflection. We will consider the activities in our lives that we regard as worthy of our time and effort (learning, work, play),
the ultimate values and meanings we pursue (achievement, love, children),
and the particular styles and forms through which we pursue these goals to move beyond current limitations and initiate an empowered life of change.
B, L, D
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Day 7
Uluru – Base Walk and The Rock Dreaming
Rising from the vast desert plain deep in the red centre of Australia is the unmistakable monolith that is Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock). Its sheer geography tells an amazing story. This Australian icon is located 440kms south-west of Alice Springs in the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, proudly stands 348 metres above the ground and is 9.4km in circumference. What most uninitiated people fail to recognize however is that the mountainous rock that can be seen above ground is only the visible tip of one huge rock slab that extends deep in the chasms of the earth.
Even more astounding is that Uluru is located on a major planetary grid point much like the Great Pyramids in Egypt. These grids are an electromagnetic matrix of sound, light and color through which we virtually experience time and emotion. The grids meet at various intersecting points forming a matrix. This is equivalent to the acupressure points on our bodies. These grid points can be found at some of the strongest power places on the planet.
“In the time before the world took its current form, the snake peoples passaged from the east and settled at a sandhill. Shortly after, a party of venomous snake men came from the west to attack them…” …this is the beginning of the evolution of Uluru according to the traditional Anangu descendents. According to these people, Uluru forms an axis around which the universe turns.
Earth energy cannot be seen or tasted and it has no odour but its effects can be experienced in all of these ways. It is not loud, but it can be heard. It cannot be touched, but it can definitely be felt. The ancients of each civilization describe the area surrounding Uluru as a path of leylines. Native cultures in the Americas called them the Spirit Path. The Chinese understood them to be a balance between the yin and the yang and the Aborigines call them Song Lines. Our ancestors often traveled these pathways in solitude in the knowing that when these energies interacted with the body's physical makeup they would often experience a feeling of enhanced self-awareness and a sense of centered spirituality. Leylines are paths of energy that run through the landscape transporting energy around the planet. These energy lines lie on the surface of the earth forming a network around the planet and intersecting at auspicious sites. One example of such an intersection is said to be located at Uluru.
Prepare to be mesmorised in its presence. Whatever your beliefs are, there is one common fact that every visitor to this majestic place agrees upon. It is like nothing else on earth.
The world heritage National Park that Uluru now resides in honours the culture of the Aboriginal people. preserving the fragile ecology of the land of their ancestors and upholds Tjukurpa (pronounced ‘chookupa’). This is the Anangu people’s word for history, knowledge, religion, morality and law. Tjukurpa is the way in which the Indigenous people teach how to care for each other and country through the telling of stories. It is a spoken not written law passed down from generation to generation. With our Indigenous guide its access to all areas as we are taken on a base walk around this sacred rock where we will be privileged to learn some of the ancient Tjukurpa.
After our intrepid crossing into the unknown and unfathomable, we enjoy a group lunch before we bid our farewells today to those flying home from the Rock, bags bursting with memories. For the remaining voyagers it’s a homeward bound 462km drive back to Alice Springs (make sure your ipods are charged) for a well-earned shower, rest and re-group for the finale of our expedition together.
B, L, D
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Day 8
Alice Springs; Homeward bound
The morning is free time for a walkabout around Alice Springs before flying home.
We farewell you at the airport as you take with you the wisdom you have gained from the journey to connect, transform your world and share with all the people that your lives will touch. What leaves with you is something that can never be forgotten, drawing you back time and again to delve into the enchanting, enigmatic and mysterious marvel that is outback Australia.
To be touched by the splendour of pure conscious awareness is to be eternally pervaded by a change that time can never erase.
B, L
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