Watarrka
Sep 15, 2023
Hello! We're still here at Yulara, the resort-based town just near Uluru and Kata Tjuta, having a bit of quiet time in the heat of the day while we digest our buffet breakfast. Josie's breakfast consisted solely of bread-sticks (we couldn't even get her to finish a chocolate croissant - its so weird to beg your child to eat something that is pretty much half fat, half sugar!), whereas Toby sampled pretty much everything on offer, sometimes going back to seconds 😂.
Heading back a stop, after our very brave and daring trip on the Mereenie Loop (noting that Bob felt I didn't give him enough credit for getting us to take the risk and save the 5 hours in my last post... so, thanks Bob!) we arrived at the Kings Canyon Resort on the edge of the Watarrka National Park. We had 3 nights in a family room which thankfully was a bit bigger than some of the other single rooms we've shared on this trip.
After enjoying the buffet breakfast on Saturday (I splurged a bit for this booking!) we headed to Karrke Aboriginal Cultural Experiences and Tours for an amazing few hours of learning about the local culture of Central Australia . Our guides were Peter and his sister Natasha (who are Western Aranda/Pertame people), and Peter created the company with his wife, Christine, who is a Luritja woman. They all live in the nearby community of Wanmarra and created this company to share the culture with people visiting the area. They started by introducing us to a very helpful and positive word, Palya, which can be used to say hello, thank you, all good - its a very versatile word!
At the first stop we learnt about the seeds that the women and young girls collect in the area.
Next Peter talked to us about about men's weapons and tools, including these spears...
and boomerangs, including the fact that in this part of the country they did not have the returning versions, just these one-way types.
Peter also told us that the creation spirits in this part of Australia did not give the people information about didgeridoos, so they were not used in this area, just clapping sticks and boomerangs for percussion.
Here's Toby with a shield.
Then we learnt about dot paintings, with this example by the co-owner Christine to demonstrate the art form. They noted that the traditional arts of body and sand painting used ochre and animal fats, and were always used to tell a story and share cultural information. In the 1970's, someone suggested to some elders near Mparntwe (Alice Spring) translate some traditional arts style onto some doors to decorate the buildings. This quickly spread throughout the communities in Central Australia, and while the art was initial just for Aboriginal people, a large market soon developed among non-Aboriginal people.
This painting was about the local desert and a main food source for the community, the witchetty grub. We then got to feel (but not taste, thankfully!) the real deal. Natasha and Peter assured us that the ones found in the roots of a particular acacia tree are especially delicious!
Then the kids got to feel some of the traditional ochres on their fingers.
Then Natasha showed us how the women in the community create jewelry with beans, seeds and nuts collected in the desert, some of which are painted for decoration and others and branded using heated fencing wire. Similarly, she showed us how the same decorations are used on musical instruments and wooden sculptures.
Here is Natasha using the headed wire to pierce holes in the quandong seeds, gumnuts and beans that are used in the necklaces and bracelets. The quandong (or bush peach) seeds are particularly hard and tricky to get through!
Here we looked at other bush tucker, including bush passion fruit, bush orange and quandong.
Finally, Peter and Natasha showed us how smoke from burning leaves from particular plants is used for ceremonies and healing, and encouraged us to walk through the smoke, taking some time to breath it in and be at peace on the land.
It was very special experience, and we were very grateful for Peter and Natasha for being so generous with their culture❤.
We headed back to the resort and had a bit of a family meeting about how we were going to visit the Canyon. We knew that the Rim Walk was a big one, and honestly didn't think any of the kids would be up for it. At 6 kms it not too long, but it does include a big climb up over hundreds of steps to get to the top of the canyon. So Bob and I talked about doing it by ourselves on separate days, and gave the kids the choice whether they wanted to come along or not. Bob went first on a cool afternoon on Saturday - it even rained a tiny bit - the first bit of rain we've seen since leaving Dubbo! Josie decided to pass (which was the correct choice, in the end!) but Toby and Nora were keen, and they did an amazing job with the walk!
Up the stairs - we think there are about 800, and its very hard work!
Bob's first ever selfie!
The Garden of Eden, a spectacular waterhole that is a sacred men's site.
Heading down off the south wall of the canyon.
The kids enjoyed the walk so much that they wanted to come and do it again with me on Sunday morning! Unfortunately it was a bit hotter than the day before, but they were still amazing - I was so proud of them!
To the local Matutjara people these domes were the young kuninga men who travelled here through the area during Tjukurpa (the creation time). The kuninga are the western quoil, carnivorous marsupials who are sometimes called native cats.
The kids were particularly excited to show me the one way gate! You can do the full loop starting from the north walk, or you can walk up to a certain point on the south wall, but not passed this gate.
I'm not going to say that the thought of staying on this side of the one way gate didn't cross my mind 😆
After such a big walk on a hot morning we had a go in the pool but it was FREEZING!!
I literally dove in and got STRAIGHT out!
Josie watched PlaySchool and danced like an emu while I wrote a blog post 😍
After another gorgeous sunset and a quick look at the Towers of Light (from after!) we had a last dinner at the pub at the resort and had an early night to get up in time to pack up and head down south for the next big stop - Uluru!
On the drive south we saw yet another type of purple wildflower that was just beautiful I had to stop for a photo
Toby suggested I get a video of them dancing in the wind, and Bob turned it into a GIF! He's so clever!