There are just 100 days before darkness descends on Ayers Rock and visitors from all over the world will be barred from scaling it, denying them the chance of experiencing a human cultural tradition that was established 30000 years ago during the last ice age.
The reasons for the ban do not stand up to scrutiny. They revolve around the actions of lazy bureaucrats sitting behind desks in Canberra remote from the Rock, claims of sacredness that go against the actions and views of the Traditional People and a false message about safety. In reality, the ban is all about petty politics and the corruption of power.
On July 20 1873 explorer William Gosse accompanied by his cameleer Kumran scaled the Rock and provided humanity with a first-hand account of the incredible experience. Ninety-six years later on the 20 July, 1969 Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo lunar module "Eagle" on the surface of the moon continuing the same tradition of human exploration of our natural universe. The human quest to know what lies beyond our current experience is part of our genetic makeup. It is a universal human quality.
Those climbing Ayers Rock continue this tradition of human inquiry, adventure and curiosity. Of pushing ourselves beyond the limits of our own experience in the quest for the profound. The experience of exhilaration, awe, wonder and the beauty of the desert landscape revealed by the summit walk are a tribute to those great explorers who went before us, and as we stand on the summit gazing at the vastness around us, we share that space with those giants.
This is what a few small-minded individuals would take away from all of humanity. The irrational ban represents a jackboot planted firmly on our collective desire to experience the wonders of the natural world on our own terms without the impost of narrow-minded views and idiotic regulations.
With 100 days left before ignorance descends, we encourage everyone who still has the heart of adventure beating in their chests to take that incredible journey up the western climbing spur of Ayers Rock in the spirit of exploration and human adventure set by the Apollo 11 astronauts, following in the footsteps of the Traditional People: Paddy Uluru, Tiger Tjalkalyirri and Mitjenkeri Mick to name a few; and the men who revealed the wonders of central Australia for all of us Sturt, Gosse, Giles the men of the Horn expedition and many others.
The reasons for the ban do not stand up to scrutiny. They revolve around the actions of lazy bureaucrats sitting behind desks in Canberra remote from the Rock, claims of sacredness that go against the actions and views of the Traditional People and a false message about safety. In reality, the ban is all about petty politics and the corruption of power.
On July 20 1873 explorer William Gosse accompanied by his cameleer Kumran scaled the Rock and provided humanity with a first-hand account of the incredible experience. Ninety-six years later on the 20 July, 1969 Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed the Apollo lunar module "Eagle" on the surface of the moon continuing the same tradition of human exploration of our natural universe. The human quest to know what lies beyond our current experience is part of our genetic makeup. It is a universal human quality.
Those climbing Ayers Rock continue this tradition of human inquiry, adventure and curiosity. Of pushing ourselves beyond the limits of our own experience in the quest for the profound. The experience of exhilaration, awe, wonder and the beauty of the desert landscape revealed by the summit walk are a tribute to those great explorers who went before us, and as we stand on the summit gazing at the vastness around us, we share that space with those giants.
This is what a few small-minded individuals would take away from all of humanity. The irrational ban represents a jackboot planted firmly on our collective desire to experience the wonders of the natural world on our own terms without the impost of narrow-minded views and idiotic regulations.
With 100 days left before ignorance descends, we encourage everyone who still has the heart of adventure beating in their chests to take that incredible journey up the western climbing spur of Ayers Rock in the spirit of exploration and human adventure set by the Apollo 11 astronauts, following in the footsteps of the Traditional People: Paddy Uluru, Tiger Tjalkalyirri and Mitjenkeri Mick to name a few; and the men who revealed the wonders of central Australia for all of us Sturt, Gosse, Giles the men of the Horn expedition and many others.
In the spirit of Apollo 11... let their legacy continue
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