departuresBLUE MOUNTAINS
THE blue-hazed beauty of the Blue
Mountains World Heritage Area comprises
one million hectares of dramatic cliffs,
forested valleys, deep canyons, waterfalls
and pristine bushland.
Take in the breathtaking panoramas on a
bushwalk, four wheel drive or with an
Aboriginal guide.
See awe-inspiring views from the
sandstone outcrop of Hanging Rock and
visit the spectacular cliffs of Kanangra
Walls.
Don't miss the limestone formations and
underground rivers of Jenolan Caves � the
world's oldest and largest cave system
open to the public.
When you've finished exploring, take a
hot air balloon ride, enjoy a quality meal
and glass of locally-produced semillon
wine and get pampered in a day spa.
What's not to love?
GREAT BARRIER REEF
THE Great Barrier Reef is the largest
coral reef system in the world, composed
of more than 2,900 individual reefs and 900
islands stretching for 2,600 kilometres in
the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland.
It can be seen from outer space and is
the world's biggest single structure made
by living organisms, having been built by
billions of tiny coral polyps, and support-
ing a wide diversity of life.
Reckoned to be one of the seven natural
wonders of the world, a large part of the
reef is protected by the Great Barrier Reef
Marine Park, which helps to limit the
impact of human use.
But this is the place to go snorkelling,
scuba diving or even swimming with
minke whales, should they choose to
make your acquaintance.
GREAT OCEAN ROAD
TAKE a ride through nature on the
spectacular Great Ocean Road, which
winds alongside the wild and windswept
Southern Ocean from Geelong to Portland.
This diverse and dramatic region takes in
surf beaches, historic ports, whale
lookouts, breathtaking mountain ranges,
rainforests and national parks.
See monster waves at the iconic surf
spot of Bells Beach. Laze on the golden
sands of Lorne. Visit an important
Aboriginal site in an extinct volcano near
Tower Hill.
Or spot shipwrecks near the charming
fishing village of Port Fairy. And, of course,
you can't miss the Twelve Apostles � crag-
gy limestone stacks rising majestically
from the Southern Ocean.
On and around the Great Ocean Road,
nature captivates, inspires and invigorates
at every turn.
ULURU
YOU can lose and find yourself in
Australia's Red Centre, a place rich in Abo-
riginal culture and remote, rugged, beauty.
You'll also find the iconic natural
wonders of Uluru, Mount Kata Tjuta, the
MacDonnell Ranges and Kings Canyon.
Explore them all from Alice Springs, the
famed outback town where creature
comforts are a day trip from ancient
mountain ranges and endless plains.
In these timeless multicolour vistas you
can ride a camel, sleep under the stars,
swim in secluded waterways and discover
the spiritual dimensions of Aboriginal art.
Get ready to find yourself on a journey
through Australia's heart. You'll find
adventure, relaxation and inspiration and
enrich your soul along the way.
A
S the last ray of bril-
liant red left the rock
so did hundreds of
tourists in the second
dawn rush of the morning
� the motorcar crush beel-
ining back to Ulara for
breakfast.
We watched them roar out, pulled
out our Corn Flakes and unrefriger-
ated milk and enjoyed watching
dingos emerge to frolic in the grass
once the crowds had left.
This was breakfast with one of the
world's greatest views, and we had it
completely to ourselves.
The sunrise viewing of Uluru �
better known as Ayers Rock � is a
must for any visitor who has driven
the 500 kilometres from Alice
Springs, or a lot further from else-
where in Australia.
But be warned: the early morning
crowds are fierce and the whirring of
cameras drowns out any sound of
wildlife or the mysterious silence that
otherwise engulfs the rock.
There's plenty of time to sample the
delights of Uluru with less company
at other times during the day, al-
though it's surprising that silence
and solitude are so hard to find here.
It is, after all, a remote place in the
middle of an island continent.
But really Uluru is far from empty
anyway. After a moment of gazing at
the "nothingness" it soon became
clear that it was teeming with life,
stories and histories.
The emptiness is an illusion and the
eternal paradox of Australia, discov-
ered as "terra nullius", or no-one's
land, 200 years ago.
It's a concept that fortunately is
now changing in this dry, brown
country and in 1999 the local Anan-
gu Aboriginal people regained pos-
session of their traditional land.
They now lease it to the Australian
government, where it is jointly man-
aged by Anangu and Parks Australia
as the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National
Park.
It's easy to see why they have long
rock
star
regarded the area as one with deep
spiritual meaning.
The Rock itself is impressive in a
flatland of red sands and wilting
scrub, even more so when you con-
sider that two-thirds of it are still be-
lowtheground.It'sagood20-minute
drive around the base of the Rock,
and a solid three to four hours' walk.
The way it changes colour from red
to crimson to flaming orange as the
sun rises, or into muted purples and
finally greys as the sun sets, is world-
famous for good reason.
No-one who has seen it can remain
unmoved. So it's understandable
why so many people come to share
its beauty and why it has become an
Australian icon of such significance.
For the Australians themselves, the
Rock really cemented its status when
Aboriginal athlete Nova Peris-Knee-
bone ran barefoot past it with the Ol-
ympic torch as part of the ceremony
to bring the 2000 games to Sydney.
The image of this athlete running
humbly past in bare feet out of re-
spect for her people captured the
hearts of a nation.
It's also a message that seems to
have caught on generally at Uluru.
For while numbers of visitors to the
Rock grow every year the numbers
climbing it have decreased out of re-
spect for the beliefs of its traditional
owners.
The route taken by visitors across
the top of Uluru follows the tradi-
tional journey of ancestral Mala
men.
The Anangu do not make the
climb out of respect and prefer visi-
tors not to either. More about the
stories and history associated with
the Rock are contained in the cul-
tural centre inside the Park.
For those who choose not to
climb, there are plenty of other
walking alternatives including the
9.4 kilometre base walk which
gives a better idea of the strange
caves, eroded gullies and gorges
around the Rock.
Some of these are considered sa-
cred sites and are signposted or
fenced off. To enter any of these
areas would cause great offence to
Anangu and photography of
them is forbidden.
If you've come this far, then the
short drive further west to Uluru's
lesser-known neighbour Kata
Tjuta is also a must.
Kata Tjuta � meaning "many
heads" � is a collection of smaller,
rounder rocks that are equally im-
pressivebutinfinitelylesswell-known
than their big brother. There are a
number of walking trails around the
heads, the main being the Valley of
the Winds, a six-kilometre circuit
track that takes between three and
four hours to complete.
It is one of the
wonders of the
world and leaves
everyone who gazes
upon it deeply
moved. JOANNE
LANE sets off to see
Mother Nature in all
her glory at awe-
inspiring Ayers
Rock.

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