Other travelers had told me about the strange force at work at Uluru, a mystical, magical power.

Who am I to argue?

On our first evening at the Ayers Rock Resort, we hiked a short distance to an observation platform to see “The Rock” at sunset.

Instead, we were treated to a fantastical light show, the likes of which I had never seen.

In front of us, Uluru turned shades of purple as the sun set to the west.

Behind us, a near full moon rose in the evening sky.

To our right, the sun dipped below the horizon while the clouds took on a magical form and color.

To our left, a distant lightening storm raged.

And how to explain this cloud, apparently lit from above, though the sun was below the horizon in the west?