You don’t have to water rocks…This leads to an idea which may have some merit. Moreover, Sydney Airport is getting some new digs and deserves an extra shot of Australia. It is, after all, the most popular tourist destination, being home to an opera house known internationally as “the building that sets sail.”
The Ornamental Land
Not quite so well-known are the land forms that grace Australia’s landscape. Uluru, that sits on a monumental platform in Australia’s southern desert, turns out to be connected underground to another enormous sandstone formation—Kata Tjuta— 50 or so miles away.
Both formations have evolved from sea movement when it and the climate did several things to the center of the continent thousands of years ago. It’s way too complicated to include in a short article, with another agenda. If you want to investigate this link (Visit Uluru/Ayers Rock | Northern Territory, Australia) has the geological history, complete with information. Whilst Uluru is all of a piece, Kata Tjuta, seen here from satellite, is a series of shapes that arrange themselves first in a row then go maverick, as though the god in charge of land children couldn’t abide too much order.
Legend
The Kata Tjuta area is inhabited by Anangu, the original people, who’ve occupied the land for thousands of years, and kept up their end of the bargain by protecting these unique treasures as best they could with their presence…and their legends . Thirty-six domes thrust their way up out of the sandy soil to fascinate tourists who come to gape and guess about its growing up years—temped also to create a legend. It’s that kind of place.
It seems that the Anangu has a pet snake. Actually it’s a giant snake large enough to cuddle up with Kata Tjuta and make itself at home. “A number of legends surround the great snake. King Wanambi who is said to live on the summit of Mount Olga O (Kata Tjuta) and only comes down during the dry season.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kata_Tjuta. We were also told that Wanambi created the whistling wind that rustles through these rocks.
Watering Rocks
Just isn’t done in Australia, particularly now that there is less annual rainfall than was even anticipated. With a penchant for wanting to create a great landscape design in large public spaces, most designers would choose plants—no doubt those who require less water, but plants nonetheless.
To which we reply: NO WATER NEEDED!
Plants are beautiful; Wanambi gets attention
What better way to welcome tourists and visitors than with a replica that shows one of Australia’s leading tourist destinations? It’s Kata Tjuta, complete with Wanambi Anda whistling wind. A plaque to tell the story of the people and the legend stimulates tourist interest and of course provides a peak into Australia’s geophysical and anthropological history… an idea whose time has come.
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