Greencaviar Travel

I thought I would be happy just photographing the landscape: The large rock dome formations, the symmetrical desert oaks (kurkara) and grass that dot the red soil, and the play of light in the clouds. I had no intention of hiking under a 32-degree celsius desert heat, but the tour that we signed-up for included walking the Valley of the Winds in Kata-Tjuta. We were visiting Kata-Tjuta (also known as Mount Olgas) a group of large dome rock formations in the southern part of the Northern Territory in Central Australia. It is part of the Uluru Kata-Tjuta National Park, a world heritage site. After taking photos of the incredible landscape, we proceeded to the car park where we were to set off on our 2.8 kilometers walk or two-hour plus walk. (Just two hours and 2.8 kilometers, you say). This place would keep you on your toes and should never be underestimated. The undulating trail is uneven and consists of small hard rocks and pebbles. In addition, I had to contend with the p...

I’ve become obsessed with visiting Uluru since seeing the image of Oprah standing in front of it in awe. Oprah said, “It strikes awe in your soul when you see it." So I come to Uluru with great expectations. As the plane approached landing, we could see the iconic rock amidst a sprawling expanse of terracotta land, dotted by greens. The view itself was impressive, but not the awe-inspiring sight I have long imagined. I thought I would be disappointed when I saw a few white tourist buses in front of the Ayers Rock airport. A party town, I thought! We rode in one of those buses to take us to our campsite/resort. The mid-afternoon Northern Territory light was bright and scorching. Our bus continued on a two-lane road amid an expanse of terracotta earth between rows of symmetrical trees and grass. After checking into our campsite/resort, the busload of tourists seemed to be lost in the huge expanse of earth. I did not see them until the following day at a gathering place to se...

Taken at sunrise Uluru or Ayers Rock is a sacred mountain located in the Northern Territory of Australia. This iconic symbol of Australia is part of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, a protected area and a World Heritage site. I joined the many visitors that come to photograph this natural phenomenon at sunrise, sunset and in-between. Standing in front of the monolithic rock and taking a photo of its changing color at sunset and sunrise made me understand why the local Anangu people consider it a sacred place.  The rock undergoes dramatic color changes - to flaming red behind the sunrise, bluish and purple at mid-day and orange at sunset. Aside from photographing this natural beauty I walked the base which measures about 5 kilometers.  Both natural and cultural points of interest are well-marked. We see rock arts, carvings and paintings, cave used as a school room, kitchen.   We ended the walk at the watering hole.   Photography is not allowed at certain a...