We walk along the dusty track, the humidity suffocating our every step. Flies feast on bare skin, the sweat and dust are caked on our bodies. The huge brown monolith of Uluru towers above us, making us feel as small and insignificant as the bull ants that dance around our feet. The deep silence, broken only by the occasional bird song, reminds us of the spiritual aura of the site that we are traversing around.
The heat becomes more and more oppressive, marking our every step. Storm clouds gather overhead, dark and ominous, taunting us with relief that we can only dream of.
And then!
Cool drops begin to slide down the nape of our necks. Faces turn up toward the overhanging dark purple sky and the rain starts to peel away the sweat and dust. The scent of cool rain on the hot earth tantalises our nostrils. Hands are outstretched and faces’ wondrous as we welcome the rain with open arms, believing this is only mild a respite to the never-ending heat.
As the rain gets heavier and heavier, becoming a deluge, our faces are jubilant in the realisation that it isn’t the Gods teasing us from the humidity and the dust. Instead, this is a downpour, cleansing our faces and the dry earth that encompasses us.
The rain saturates everything in this harsh landscape. Our hair and clothes cling to our skin but spirits are high; nothing can dampen what lies before us. Faces are now reverential; the rock in all its spiritual splendour has turned black. Mist blankets its peak and silver rivulets snake their way down the uneven fissures. These quickly become torrential waterfalls, filling our ears with the most unlikely sound to be heard in the desert. Awed silence is now a cacophony of noise, striking deep into our hearts.
The once dusty track is now a turbid river with mud squelching between our toes. The flies are no more and everything is fresh, languishing in this rare inundation.
As quickly as it came, the rain abates, and all that is left are the dwindling waterfalls and dissipating mist. The land sparkles with renewed life and energy. But there is a memory imprinted forever in our minds. Silver cascading down a black rock, embedded in red earth and purple skies.
