Australian Exit

What a beautiful exit from Australia...

The beauty of Australia's age was trumpeted, as I felt a deep connection to the land's ancient energy and vast beauty. Bangarra dance company, a modern Aboriginal dance troupe, teamed up with the Australian Ballet to provide a farewell treat the night before departure, a reminder to the gathering of cultures which makes Australia wonderful, the sound of the didge reverberating throughout.

The flight took me over the Murray, for the second time in as many months, again struck by the wayward wandering of this mighty drainage system that forms our state border and has influenced the lives of countless numbers of people.
As I flew over Australia, chasing the sun's gradually lengthening shadows, the relief of the land sprung to, and desert features leapt up in abundance. Numerous rocky outcrops presented themselves, all seemingly impressive from the air and each enticing me to visit, and as I observed the vastness of the Australian continent, I was showered in its beauty. All of the formations seemed to be aligned, giving the impression that prevailing winds had caused ripples in the earth's surface in much the same way undulations form in sand. Eternally empty riverways left their mark, drainage basins apparent and hidden force demonstrated by the manner in which they sliced through the rock formations outcrops. They too somehow all seemed to head inland, no doubt evaporating in the desert heat long before they reached the fabled inland sea, leaving in their place vast salt lakes,which somehow the ever-present scrub did not seem to mind.

Then the aeroplane involuntarily rolled to the left as the captain made an announcement that we were passing over Uluru, and passengers flew to the windows quicker than on an emergency exit. Forehead pressed to the window, I gasped in the extraordinary beauty of our magnificent monolith, and felt touched by the sacred energy of Australia's heart, a blessing and omen on the start of this journey to witness heavenly beauty in its most awe-strikingly sublime form.

In Istanbul, safe and sound, excited and energised.
Warwick.

All images on Flickr Beautiful World