A few years ago we travelled to Iceland and discovered an otherworldly landscape that mesmerized us. And it was here in the Northern Territory, deep in the heart of Australia, that we were once again overcome and captivated by this same sense of magic, and beauty. The most brilliant shades of colour, the widest skies of stars, and the opportunity to experience the space and stories of this Aboriginal land was truly a gift.

The desert still has plenty of scorching summer heat left in it, so 5:00 am alarm clocks were necessary to get up, have breakfast, go to a sunrise viewing area, and start our walks for the day so that we could try finish before the recommended 11:00 am time. We rested in the afternoons back at the resort, and then drove out again to the park in the evenings for the sunset viewing areas. On our final evening, Troy declared the sunset over both Uluru and Kata Tjuta as, "The best sunset I have ever seen." Bold! And probably true. The area is a photographer's dream, and you can see why it would be tempting to stay here for days just to see how the colours will paint themselves over the rocks and the sky at any point in the day.

As the land is considered sacred, the Aboriginal community ask that visitors do not climb Uluru. There is a book in the visitor's centre where you can add your name to declare that your experience did not involve climbing on the rock. A display outlined how some past visitors had taken pieces of rock or sand from the area, only to mail them back years later with regret, apologizing for choosing to remove what did not belong to them. There has been a lot of work done through the visitor's centre and cultural actitivites offered to try and educate people on how they can have a respectful, and enriching experience at the park. And since this has been one of the quietest, cleanest, rule-following attractions we have visited, it certainly seems to be working.