Well, my walkabout in Australia has come to an end.
My drive from Sydney to Canberra to Melbourne to Uluru to Alice Springs totaled about 3700 kilometers (roughly 2300 miles) which is like driving from L.A. to Detroit or New York to Phoenix.
One last thought before I put Australia behind me for now. Anthropologists have used clumsy English translations for Aborigine concepts like Dreamtime or The Dreaming. The time out of time, the everywhen, from which all creation has come. The indigenous peoples also speak of “songlines” which are paths across the land where creator-beings made sacred places during the Dreaming. (This is why climbing Uluru is considered sacrilege because the direction of its songline goes down, not up.)
I don’t pretend to understand any of this. But I wish I could. If I ever return to Australia, I hope I return ready with questions, with eyes open even wider.