Ayers Rock (Australia)

Ayers Rock (or Uluru to give it it's Aboriginal name) is a place that you are unlikely to go for an extended stay. It is a place where you will stop off at on your travels around Australia or, like us, a quick flight in and out with an overnight stay.

When you shut your eyes and think about Australia some people will visualize The Opera House, others will see The Great Barrier Reef but many will see the burnt orange glow of Uluru ...
...and cultural values. Uluru is Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta are known as The Olgas and about 30 kms West of Uluru and can be seen from Uluru. The rock rises around 1100 feet and can be seen for many miles and at first view is simply awe inspiring.

***where is it?***

Based in the Northern Territory of Australia, the nearest large town, Alice Springs is around 200 miles to the North East. If you imagine a map of Australia ... more

Ayers Rock (or Uluru to give it it's Aboriginal name) is a place that you are unlikely to go for an extended stay. It is a place where you will stop off at on your travels around Australia or, like us, a quick flight in and out with an overnight stay.

When you shut your eyes and think about Australia some people will visualize The Opera House, others will see The Great Barrier Reef but many will see the burnt orange glow of Uluru in all it's splendour and wonder what it is like in the flesh. Well, I can say that it is truly amazing.

***History***

The area surrounding the rock was first inhabited around 20000 years ago by the Anangu, the traditional owners and it was only discovered by white travelers in the 1870s. Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park covers 1260 sq km and was set up in 1958 but the Anangu only became involved in it's management in the late 1970s. In 1985 the Rock was returned to the Anangu by the Australian Government although one of the conditions was that the park be leased back to a governement body for 99 years for an annual rent and a share of park entrance fees which are then used for the upkeep. In 1987 it was made a World Heritage site and recognised for it's geological and cultural values. Uluru is Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta are known as The Olgas and about 30 kms West of Uluru and can be seen from Uluru. The rock rises around 1100 feet and can be seen for many miles and at first view is simply awe inspiring.

***where is it?***

Based in the Northern Territory of Australia, the nearest large town, Alice Springs is around 200 miles to the North East. If you imagine a map of Australia it is virtually slap bang in the middle. However, if you have never been to Australia before then this means it is in the middle of nowhere and if you are planning on going then you really need to plan it in advance. If you are visiting Australia from the UK then ask your travel agent about internal flights as it is common that free flights are thrown in (which we had). Other than that flights inside Australia are very expensive.

**where we stayed***

It is likely, unless you are simply driving through, that you will need to stay overnight. You are not able to camp within the National Park and the nearest town and airport is at Yulara around 15 miles away. This is also known as The Ayers Rock resort and is outside the National Park area. We flew from Sydney (around three hours flight) and you simply arrive in the middle of a desert (or The Red Centre as it is known).

We had booked on line to stay at the Sails in the Desert Hotel although had done little research other than to pick a hotel almost at random. Because the hotels and businesses in Yulara have a captive audience then they also have a monopoly and the first sign of this was the price of hotel rooms. Presently a twin room at the Sails is $230 AUS for a standard room which at Australian prices is very expensive indeed. That is £100 for a night in what proved to be a basic, expensive and very pretentious hotel. It soon became clear that the hotel was a mirror image of it's staff; obnoxious, arrogant, lazy and rude and I would urge anyone planning a visit to avoid this hotel at all costs and consider some other form of accommodation. There is also a huge camp site on the resort which is much cheaper.

When we booked the hotel room we also booked a tour that was due to leave an hour after we arrived. This is where the first problems with this hotel started. Whilst we had a receipt for the tour and a voucher that was emailed to us, by the hotel, they denied any booking and insisted there was a mistake. However, unlike anywhere else I have been in Australia they point blank refused to sort it out and just shrugged their shoulders. After remonstrating loudly we finally got a member of staff to arrange a tour for us immediately as we were leaving the following morning. Luckily places were available although we had to make our own way to the Cultural Centre (around 15 miles away) as their tour bus had already left. Luckily, there is the Uluru Express which is a shuttle bus which collects you from your hotel and drops you at the Cultural Centre in the National Park (bus costs $15 each).

***what we did***

We booked the "Kuniya Walk Tour" of Uluru with Anangu tours via the hotel website although this can be booked direct (www.anangutours.com.au). On the way to the Cultural Centre we then bought tickets of entry to the National Park which cost $16.50 each and last three days. You need one of these with you at all times as there are stiff penalties if you do not have one. The shuttle bus dropped us at the Cultural Centre where you are then picked up by your tour guide. We picked Kuniya as it was a very traditional tour with an Aboriginal guide. The tour guides were superb with a traditional Aborigine and an interpreter.

Ideally, a visitor would need to have a basic understanding of Tjukurpa (loosely translated as "Dreamtime") which is the Aborigine's religious heritage, myths, customs and laws and the Cultural Centre is an excellent source of information and it is recommended all visitors start here (free entry). The Aborigine's do not like Dreamtime as a translation as it implies that all the history is a dream when in their minds it is real.

It is a modern museum showing the history of Uluru and we were led round by a local family interpreting for us the Aboriginal art and explaining how they live and survive in the bush. They also showed us and explained what tools and weapons they use including how they are made and what they are used for and it was a fascinating insight into their lives.

The tour took around two hours in total and was a very serene experience. You really get to feel what Uluru means to the Aborigines and the respect they have for it is over-powering. From the Cultural Centre we were taken to the rock and on the way stopped for some bush-tucker. Thankfully, widgetty-grubs were not on the menu but the bush figs were in abundance. Everywhere we went the history was explained and you became more and more wrapped up in the history to be suddenly dragged down to earth by a reference to the current tourist problems. We visited Mutitjulu water hole which has a history greater than the USA, where the locals used to drink to be told they no longer go anywhere near it due to tourists who climb the rock, using the rock as a toilet and this then finds it way into the water holes.

Every cave painting, outcrop, crevice, fissure and water hole has a story which all leads back to the ancestors of the modern day residents. From a cave painting in ochre that is thousands of years old, depicting a girl reaching puberty, to the legend of the Kuniya Python Woman & Liru, the poisonous snake, who left ripples and marks on Uluru. It is totally fascinating and indeed remarkable that these legends are so ingrained in the Aborigine way of life. Every little thing is connected to legend in some way.

Tourists are also able to climb Uluru although this is discouraged by the Aborigines and a warning to this effect is printed on your National Park ticket. However, this can still be done. There has been a rope to help you up the steepest parts which has been there since the 70s. It is around an 800m climb which can take a couple of hours if you are not fit. The local people do not want you on the Rock as some paths cross ancient, sacred areas but also because they feel responsible for tourists whilst they are visiting Uluru and climbing it can be very dangerous.

There are certain areas where photography is not allowed although you are advised politely beforehand and there are lots of opportunities for pictures.

The tour is timed so that it comes to an end in time to get back on your tour bus and arrive at a look out point to watch the sunset and see the changing colours of Uluru. However, before then we had to try and find a lift back as we were in danger of being stranded in the middle of nowhere. The hotel, you see, had had the last say in our predicament with booking this trip. For some unknown reason they had only booked us a one way ticket on the bus. This was mean and nasty and could have been nothing more than deliberate. They would have known there was no way back and unfortunately the bus we came on (which was not our tour bus) was full. I had to go up and down the line and ask the driver's if they had any spare seats and thankfully one of them did without complaint (so he got a good tip!). Again, when we returned the hotel they didn't want to know and said we must have booked a one way ticket.

The look out point is about a mile or so away from the Rock and is a huge car park where several hundred vehicles seem to turn up at once out of nowhere. This is a fabulous photo opportunity and very serene. You could almost hear a pin drop as everyone is just mesmerised by the apparent colour change to the Rock as it goes from red to orange to dark brown as the sun slips lower and the shadow races across Uluru. It is just a magical experience and you can feel why the Aborigines worship Uluru.

***Conclusion***

I will never forget our trip to Uluru. It would be easy just to think of it as a huge boulder in the middle of a vast, open plain but it is more than that. To view the changing colours at dusk is to see it in all it's spiritual glory. This is not just a rock that you feel obliged to look at. It is a monolith that demands and receives respect from simply being in it's presence. It's as though it is alive. It is unique and nothing like it can be seen anywhere in the world. It certainly has character and a soul although the increasing number of tourists allowed to clamour up it do their best to rip the heart out of it. I wish the guardians would ban anyone going on the rock because I think everyone will be better off for it. It is a sacred place and should be seen from afar.

Given it's remoteness then it is not cheap to get to or to stay when you arrive but is well worth the money if you plan it as part of a trip, especially if you can get some free internal flights as part of your ticket.

If you are planning a trip to Australia then try and find time to visit Uluru. You will not be disappointed. Over 500,000 visitors a year come to stare (and climb) and the numbers are growing annually so don't miss out before it's too late. 

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