The other members of the team were peering out the side closer to them, looking at the sprawling Australian outback. The low-lying dunes that stretched to the horizon were an off-red color with an occasional sprinkling of rocks. It reminded Hawkins, though on a far larger scale, of west Texas, where water holes and places of civilization were few and far between. "We'll see the Olgas in a minute or two," the pilot announced in their headsets. "Once we get over them you can see the Rock straight out on the horizon." The seat bottom pushed up against Hawkins as the pilot increased altitude. A series of strange rock formations appeared ahead, like large isolated stones set on edge in the desert floor. "There's thirty-six of them," the pilot commented as the hodgepodge assortment of rocks drew close. The domes and pillars of the Olgas passed by quickly and then they had their first glimpse of Ayers Rock looming on the horizon. "It's beautiful," Hawkins heard Debra Levy whisper into her mike.
