We woke up early today to go to the base of Ayer’s rock for a short hike before heading to Melbourne for the final leg of our trip.  Every time we approach Uluru, we are still awestruck by how massive it is looming in the horizon.  Up close at the base, the rock rises up like a red mountain.  Surprisingly, there is a lot of green vegetation around for what is referred to as a desert.  Walking the path along the base of the rock, we learned about the history of the Aboriginal tribes that used to live in this area. Uluru was their sacred site, their livelihood and their shelter.