Ayers Rock

Australian Explorer: The only way to truly experience Uluru (Ayers Rock) is to visit it. No picture can show the magnificence of the size and colours of the rock (348 metres high). Like the Olgas, Uluru is set within the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, and the same pass that you use for the Olgas covers Ayers Rock.

Uluru holds deep Aboriginal significance to the Anangu people, and many stories are told as you wander around the base. You can also learn about Ayers Rock at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Cultural Centre. Anangu Tours is also based here, and can take you on numerous tours around the base, although they do request that you respect their culture and do not climb the rock.

There are different walks that you can take around the base of Uluru. The first would be the long 9.4km walk around the whole of the base. The walk is worth it, although as with all of the walks you should start early in the morning before the sun has got too hot.

Around the base you will see numerous Aboriginal paintings, along with descriptive boards explaining about the paintings. Some areas of the rock are sacred and are clearly marked, so the Anangu people request that you do not take pictures or enter these areas.

If you do decide to climb Ayers Rock, then make sure that you have comfortable footwear and take lots of water. You should also aim to be down by 9am during the summer months as it is too hot to climb any later than this. (The Climb is also closed at 8am if the temperature is due to reach 36 degrees).

The walk takes about 3 hours in total, with breathtaking views of the Olgas and surrounding area. Just remember to take your time and step carefully. Several people have dies from climbing the rock, mainly due to heart attacks although some by falling down the steep rock. A chain helps you on the steepest section, although this stops nearly half way to the top.

The Small Guide to a Big Country: I reckon the only person who could be blasé about Uluru is the guy who runs the one-hour photo shop in Yulara. Every day he must see thousands of amateur shots of the rock, only stopping to wonder if it’s his chemicals or nature that’s making it change colour. This has to be the one spot in the country deserving a pilgrimage by all Australians, yet the majority of tourists are international. It’s more than an attraction and icon, it’s an experience. It is the largest monolith (single rock) on earth, standing 350 metres above the desert floor with a base perimeter of 9.4 kilometres. And that is just the third above ground.

It’s the spirituality, however, that makes it truly special. The Rock itself is not a sacred site to the local Anangu people, but many parts of it are. A guided tour of the base is highly recommended and far more rewarding than a climb to the top, ‘just because it’s there’. You will discover its raw beauty, striking colours and learn of its special place in Aboriginal legend. If there's a bit of wind you may also discover a few smashed cameras, sunglasses and hats that have dropped from above!

Uluru has a special place in the Anangu's stories of creation (Tjukurpa), These stories are related by local guides and in displays at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, along with audiovisual presentations of the history of the park and how it is managed. The centre also operates Maruka Arts and Crafts, an Aboriginal co-operative displaying and selling the works of more than 800 traditional artists from Central and Western Australia.

Kata Tjuta means ‘many heads’ in the Anangu language and is a spectacular group of 36 massive red rock outcrops separated by narrow valleys about 50 kilometres from Uluru. The domes surround Mount Olga, which rises more than 1000 metres above the desert floor and was named after a Spanish Queen.

Many visitors find The Olgas even more inspiring than Ayers Rock. There are walks ranging from an hour to five hours through the gorges and around the outcrops, though restrictions apply when temperatures over 36 degrees C are forecast. The Valley of the Winds tour is arguably the best.

Northern Territory Travel: Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is one of Australia's most identifiable icons. The large sandstone rock formation lies in the Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park approximately 350 km southwest from Alice Springs.

The Uluru / Ayers Rock site is considered sacred to the local Aborigines and its colour changes spectacularly with the setting sun, gradually turning to a deeper shade of red before fading into grey and blending into the night. The reverse can be witnessed as dawn approaches.

Uluru accommodation is located primarily in the Ayers Rock Resort complex in the township of Yulara. The hotels here range from luxury five-star resorts through to self-contained apartments, hotels, budget rooms and camping grounds.

Be sure to check out the various Uluru / Ayers Rock accommodation websites for any current deals or promotions. In most cases, you should also be able to check on room availability and make bookings online at these websites.

The Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park is one of eleven places in Australia included on the United Nations World Heritage list and a trip here is almost mandatory for any visitor to Australia and the Northern Territory.

Kata Tjuta itself is a large and impressive collection of rock domes known as The Olgas located about 30 km west of Uluru / Ayers Rock. Although not as famous as the rock, many visitors find them equally, if not more, breathtaking.

Travel NT: The Uluru-Kata Tjuta region is rich in indigenous culture and many options exist for travellers who want to learn about the area from an Aboriginal perspective - whether by visiting Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre, buying local art or joining a tour with a local Aboriginal guide.

The Anangu people are the custodians of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. They have a complex system of beliefs known as 'Tjukurpa' (pronounced 'chu-ka-pa') and for which there is no direct English translation that encompasses religion, law and the relationship between people, plants, animals and the landscape.

Anangu guides lead walking tours around the base of Uluru/Ayers Rock sharing stories, bush food and discussing the symbolism of various rock art. An indigenous guide is accompanied by an interpreter and these walks provide a rare insight into how the Anangu have lived, and continue to live, in this arid environment.

Make sure you begin any exploration of Uluru and Kata Tjuta at the Park's Cultural Centre, located about a kilometre from the Rock itself, where an informative introduction to Tjukurpa and other points of interest are covered in educational displays. The Cultural Centre also hosts art and craft demonstrations, bush tucker sessions, walks and cultural presentations.

Indigenous art produced in the region is distinctive, though styles and mediums vary. Carved woodwork and dot paintings are popular souvenirs, but there is an opportunity to invest in some original and truly unique pieces at galleries in the Cultural Centre and Ayers Rock Resort.

Kata Tjuta National Park: We, the traditional land owners of Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park, are direct descendants of the beings who created our lands during the Tjukurpa (Creation Time). We have always been here. It is our duty to look after the land, which includes passing on its history to our children and grandchildren. We call ourselves Anangu, and would like you to use that term for us. Some of us speak Yankunytjatjara and others speak Pitjantjatjara as first languages. We teach our language to our children.

Our land is a unique and beautiful place. This is recognised by its listing as a World Heritage Area for both its cultural and natural values. We would like all people with an interest in this place to learn about the land from those who have its knowledge. Please respect this knowledge and open your minds and hearts to our enduring culture.

You are welcome to visit Uluru to be inspired by the natural beauty, to enjoy it. We are greatly concerned about your safety while on our land, because we want you to return to your families to share the knowledge about our culture that you have gained.

Wikipedia: In October 1872 the explorer Ernest Giles was the first non-indigenous person to sight the rock formation. He saw it from a considerable distance, and was prevented by Lake Amadeus from approaching closer. He described it as "the remarkable pebble". On 19 July 1873, the surveyor William Gosse visited the rock and named it Ayers Rock in honour of the then Chief Secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers. Since then, both names have been used, although Ayers Rock was the most common name for many years, and remains the most familiar name to non-Australians.

In 1993, a dual naming policy was adopted that allowed official names that consist of both the traditional Aboriginal name and the English name. On 15 December 1993, Uluru was renamed Ayers Rock / Uluru and became the first officially dual named feature in the Northern Territory. The order of the dual names was officially reversed to Uluru / Ayers Rock on 6 November 2002 following a request from the Regional Tourism Association in Alice Springs.

Uluru is more than 318 m (986 ft) high, 8 km (5 miles) around with a hard exterior compared to most other large rock formations which has prevented formation of scree slopes, resulting in the unusual steep faces down to ground level.

Uluru is often referred to as a monolith, and for many years it was even listed in record books as the world's largest monolith. However that description is inaccurate, as it is part of a much larger underground rock formation[1] which includes Kata Tjuta (also known as The Olgas) and Mount Connor. The world's largest monolith is Mt Augustus in Western Australia, which is more than 2.5 times the size of Uluru - it stands 858 meters above the surrounding plain, 1105 meters above sea level and covers 47.95 km².

Uluru is notable for appearing to change colour as the different light strikes it at different times of the day and year, with sunset a particularly remarkable sight. The rock is made of sandstone infused with minerals like feldspar (Arkosic sandstone) that reflect the red light of sunrise and sunset, making it appear to glow. The rock gets its rust colour from oxidation. Rainfall is uncommon in the area around Uluru, but during wet periods, the rock acquires a silvery-gray color, with streaks of black algae on the areas serving as channels for water flow.

Kata Tjuta, also called Mount Olga or The Olgas, literally meaning 'many heads' owing to its peculiar formation, is another rock formation about 25 km from Uluru. Special viewing areas with road access and parking have been constructed to give tourists the best views of both sites at dawn and dusk.

On 26 October 1985, the Australian Government returned ownership of Uluru to the local Pitjantjatjara Aborigines, with one of the conditions being that the Anangu would lease it back to the National Parks and Wildlife for 99 years and that it would be jointly managed.

The Aboriginal community of Mutitjulu (pop. approx. 300) is near the western end of Uluru. From Uluru it is 17 km by road to the tourist town of Yulara (pop. 3,000), which is situated just outside of the National Park.