Adventures in Australia

But by Chinese standards, it may lend itself to more fanciful interpretation as it consists of 36 domes and covers an area of 21.67 square km. There are all kinds of animal or human shapes you can conjure, depending on where you stand to view it.

There are trails that take you deep inside crevices of the domes. And, of course, the colors change with the sunlight just as with Uluru.

If you're wondering what happens if the giant rock is suddenly splintered and forms a gorge, you should take a walk into King's Canyon, a couple of hours away from the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Here some of the rock walls are still pale because the iron has not had enough time to oxidize.

On the Rim Walk, the initial climb up the 100-meter Heart Attack Hill and the middle descent into the Garden of Eden will send your heart palpitating with excitement.

At one point, there is a half-splintered rock at the edge of the gorge which brave souls may step on and jump to see if it will break apart. (The last time a big chunk broke was some 80 years ago, according to our guide.)

In my 12 days Down Under, I spotted exactly one kangaroo—on the bus to Alice Springs. It was hopping along a fence, alone.

But I twice tasted kangaroo meat. The first time it was probably overcooked, but the second time I would have mistaken it for beef. I still have qualms about eating one of Australia's cutest mascots, but locals seem to be OK with it as it has been the staple of the Aboriginals for millennia.

Speaking of Aboriginals, Australians are very proud of this heritage.