When we were young my parents flew a small aircraft around the Australian outback. These were the days where you could land next to Uluru and crawl all over it allowing you to experience its awesome spiritual power. Another sacred site we clambered all over was Kings Canyon. The worlds largest monolith and one its most ancient canyons were formed at the same time the first life forms developed on earth - around 600 million years ago.
Kings Canyon, covered with a plethora of fossil imprints was one of the most emotionally powerful places we'd ever encountered. This ancient canyon reminded us how insignificant we are in the big scheme of things (although 35 years on we have the power to destroy it all - after a five year fight in June this year the traditional owners learnt the mining threat, including fracking had finally been nullified).
While exploring Kings Canyon we came across this watering hole spending a significant part of the day enjoying its cool waters. As Watarrka National Park, where Kings Canyon sits, has been given back to its traditional owners you can no longer swim in it. It's now identified as a sacred men's site. We felt slightly heartbroken we couldn't share the same experience of swimming in it with our children. Much of what we accessed all those years ago is no longer open to us in the way it was. It gave us the slightest insight into what it must have been like to to torn from your land unable to share it's beauty and spirit with younger generations.
Rock hole found in the Garden of Eden, Kings Canyon, Australia
Kings Canyon walls above the Garden of Eden.