We caught our first fleeting glimpse of Uluru through sand dunes from a distance of about 30 kilometers.  Even at this distance, the world’s largest monolith is an arresting site.

But here’s the thing about Uluru:  The closer you get, the more amazing it becomes.

People familiar with the geologic formation once known as Ayers Rock have seen iconic photos of an enormous, smooth, half-dome red rock rising from the desert.

But come closer and you soon see that Uluru is not smooth at all.  It is weathered, worn, pock-marked – a series of boulders with grooves, cracks and crevices that alternately catch and deflect the light.

Most amazing of all are the two water features found at the base of the rock, features that figure prominently in the Dreamtime Stories about Uluru.

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