Swimming with dragonflies, walking in light

One way we can tell we're in Australia is the size and quantity of the insects: there are ants in the bath, earwigs in the sink, a spider on the ceiling and various sizes of beetle along the skirting, as well as the 11 mossies I killed before bed last night (and we still all got bitten). And some of them are huge: on our way to the pool this morning (it was less hot today, so we braved an air-conditioning-less excursion), Jemima and I had to wait until a huge wasp/ bee thing flew away before we could walk on; and we were joined in the pool by the biggest dragonflies I've ever seen: blue and yellow striped bodies, scudding around us at high speed in either a mating dance or rivals fight, unafraid (one landed on Jemima's hat). We had a lovely time: Portugal hot, rather than desert hot, and a temperate pool rather than icy, we splashed and frolicked happily.

Then after a quiet afternoon, and an early dinner, it was our other big event: the Field of Light. This was an installation by UK artist Bruce Munroe, inspired by his trip here in 1992: a sprawling area the size of seven football fields at the base of the Rock, sprinkled with 50,000 glowing frosted glass balls on stalks at about knee height, bobbing in the wind and changing colour in waves. We were dropped off by the coach, walked down the lit pathways into the middle, and it was beautiful, and strangely moving: lights all around: ground level waving ones of blue/ green/ red; and sky level fixed ones of white, including galaxy clouds, with a huge yellow moon visibly rising on the horizon. (It was better being in it than seeing it from the higher ground viewpoint; there, the stars were more impressive than the lights, so many more than you ever see normally.) A wonderful sight, and I feel lucky to have seen it.

And that's it for our Ayers Rock experience. Out of the desert and into the humid tropics tomorrow.

 

The Firld of Light does not photograph well with (my) iPhone. Here is my best effort with the moon rising in the background:

To see a good photo, go to  https://www.ayersrockresort.com.au/events/detail/field-of-light-uluru

Or this is the brochure cover:

 

"That big rock"

This post was nearly titled, "Virgin Australia made Jemima cry". But in the end, sunset over Ayers Rock/ Uluru was better than Virgin Australia were awful.

To be fair, the first Virgin Australia issue was partly our fault: when we arrived at the airport this morning, we attempted to join the very short Priority Members queue rather than the ENORMOUS easyJet style normal queue - but it turned out we weren't important enough within their membership hierarchy (Red not Gold). So the lady rather peremptorily sent us to the back of the huge queue - rather than just check us in, grrr. 

Then, after a long, slow, inefficient wait, we got to the check-in desk, to be to told that our buggy had to be included within our one piece of luggage per person allowance, rather than be a free extra as it is everywhere else, or cost us $80 each way (£96 in total! Three times what it's worth!). Even though we could include it within our weight allowance. So we had to leave it at check in, with Jemima crying, "my buggy, my buggy!". (Apparently up to two years old, it would have been a free extra; beyond that you have to pay.) And they wouldn't let us take it as hand luggage. And the flight was half empty! RIDICULOUS. But to be honest, they were rubbish all round: grumpy staff, awful (paid for) food; no entertainment on board etc. Down with Virgin Australia. (We tried to inconvenience them as payback by being as late for the gate as possible - it was second final call when we rocked up and they were searching for our baggage in the hold. The lady was not happy.)

But after three hours of flying over Australia's apparently empty interior (longer than Christchurch to Sydney), and a time change of minus 1.5 hours (who knew half hours existed?), we arrived in Ayers Rock. And everything got very efficient - easy transfer, nice hotel, friendly staff. Then after lunch and a lie down, it was time to see the Rock.

We had decided an air conditioned coach to watch sunset was about all Jemima could manage (she really doesn't enjoy the strong heat, and it's nearly 40 degrees here, but feels hotter because there's no sea breeze). And then, as we drove, and glimpsed the enormous red monolith glowing in the afternoon sun on the horizon, it was another thrilling moment. (Less so for Jemima: "it's a bit boring looking at that big rock" - so I gave her Peppa on my phone instead.)

When we got there, we managed to find a bench in the shade, and watched the colours change as the sun went down: orange, to red, to brown. We were surrounded by hundreds of others doing the same, from all nationalities, so it wasn't quite the romantic, spiritual experience it could have been; but all the same, it was actual Ayers Rock; it was enormous, and the colours were beautiful. And the outback looked like you imagine it would look: that dark red grainy sand, huge blue sky, hot sun, scrubby plants, flies, and giant ants. Proper Australia! Then sun down, and show over, it was a coach home to bed.