Uluru in a Field of Light That eternal ancient rock in the middle of Australia seems to rise from a sea of ephemeral, ever-changing lights.
When I was a child, one of my favourite Christmas activities was to get into the car at night, wrapped up in blankets against the cold, and drive out to the more affluent suburbs and gaze in wonder at the elaborate displays of festive lights. These lights were especially magical against the winter snows.
It was customary – almost obligatory – that every house be decorated from mid-November through early January, and it was only the lazy householder who didn’t take the lights down and store them carefully between seasons! Those were the days before LED lighting: every string could be rendered dark by a single blown bulb, and every bulb was expensive. At our house, a single strand followed the roof gutters of our bungalow, but in the “rich end” of town, neighbours competed for the best displays – the most spectacular of which made it into the local newspapers. Some of the lights even blinked on and off in unison! Santa Clauses and lawn snowmen were not uncommon, and I even recall the occasional manger scenes, complete with live donkeys.
These days, with LED faerie lights and solar power, garden lighting is not necessarily reserved for Christmas – but it was those nights with my nose pressed to a cold, foggy car window that I though of as I watched more than 50,000 coloured lights slowly come to life in a large field near Uluru, the geographical middle and spiritual heart of Australia.
Even without the lights, that distinctive 500 million year-old monolith, rising up out of the flat plains in the Northern Territory’s Red Centre, was enough to make the hairs on my neck stand up. It was exactly that incredible feeling of energy surrounding this sacred rock that inspired the English/Australian artist Bruce Munro with the idea for the ambitious Field of Light immersive installation. First opened to the public on April 1, 2016, the network of frosted glass bulbs and the optical fibres radiating from them, covers an area “the size of nine football fields” – or four, depending on whom you read, or your code of football I guess.
Although the installation was meant to be temporary, after critical acclaim and popular response, it has been extended more than once: it is currently slated to close on 31 December 2021 – but who knows?
Jetstar A320 on the Tarmac It is a big country: the flight from Sydney to Yulara takes three and a half hours. In a year of fires, floods, and Covid-19 lock-down, it felt exciting to be going anywhere! (iPhone6)
Uluru from the Transfer Bus The short bus ride from the Connellan Airport to the Ayers Rock Resort complex takes 8 1/2 minutes “except in rush hour” the driver told us. I was so overwhelmed by my first sighting of the rock that I almost cried! (iPhone6)
Sunset over the Rock Later in the evening, we are welcomed to a viewing area with Indigenous-inspired bush-tucker canapés and sparkling wine. Those spindly-looking trees amongst the spinifex grass humps are desert oaks (allocasuarina decaisneana).
Evening at the Rock I had packed my tripod just for this: sunset over the rock, with the unlit globes white, like tiny mushrooms in the foreground.
Last Light over Uluru The colours of the landscape change from one minute to the next.
Watching the Rock Even with soft chatter, there is a feeling of quiet as the sun goes down. It is windy – and colder than I expected.
Lights coming On As the ambient light recedes, the bulbs in the field come to life.
Field of Light Munro calls this exhibition Tili Wiru Tjuta Nyakutjaku, which means ‘looking at lots of beautiful lights’ in the local Pitjantjatjara language.
In the Field Soon, Uluru disappears completely, and we follow guide lighting down to the installation itself.
Light the Way The paths are clearly marked and easy to follow, …
Guide Light … and the guide lamps are beautiful in their own right.
Lights in the Field Watching the undulating waves of colour change across the field …
The Blues … is just mesmerising.
Arteries of Light
Leading Lights The network of optical fibre connections seem to pulsate as the changing colours flow through them.
[…] the area, so I booked myself into a range of activities (see: A Camel Ride into the Red Centre and The Field of Light). On my second morning, I got up pre-dawn to join the SEIT Kata Tjuta tour, which includes a […]ReplyCancel
[…] the day of my arrival, I wandered through the Field of Lights. The next day, I explored the resort, taking in a talk on bush tucker and other activities (Watch […]ReplyCancel
[…] package included the mesmerising Field of Lights installation, making for a magical introduction to Uluru on arrival. I decided to save my separate […]ReplyCancel
In the Tree Tops Singapore Zoo is as renowned for its orangutans as it is for its rainforest jungle environment and ‘open concept’ design.
I love a good zoo – and Singapore Zoo is one of the best.
I know there are ethical concerns around keeping animals in captivity, and I’ve talked about these before (see: A Tale of Two Tarongas). Singapore Zoo ticks all the positive boxes: it actively works towards wildlife protection and conservation of biodiversity, it focuses on actual and virtual education projects, it has adopted sustainable consumption practices, and it prides itself on world-class animal care and welfare.
Originally called the Singapore Zoological Gardens or Mandai Zoo, Singapore Zoo is particularly beautiful. First opened in 1973, it benefited from modern planning and a substantial original grant from the Government of Singapore. It is set into 28 hectares of lush rainforest, and features naturalistic, ‘open’ exhibits. The barriers – often featuring moats and glass – between the animals and visitors are designed to be unobtrusive. It is like being in a giant aviary: lemurs wander freely, and orangutans and gibbons swing high above the ground from tree to tree and through overhanging wines and ropes, while the visitors watch from below.
We were there to have breakfast with the orangutans. This was the second time I’d visited the zoo and had arrived early for what they call: Jungle Breakfast with Wildlife. The first time we went, several years before, the orangutans were having a month off as part of their animal welfare program, so we missed meeting them. In the intervening years, we had actually visited a colony of semi-wild orangutans in Gunung Leuser National Park, North Sumatra (see: Meet the Locals). But, I was still eager to check out the zoo again – and you have to breakfast somewhere, right?
Modern zoos try to approximate natural habitats, and to help animals simulate instinctive behaviours they would use in the wild. This is most obvious at feeding times. As much as we were able, after we (and the orangutans) had breakfasted, we followed the keeper-talk and animal-feeding times around the zoo. This made the animals more interesting and entertaining to watch. I also loved the unique glass enclosures – especially when combined with water – and the way they added an added dimension to photographic challenges.
I walked around the zoo with the dual goals of enjoying the animals in their pseudo-natural environments, and of making pictures that I thought interesting or artistic. I ended up with so many photos, that I’ve split the file in two.
Do join me for part one:
Mother and Child in the Tree Tops From the minute you enter the park, you can spot animals free-ranging through the tree tops.
Orangutan in the Trees The orangutans know it is breakfast time, and they make their way into the feeding platform.
Eye Contact It is so easy to feel a connection with these beautiful, gentle creatures.
Orangutangs Watching them interact with each other is lovely.
Focus on the Hand
Orangutan Eating
Those Expressions!
Young Sumatran Orangutan It is anthropomorphising, but those long gangly arms and expressive hands give the animals an insouciant look.
Picking Seeds They have such manual dexterity. I loved watching their concentration as they cracked their sunflower seeds.
Almost Abstract: Polar Bear Swimming Our first stop after breakfast was at the Frozen Tundra – which I found stunningly beautiful.
Polar Bear in a Waterfall The glass barrier allows a wonderful split view of the enclosure, …
Around the Polar Pool … and elevated platforms allow you to look down over the icy pool.
Mickey Mouse Plant – Ochna Serrulata Back out in the heat of the tropics, colourful plants are all around …
Yellow-Cheeked Gibbon – Nomascus Gabriellae … and monkeys swing in the trees overhead.
Babirusa Under the tree-top gibbons, a wildly improbable-looking male babirusa, also called a deer-pig or pig-deer, shows off his crazy tusks. Listed as threatened, they are native to nearby Indonesian islands.
Oriental Small-Clawed Otter – Amblonyx Cinerea These were my favourites! The smallest member of the otter family, the Asian small-clawed otter is a feisty little thing with sharp teeth and partially webbed feet. I spent ages watching their antics.
Oriental Small-Clawed Otters – Amblonyx Cinerea Native to South and Southeast Asia, they live in extended family groups.
Otter Enclosure The otter complex gives the animals plenty of varied terrain for running and swimming. I thought the glass and the water made for interesting reflections and layers.
Almost Abstract: Water and Glass The otters are almost invisible as they whizz around their waters. (ISO800 21mm f/2.8 1/30sec)
Feeding Time In the wild, Asian small-clawed otters live in mangrove swamps and wetlands, and feed on on molluscs, crabs and other small aquatic animals.
Pole Dance To keep their minds engaged, the zoo animals have to prise their food out of a bamboo pipe.
Whiskers They seem to be helping each other as they extract their breakfast from the tube.
One and Half Turtles All around the zoo, I found myself fascinated by the split images created by water and glass.
Hippo Dreaming Distorted reflections put people in with the animals they have come to see.
Feeding the Black Howler Monkeys Monkeys are always a joy to watch – and they were clearly eager for their fruit.
Black Howler Monkey I couldn’t resist a few portraits! Howler monkeys have been called the loudest animals on earth. The males are only ever quiet when sleeping, or like this one, distracted by food.
Bliss! A female black howler monkey enjoys her watermelon.
Patas Monkey – Erythrocebus Patas
Douc Langur The wonderfully colourful grey-shanked douc langur is critically endangered in its native Vietnam.
Keeper Anne The animal talks were engaging and informative.
Javan Langur
Javan Langur
It was Chinese New Year when we visited, and it was the Year of the Monkey – so it seems only apt that I end this set here, with some of the gentle and intelligent faces in the Primate Kingdom exhibit.
How lucky it is for us that these animals have such a beautiful space, where they are protected against the incursions of the modern world against their wild habitats, and still accessible to us.
[…] I have visited the zoo twice; the first time was back in the days of film, and when I was not yet used to the tropics. Aside from the fact that I was introduced to a python instead of an orangutan at the Jungle Breakfast with Wildlife, I don’t remember much about it. For my second visit, years later, I made sure the orangutans would be in attendance before I booked our breakfast tickets (see: Hands, Teeth, and Almost Abstract). […]ReplyCancel
Sunset on the Nile The Middle East is the birthplace of the major Abrahamic religions, and it is no surprise that symbols important in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam abound. Our Nile riverboat featured a hamsa or khamsah: a hand with the fingers spread apart to ward off evil; with a star and crescent, representing Islam, off the thumb; and crowned by the word “Allah” in Arabic.
You could be nowhere else…
The songs of Imams on the hot, heavily scented air, are calling you to prayer. The hawkers and beggars lining the streets are noisily entreating you into the bustling markets. The tourist boats rafted on the river are enjoining you to travel back to colonial times …
A Nile riverboat, chugging upstream from Luxor to Aswan in Egypt, was my home for four nights. As I sat on the upper deck with a late afternoon G&T, watching the sun go down over the palm trees and settlements along the banks, I felt transported into another era. I only needed a pith helmet or a long cigarette holder to take my place as an extra in an Agatha Christie story. There is something vaguely disorienting about being in a place that is at once so foreign, and – thanks to movies and books – so familiar.
After a morning spent exploring Karnak Temple (see: In Worship of Ancient Gods), I had just enough time to wander some of the market streets in Luxor before our boat set sail. I’ve said it before: I love markets. They give the visitor a glimpse into the real, everyday-world of a place.
Photographically, markets are always difficult in terms of their lack of light and space, but that is part of the challenge and the fun! What always surprises me is people’s willingness to have a cheerful exchange with someone who doesn’t speak their language, and to have their pictures made for no reward other than a smile and a shukraan lak.
The Nile River has a mythology all its own. Nicknamed “the father of African rivers,” it is held to be responsible for the development of Egyptian civilisation. Herodotus (c. 484 – 425/413 BCE), who is called the father of history, wrote that “Egypt was the gift of the Nile”. Every year the river would flood, overflowing its banks and depositing new layers of nutrient-rich silt. This made the lands either side of the river very fertile, allowing the Ancient Egyptians to become rich from their agriculture. They paid tribute to Hapi, the God of the annual floods, and their calendar followed the river’s three seasons: Akhet (June-September), the flood season, Peret (October-February), the growing season, and Shemu (March-May), the harvest season.
Join me on a 30 million-year-old waterway, where time loses meaning.
Fruit Seller In spite of the heat, the crowded spaces, and the noise, most of what I see in Luxor is fresh and clean.
“The Best Bread” There is nothing like freshly baked loaves, hot out of an oven! It smelled as good as it tasted.
Live Birds Stuffed pigeon is a delicacy in Egypt; the birds are specially bred for market.
Woman in Black The vendors are smiling and welcoming – even though they know I’m not likely to buy anything.
Market Corner From fruit to fresh fish: all manner of foods are on display on the streets.
Fish Sales Of course, chatting and bargaining is a big part of the social heart of any market.
Persimmons
Man in the Laneway
Fabric Store Shopkeepers It is dark in the narrow streets and crowded shops – but nothing could dim the light of these two delightful young men. (iPhone6)
Portrait of an Egyptian Shopkeeper
Women’s Clothing All the sales-people seem to be men – even the attendant at this tightly packed women’s clothing store! Note the colourful bras hanging on display.
Women in Black Abayas There are plenty of women shopping, however, and they leave the market with loads piled on their heads.
Bridge over the Nile As our riverboat pulls out, we get a nice view of Luxor Bridge and its decorated pylons. (iPhone6)
On the Nile Simple brick housing complexes and palm trees slide past as we make our way south, up-river.
Riverboats on the Nile The river is full of ships – some adding greatly to the haze and pollution in the air. We are all heading the 53 kilometres (about 33 miles) up-river to Esna. There we will all have to wait – possibly for hours – for our turn through the locks. It is still shoulder season, and tour operators say they haven’t fully recovered from the aftermath of the Arab Spring. This leads me to wonder how busy and polluted this area must be in a good high season!
Twilight on the Nile The afternoon draws to a close and the riverboats continue.
Upper Deck of a Riverboat Our boat is time-worn and comfortably shabby around the edges, but sunset bathes the upper deck, disguising the badly-laid artificial grass that passes for carpet.
Sunset on the Palms As our boat slips into night, we are called down to dinner, where we are served by liveried staff. Once again, I feel as if I’m living in a dream or an old movie.
Being on the water has that soporific effect – especially on a timeless river like the Nile.
Lucky, really, as it was well after dark when we reached the Esna Locks and we did wait several hours before making our way through.
[…] started my day at Edfu, after sailing up from Luxor the day before (see: Luxor Bazaar and the Mighty Nile). We’d spent the day chugging up-river, watching the banks with their rich farming lands and […]ReplyCancel
Transplanted Beauties A paper kite butterfly (Idea leuconoe), native of Southeast Asia, sits on a lantana (Verbenaceae), native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa. Neither are indigenous to Herefordshire – but they are quite at home in the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo.
One of the many things that this year has highlighted is how mobile we have become. I have immediate family on three continents, and I’m used to seeing them regularly. Covid-19 border-closures and travel-bans put an end to my plans this year!
For the most part, I’ve coped, and I have it a lot easier than many people. But with all the recent talk out of the US about Thanksgiving and family feasts, and with Christmas around the corner, I’ve been feeling more lonely and isolated.
So, it was with real joy that I found an old, forgotten file of photos from a day out in Herefordshire, England, with family I haven’t been able to see in person for far too long.
I made a number of journeys to Hereford, in the West Midlands of England, during the years that my daughter lived there (see: Hereford). This particular trip was with my husband, since departed, to spend time with my daughter, her husband and my granddaughter, who was at that time just over a year old. In the intervening years, my granddaughter has gained a brother, and has grown up beyond recognition: small people change so quickly!
Naturally, day trips with a toddler need to be close by and child-friendly. An afternoon surrounded by colourful butterflies from around the world at the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo, some problem-solving at the the adjoining “aMazing Hedge Puzzle”, and ice creams along the River Wye, fit the bill beautifully. These attractions were conceived of and built by brothers Lindsay and Edward Heyes who still manage the complex. In the UK, a “zoo” is defined as any establishment where animals of any wild species – including insects – are exhibited to the public. The Zoo Licensing Act 1981 requires that if animals are to be kept in enclosures, their environment must allow them to behave in as normal a manner as possible.
Consequently, most of the butterflies at the zoo are free-flying in a warm and humid space, lush with greenery.
Pastorale – Symonds Yat West This is how I picture England: old brick and stone manor houses, and bucolic sheep in the fields. (iPhone5)
Reading the Labels There is easy-to access information all around the different enclosure areas.
Caterpillars Every stage of the life-cycle is illustrated.
Butterfly at Rest Unfortunately, if I made notes at the time, I have long since lost them!
Blue Morpho Peleides I spent a lot of time hunting the internet before realising that these are the same species: the ventral wing surface – the underside – of the adult butterfly has beautiful eyespots, but none of that gorgeous blue seen on the upper.
“Catch me if you Can!”
In the Lantana
Blue and Black
Wonder and a Handful of Rocks The butterflies are quick enough to be at no risk from a curious toddler.
Emerald Swallowtail – Papilio Palinurus These are native to Southeast Asia, but popular in butterfly houses around the world.
Dad and Daughter Trays of food attract butterflies to accessible observation spots.
Rice-Paper Butterfly The paper kite butterflies (Idea leuconoe) are never still.
Stones Our toddler was as fascinated by the rocks on the pathways as she was by the butterflies.
Wonder Watching young children examine the world is always a wonderful experience.
Small Red, Black and White Butterfly I never did succeed in identifying this pretty little thing.
Malachite Butterfly – Siproeta Stelenes The pretty malachite, named for the bright green mineral malachite, is one of the most common butterfly species in Central and northern South America.
Eye-to-Eye
One of the Heyes Brothers Also operated by brothers Lindsay and Edward Heyes, the aMazing Hedge Puzzle is a short walk away. I don’t know which of the brothers this is, but he proudly shows us his maze lapel pin as he welcomes us.
The Jubilee Maze The brothers planted over a kilometre of hedges in 1977 to form this traditional hedge maze with a charming temple at the centre.
Walking along the Wye For a toddler, a walk along the the straighter paths beside the river separating England from Wales is just as engrossing as a maze.
In February 2020, Storm Dennis wreaked chaos across the Wye Valley. The river burst its banks at Symonds Yat and the Wye Valley Butterfly Zoo (amongst other places) was inundated with as much as two metres of water. Coronavirus-lockdown and restrictions hampered the necessary repairs to the zoo; the centre is unlikely to reopen before next year (BBC News).
Nothing stays the same …
But, even if we have to stay home, we can keep smiling.
Smoking Ganja on the Ganges Marijuana has been a part of the culture in India for thousands of years. It is not uncommon to see sadhus fixing a chillum (a conical clay pipe) full of cannabis or hash and tobacco.
“Respect all religions. Practice your own.”
So said a Swami visiting Australia many years ago in interview when asked if he wished to attract people to his Hindu faith. Proselytisation is an alien concept in Indian religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism.
Sectarianism violence has played – and still plays – a central role in the politics of the Indian subcontinent, as it does in the rest of the world. But, my experience on the ground has always been of people for whom religious expression is an integral part of their daily lives, and who are happy to share their rituals with me – and even give me blessings – without any expectation that I believe as they do.
This was certainly the case ten years ago when I was in the most holy Hindu city of Haridwar in Uttarakhand, North India, with photographers Gavin Gough and Matt Brandon to experience the Kumbh Mela.
A large proportion of the more than 10 million people who arrived in the ancient city of Haridwar to take part in the gathering were sadhus – those wandering ascetics seen all across India and the neighbouring countries. These men fascinate me: although the colour of their robes and the design of their tilaka (forehead markings) are meant to show which sect they belong to, I never saw two who looked the same! Indeed, researching the literature only reinforced my confusion about their many different traditions, customs, practices, and beliefs. According to one site (Facts and Details), there are around five million sadhus in the country, belonging to several thousand schools or sects.
On more than one occasion on that long-ago trip, I was offered a share of pipe by one of the sadhus. In most Indian states, possession of marijuana or hashish is a criminal act, and secular people caught indulging can be subject to harsh penalties. But sadhus – many of whom sit in a smoke haze all day – seem to be exempt.
Even more commonly (and possibly just as high-risk for a foreigner!), I was invited to share food that women were making at their camp sites. I’m always moved by how generous people can be with strangers – even when they seem to have so little themselves. I acceded to some of these offers and the food was always wonderful. Fortunately, I suffered no ill effects.
Come with me to the portable campsite in Haridwar and meet a few of the colourful Kumbh Mela pilgrims.
Corral The Bairaagi Campsite outside central Haridwar has an interesting crowd management system.
Sadhu with Japamala Garlands of prayer beads – usually 108 – are commonly used to keep count while reciting prayers or mantras.
“Namaste!” So many of the visiting holy men are quick to greet me.
Smiling Sadhus This was the eve of the holiest day of the kumbh mela: everyone was in a good mood.
Tin Cup The famous Naga sadhus, who are totally naked except for the ash they smear their bodies, were in a remote area of the camp, and I didn’t go looking for them. But, even in the central areas, there were some unique forms of dress.
Rapture This joyful sadhu with his beads, bells, and bone stick, was my favourite; …
Dancing Sadhu … he certainly lived up to the exhortation to dance like nobody is watching.
Reading Prayers Religious study, and philosophical discussion and debate, are a large part of the purpose behind the gathering.
Young Man at the Mela
Guru on a Stage Every colourful tent houses its own sect, and every sect has its own gurus, acolytes, and devotees.
Mixing Tilaka Outside the tents, groups of men are clustered, …
Applying Tilaka … helping each other get ready for the day.
Mixing Colours Tilaka is generally made by mixing freshly ground sandalwood, vermilion, turmeric, or ash with lime or water. The actual composition is prescribed by one’s purpose and religious sect.
Applying Tilaka Tilaka is generally applied with the ring finger to the forehead …
Sadhu Getting Painted … and on the arms, chest, neck, and back: all while reciting prayers or mantras.
Under a Sacred Fig Bodhi trees (ficus religiosa) are found all over Southeast Asia. Sacred in Hinduism and Buddhism, they provide local medicines – and shelter from the heat.
Lighting a Chillum
Concentration
Hindu Man
Many Hands Like an army, a religious festival marches on its stomach. But, making food for the masses is no chore when friends work together.
Cooking Panipuri In one popular street food, semolina pockets are stuffed with cooked potato, onion, and chutney. This version was cooked over a fire fuelled by dried dung.
Watching the Fire The women keep careful watch over the cooking food.
Hands making Food The balls come out of the fire too hot to handle!
Panipuri and Chilli
Bags of Herbs The women have brought their ingredients with them.
Cooked Tomatoes Freshly cooked tomatoes are peeled, before the herbs and spices are added to make a tangy sauce. The end result was wonderfully tasty!
Sadhu in a Niche There is a charismatic holy man in every nook and cranny –
Woman in Purple – and smiles are all around.
The mood over the whole festival grounds was euphoric.
Of course, part of that could have been the cannabis smoke wafting through the air.
[…] (Allahabad), Trimbak (Nashik), and Ujjain. It is a major pilgrimage festival in Hinduism (e.g.: Sadhus, Smoke and Street Food) that includes rituals, religious discussions, devotional singing, and traditional ceremonies. One […]ReplyCancel
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
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Nothing stays the same … 
[…] the area, so I booked myself into a range of activities (see: A Camel Ride into the Red Centre and The Field of Light). On my second morning, I got up pre-dawn to join the SEIT Kata Tjuta tour, which includes a […]
[…] the day of my arrival, I wandered through the Field of Lights. The next day, I explored the resort, taking in a talk on bush tucker and other activities (Watch […]
[…] package included the mesmerising Field of Lights installation, making for a magical introduction to Uluru on arrival. I decided to save my separate […]