LOOK UP
Insights from the world’s first astronomers
WORDS KATE ROBERTSON
LOOK UP
Insights from the world’s first astronomers
WORDS KATE ROBERTSON
Be captivated by the stars at Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park.
There is something spiritual and magical about viewing the night sky in outback or remote Australia. Away from the light pollution of towns and cities, you are treated to the sight of planets and stars that are normally hidden from view.
There is invariably a moment of awed silence before gasps of surprise and delight from visitors at the award-winning Sounds of Silence dinner at Ayers Rock Resort when the lights are turned off to enhance the night sky. But when the resort’s Star Talker begins explaining Aboriginal peoples’ sophisticated knowledge of astronomy, it quickly becomes clear there is so much more to glean from the blanket of stars than a pretty view.
Indigenous storytellers are at the heart of Voyages night-time Tali Wiru fine dining experience.
The guide shares that the stars, and the dark space between them, have always been vital to Indigenous peoples’ survival – including the Anangu from the Central and Western Desert – playing a key role as a holder of knowledge and culture. Constellations and stars are used to tell Tjukurpa (Creation stories) that teach important life lessons, warn against inappropriate behaviour and determine when to hold ceremonial events. The sky is used as a calendar of the seasons, with information on when certain plants are fruiting, as well as where and when to hunt, fish and where to find water.
Watching the sun set in Central Australia is a unique experience.
Kakadu National Park provides a great backdrop for a spot of star gazing.
Importantly, the night sky is also used as a map. This was essential when Indigenous peoples traversed vast distances across Australia for trade purposes with only land features and the stars to rely upon as navigational tools. The Seven Sisters story about the Pleiades constellation can be used to navigate between Australia’s east and west coast, a distance of more than 4,000 kilometres.
Variations of the Seven Sisters story have been passed down by different cultures globally.
Throughout the world, many cultures have told different, but similar, stories about the Pleiades constellation. In Australia, the story told is that of the Seven Sisters and, whilst some details vary between clans, the gist is that seven women are pursued by Orion, who follows them into the sky. Curiously, only six stars are visible to the naked eye. Often the seventh sister is explained away as hiding due to shyness or being ashamed. However, recent research by CSIRO astronomer Professor Ray Norris, has found a seventh star was clearly visible 100,000 years ago, potentially making the Seven Sisters the oldest story ever told.
Learn more about the Seven Sisters from Indigenous Astronomer Karlie Noon.
The Tali Wiru fine dining experience is heightened by stunning views of the night sky at Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park.
The discovery of a stone astronomical observatory, estimated to be 11,000 years old, has highlighted the incredible wealth and depth of Aboriginal peoples’ astronomical knowledge. Wurdi Youang, about 44 kilometres southwest of Melbourne/Narrm, is twice as old as Stonehenge, and is thought to have been able to accurately track the setting sun at the solstices and equinoxes to within a few degrees.
CLICK PLAY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WURDI YOUANG
Learn more about the stars with these adventures:
Start your Sounds of Silence experience with canapes and chilled sparkling wine.
Huddle around a warm campfire under a blanket of stars during Wula Gura's Didgeridoo Dreaming Night Tour.
Visit pristine, culturally significant Aboriginal rock art sites by day, sleep under the stars by night.
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