Sounds of Silence Dinner

Driving across the many, many miles of Outback that lie between Australia's populated costal areas and Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock) would probably be an adventure. On the other hand, it might be long days of endless boredom interspersed with moments of terror.

Although there are a couple of paved roads that lead to Uluru from more populated areas, drivers must be prepared to encounter the monsters known as road trains. The typical tractor trailer is about 80 feet long, but in the Outback, multiple trailers can be attached to one truck. On public roads, these road trains can be as long as 175 feet. On private roads such as those built by mining companies, road trains can be even longer. It takes a really long time for them to stop after the driver applies the brakes, they create an enormous amount of wind turbulence, they are generally wider than the lane they are travelling in, and since they are not at all manuverable, a driver in a car would be wise to pull off onto the side of the road until they pass.

Dealing with normal sized-trucks outside Sydney was terrifying enough, and anyway our plan for this trip was to spend three weeks visiting several far flung sections of the country so we loaded our suitcases back into the rental SUV, gritted our teeth, and drove through the scary traffic to Sydney Airport where we boarded the 3-1/2 hour flight to Uluru.

We stayed at Ayers Rock Resort - a settlement just outside Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park which includes hotels, restaurants, shops, and art galleries. There is even a small theatre and a spa. The operation is run by the aboriginal people, but it seemed that many of the staff were foreign workers from other countries.

Like the rest of Australia, it was an incredibly friendly place. The workers always greeted us politely and enthusiastically. Cultural activities and presentations were included with the price of the room and a wide range of other activities such as camel and helicopter rides, 4 wheel drive tours, guided hikes and things of that nature were offered.

One of the first things that happens after landing at the airport is that a swarm of annoying flies attaches itself to you. At least, you think they are annoying and they certainly are, but at that point you have no appreciation of just how annoying they can be. Many people wear nets over their heads like this one offered by REI in an attempt to minimize the annoyance.

We planned to buy net hats at the resort if we needed them, but we didn't have time to hunt them down because it was already late afternoon when we checked in and we were booked to attend The Sounds of Silence Dinner that night. As our bus arrived at the sunset viewing platform, a car zipped around us and the bus driver informed us that the driver of the car was our didgeridoo player. We enjoyed his performance which was interrupted occasionally when he stopped to clear his mouth because he said he had swallowed too many flies.

The staff offered trays of exotic canapies like crocodile mousse and smoked kangaroo accompanied by all the sparkling wine and beer anyone could desire. We watched the sky change colors and listened to the wide range of sounds emanating from the didgeridoo. Uluru beckoned enticingly in the waning light. It was a lovely evening.

We walked down to the outdoor dining area as the sun was sinking below the horizon and the flies were finally dispersing. The rock formation in the distance is called Kata-Juta.

We were seated at a table with 10 Australians, and the gourmet meal was accompanied by lively discussions about travels, sports, and life in general. After dinner, there was an astrology presentation where we learned to identify the Southern Cross and other constellations. All in all, it was a most enjoyable evening.