Tuesday, April 22, 2014

The Cambridge's In Uluru

     It was another bright and sunny Australian day as the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge headed to the Northern Territory to see the sight of Uluru, a large and world-renowned sandstone rock formation.


     Following a 3.5 hour flight from Canberra, the Royal couple arrived in the town of Yulara, where they were greeted on the tarmac by dignitaries which included the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, as well as two representatives of the indigenous Anangu people, Vincent Nipper and Daisy Walkabout (who guided Charles and Diana in the same area 31 years ago).

     From here, they drove to the National Indigenous Training Academy, which trains members of the indigenous communities to work in the hospitality and tourism industry in the hopes of getting many of the graduates (currently numbering around 100 per year) employed at the Ayer's Rock Resort.

The Duchess of Cambridge awarding a certificate to a graduate of the National Indigenous Training Program.

     William and Kate toured the facilities of the Training Academy, where they met many of the staff and students. At the Red Centre, the couple awarded graduates with certificates of their completion of the program, and received several gifts, including a spear for Prince William which was made from a Mulga tree.

     Later, there was a visit to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre to view a 'Welcome to Country' ceremony, as well as a display of indigenous art and an afternoon tea hosted by the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Adam Giles. Along the way, they met children from local schools, and discussed school, sports, and snakes!
      The Duke and Duchess also watched an Inma, a traditional song and dance performance, and thoroughly engaged with the local indigenous culture. Among other things, they viewed a piece of artwork made from wallaby droppings, which actually looked very good. More gifts were also received, with William receiving a carved wooden shield and Kate getting a necklace. Upon also receiving a gift of clapping sticks, the Duchess said that Prince George "loves anything that makes noise!"

     For some people, the noise problem may have come from the flies, whose presence was a bit irritating as the afternoon progressed. Within the press pack, there were some who were wearing thick nets over their faces to protect themselves from the local pests. However, the Duchess of Cambridge took all of the surrounding conditions in stride, with one person remarking that "she said that the red earth was stunning, that it was pretty hot, and the flies were pretty friendly."
      Finally, the couple were given a tour around a short section of the base of Uluru. The rock formation is also known as Ayer's Rock (in honor of Sir Henry Ayers, a Chief Secretary of South Australia) and is one of Australia's foremost landmarks. Geographically at the heart of the country, it rises 1,141.73 feet above the plain and more than 2,821.52 feet above sea level. Along with another rock formation in the area known as Kata Tjuta/Mount Olga, it is part of the Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park, which was established in 1958.

     Uluru is known for appearing to change color at different times of the day and year, most notably glows red at dawn and sunset. The symbolism used in Uluru's rock art is thought to date back at least 5,000 years, and there is deep spiritual meaning for the Aboriginal traditional owners, who offer guided tours to inform visitors about the local flora and fauna, bush foods, and the Aboriginal dreamtime stories of the area.
      In many ways, William and Kate made this portion of the visit about the people living here, who were happy to invite them to take part in their traditions and culture. Indeed, the future King and Queen of Australia appeared to have nothing by respect and appreciation for the native customs and people who predate the colonial period in Australia by thousands of years.
      At the end of their day, the Royal couple posed for the camera's against the powerful backdrop of Uluru during the sunset. What was intended to be an iconic moment turned awkward as the pair seemed to struggle being natural in face of the photographers, who themselves had difficulty in getting a good shot (within 90 seconds allotted) without their own shadows getting in the way. William seemed to make light of the contrived situation by joking to Kate: "So, what shall we talk about?"

      In the end, the press (and the world) got the iconic view of the pair in front of the landmark rock they were looking for, and William and Kate went off into the sunset.
      For this night, they were going "glampling", which is short for "glamorous camping." It refers to staying in a spacious canvas-topped tent or building with modern facilities such as electricity and actual beds. The one that the couple spent the night in is part of a glamping resort run by Longitude 131 in the dunes around the park for $1000 (£600) a night. This is the only night that they will be away from Prince George during the Australian leg of the tour. At sunrise, they are expected to have awesome views of Uluru when its red color is expected to be at its most iconic.

     Later today, the Cambridges's will fly to Adelaide in South Australia to visit the suburb of Elizabeth (named after the Queen in 1955). They will be observing the work of a music studio and workshop for young people known as Northern Sound System, and watch a skate-boarding display in the park just outside the studios. 

     Following this will be a reception at the Playford Civic Center by the Governor and Premier of South Australia, and the couple will then return to Canberra in the late afternoon.


Photo Credit: Screenshots from Reuters live stream and Twitter feed embeds.
Posted by at
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)