Australia, May 15 – June 1

The Foundation Board Meeting took place in Sydney, which was also a good excuse to visit Mariebelle and Scott, who have lived here since 2007. I was based in Manly, which is a beautiful ferry ride over from the Opera House, which I got to see each day. Manly itself is a nice beach resort and I walked the path along the beach to the ferry on most days. On my first afternoon, I attended a talk on aboriginal art and culture at the Opera House with Mariebelle and we had dinner with the Harbor Bridge behind us after it.

First the business, I have been elected as the Chairman of the Kaura Foundation and my mandate is to develop our projects and partnerships in India and Africa. So, lots more traveling to do!:=) I also met local social entrepreneurs and gave them advice on starting up their own projects, as well as having a very interesting discussion with students at Sydney University – it is good to see this level of engagement during my time here.

Finally took a vacation!
Yes, you read right, I took some time off and relaxed in Sydney, flew to Melbourne for a visit (staying at the Windsor Hotel, one of the oldest Grand Hotels in the world) and took lunch at Saint Kilda just in time for the first day of their Film Festival. I then took a flight to Uluru (which is Ayres Rock to the rest of us) where I got to learn about aboriginal history and culture over 4 amazing days.

The highlights were taking a drive on a Harley Davidson 2 hours after landing to Ayres Rock itself and watching the sunset over it; and taking a private flight over the area on my last day. In between these two adventures, I got to learn about aboriginal customs and beliefs from locals. Uluru is one of the most the sacred grounds for aborigines and the rock itself is a place of worship and gatherings, which still take place today.

When planning my original trip, I had considered climbing Ayres Rock but after spending time with the aboriginal elders and being better informed that the area is sacred to their culture, they asked me not to climb it. Think about entering St Paul’s Cathedral or the Golden Temple and lighting a cigarette in it. While others did climb during my stay, I chose to respect the beliefs of my guests and did not.

I was greatly impressed how the native aborigines retain such a strong connection to their traditional beliefs and customs as the world around them has become so modern. It reminds me a lot of India in this respect. The cultural center that I visited is there not only to educate tourists, it is a base for the countries indigenous people to feel connected with their past and to be a part of its future. It was a privilege to be allowed into this world for a brief amount of time.

• australia
• uluru
• sydney