7th of October, 2020
The clouds effortlessly sit among one another, spanning as far as my eye can see. The expansive wispy beings stretch out, connecting to each other as they inhabit the infinitely bright, blue sky. As the clouds mingle, rippling towards the horizon line, the shrubs and grasses lay in wait. They sway in the breeze of anticipation for a society of clouds to part ways and allow for the sun to look upon its earth. The earth, sandy and rough, splattered in patches of blue greys and subdued, dusty greens from the trees and bushes. The vegetation resembling a jigsaw puzzle strewn on the coffee table, pieces spaced out to reveal the deep oranges, ochres and browns of the soils underfoot.
This vast and mottled country is sliced apart by a flat black bitumen road. The road isn’t mottled or rippling, although it is vast. For the hundreds of thousands of travellers such as I to traverse this land the best way we know how. No shrub or grass shows any interest in competing with this human path, not even the red earth can face the road. The bellowing clouds glance at humanity’s addition to the landscape and marvel at their greatness in comparison — they gave it their best shot. These sky giants are more entertained by the ranges in the distance that the road could only dream of observing. The road divides as the ranges build; lifting that spindly trees and shrubs closer to the cloudy corroboree fast approaching.
From a distance, the ranges are darkened from the shadows of which the cloud’s soiree is casting. Patches of the hills are illuminated as the sky giants sweep about their domain, revealing more mottled flora. The landscape flows, contours pressed and dragged into the earth as if the most talented sculptress used her thumbs to mould her globe shaped canvas. From the most aesthetic of perspectives, the land is thoroughly perfect while containing an abundance of imperfections.
Movement from the creatures living on these dry and arid lands may not always be on show, I know there is more than enough commotion atop the gravely sands. Eagles occupy the skies, occasionally checking in with the cloud society, though their domain is to scan the movement down below. Small mammals scuttle along the sands as they search for the next drop of water or some speckled shade. The hunting grounds are everywhere as the mice and other creatures lay unaware of the avian threats overhead. The reptilian community seems unfazed and more interested in an afternoon snack and a warm rock.
As I approach Yulara, Uluru slides into the backdrop, of a now increasingly barren and dusty landscape. The rock immediately declares an air of authority over the kilometres of inconsequential vegetation in comparison below. The monument is washed in a pastel blue from the skies, which fail to diminish its brightness and grandeur. Hugged by this empty cloudless sky, Uluru stands tall and proud. A centrepiece of the land, soft and sophisticated in ways and massively overbearing in others. The rock slopes elegantly into the flattened earth, I think about the clefts and cracks, as if passing giants had some use for this great stone and took some home. These jagged hollows cast deep black shadow.
Walking the base of Uluru is like walking in a world where time doesn’t exist. The rock bears down on you, it feels as if an earthquake-triggered tsunami wave has been frozen, and then fossilised into this sun scorched monolith. Intricate details are swallowed by the size. Standing at the base of the wave, rough abstract shingles overlapping each other climb to the summit. Blackened areas show where the rain cascades down the slope during wet seasons. Contours in the rock are interrupted by various caves, speckled and pressed into the cliff face, some deeper than others. Together, these cave systems unite creating nuanced shapes, faces and patterns. At dusk the sun lowers leaving the rock to stamp out a huge area of the sky, still to be seen as clear as day.
And the clouds see it all, day by day, materialising in such an awe-inspiring part of the world. The clouds enjoy their equivalent of the best real estate money can buy, the deserted version of a harbour side view every Sydneysider wishes they had.
