Uluru Adventure
Where did you say you were going?
Why would you visit there, isn’t it just a big rock?
These were the two most asked questions when I’d say I was going on a holiday to Uluru; I’d also have to clarify that when I said Uluru, I was meaning “Ayers Rock” (honestly, I was stunned how many people questioned what Uluru was and I’d have to say Ayers Rock as an explanation).
I don’t personally remember ever calling Uluru, “Ayers Rock” which may be because since 1993 the dual naming policy of Ayers Rock / Uluru was in place with the convention swapped around to given prominence to the name “Uluru” in 2002. Despite this the airport is still called “Ayers Rock” and the resort is also called “Ayers Rock Resort”; both were things I wasn’t expecting. Given the name “Uluru” is what I was familiar with I didn’t expect the actual place to still be using the outdated “Ayers Rock” however I do understand how costly re-branding is so for the most part I accepted this as the main reason, though I am still surprised that so many people were confused by me stating I was going to “Uluru”.
The Pitjantjatjara of the Anangu people, are the original inhabitants of the area and they have occupied the lands around Uluru for thousands of years. Though Kata Tjuta was first sighted in 1872 by European explorers it wasn’t until the following year, 1873 that Europeans first sighted Uluru when William Gosse named it Ayers Rock in honour of the Chief Secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers.
Kata Tjuta is located 25km from Uluru and consists of 36 domes that cover an area of 26.68km square. The highest point is 1,066m above sea level; around 198m taller than Uluru. Kata Tjuta and Uluru dominate the vast landscape of the region and form the basis for the local national park site.
There was limited interaction between Europeans and the indigenous population until the 1920s when an Aboriginal reserve was established. In the 1930s pastoralists began to move into the region to graze cattle and as food sources began to become a point of contention, conflict between the two groups increased. Many indigenous people were displaced and forced to go to missions or to work on the pastoralist’s properties.
The first steps towards tourism in the area came in 1948 when a dirt road was established making Uluru accessible and a decade later in 1958 it was decided that a national Park should be established. As early as 1959 motels were being erected and quickly tourism began to damage the sacred sites of the indigenous people and so a separate town was proclaimed in 1976 named Yulara. Two years later, in 1978, the Northern Territory (NT) was granted self-government (in 1863 NSW had granted the NT to South Australia and since 1911 it had been under Commonwealth control). After self-government was granted in 1978, the establishment of a community to support Uluru was a priority of the new administration.
In 1983 Ayers Rock Resort was opened with all the motels that had been opened within the national Park closing in 1984. Initially separate companies owned each hotel which led to operating losses and made the viability of the set-up untenable so in the early 1990s all operations were moved to the control of a single Government-owned operator. In 1997 the entire resort was sold to Voyages Hotels and Resorts whose parent company is the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation (ILSC), which is a government statutory body. ILSC sits under the authority of the Minister for Indigenous Australians which answers directly to the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. The CEO and Chief Operating Officer answer to a seven-member board of directors appointed by the Minister. The Chair and at least four members of the board must be indigenous.
Did you Climb Uluru? (Cannot believe people still ask this question!)
In 1964 a chain rope was added to Uluru to help tourists climb “the rock”, which would take individuals approximately an hour to complete the steep 800m hike. While climbing was discouraged (especially from 1990 onwards) and visitors were asked to respect that Uluru was a sacred indigenous site, it wasn’t until 2017 that a decision to ban climbing altogether was made. This ban came into effect from 26 October 2019 with the chain link rope removed from the rock face.
The turn against individuals climbing Uluru came at the same time that ownership of Uluru was returned to the local Pitjantjatjara people with the condition that it would be leased to the National Parks and Wildlife agency. Today, the site is jointly managed.
World Heritage Listing
Just two years after ownership was returned to the local indigenous community, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List for its natural attributes and geographical formation in 1987.
In 1994 the listing was updated to include the cultural significance of the site. Therefore, the site is one of very few UNESCO World Heritage listed places to have a dual listing for both natural and cultural significance.
Interestingly, back in 1977 Uluru was noted by UNESCO as a valuable example of a unique land ecosystem and thus listed as a Biosphere Reserve. The following year, 1978, it was entered into the National Estate register for sites with natural value for future generations.
In 1995 the national park was awarded a UNESCO Picasso Gold Medal for outstanding management and conservation of a world heritage site, which is a very worthy accomplishment.
Pictured below: We did the entire base walk and Uluru looks different from every angle! We did the walk in just on three hours but even in August it was very hot so I can only imagine how hot it gets at the height of summer! (Photos taken Tuesday 13 August 2024)
Field Of Light
Created by British artist Bruce Munro after he visited the site in 1992, he envisaged the installation as small seedlings found in the dessert after rain. Over 50,000 hand blown glass spheres “bloom” each night as part of the installation, calling guests to immerse themselves in the experience. The work was installed in 2016 and was initially only supposed to remain in place for a short time but due to the popularity of the piece it remains in place eight years later.
Pictured Below Field of Light on Monday 12 August 2024
Sunrise Journey
This was a highlight of our visit to Uluru, and I went into it not knowing what we were about to experience. I have since realised the reason we didn’t know what to expect was because it had only launched just days before we visited (the experience began operating on 1 August and we visited from 12 August)!
Created to celebrate Ayers Rock resorts 40th birthday, this light and sound experience known as “Sunrise Journeys” brings the artwork of several Anangu artists to life in the dessert landscape against the rising sun. The score that accompanies the light show was created by a local musician.
Selina Kulitja (Maruku Arts), Denise Brady (Kaltukatjara Art) and Valerie Brumby (Walkatjara Art); Local musician Jeremy Whiskey.
Pictured below Sunrise Journey Experience, Thursday 15 August 2024
Gallery of Central Australia (GOCA)
During our stay at the resort we walked past GOCA many times and planned to visit on our last morning. My desire to visit was enhanced after we experienced the Sunrise Journeys display that morning. The reason for this was that we were told the artwork that the experience was based upon, could be seen in the gallery.
I am not generally an art gallery go-er but I find Indigenous art much more fascinating than western art so I never doubted I’d visit GOCA at some point during my stay. I entered the gallery expecting it to be similar to many other small art gallery spaces, so I was surprised at how large it actually was.
The works on display were absolutely stunning and I really like how the gift shop incorporated small works so no matter what your budget you could support the local community and take home a piece of art. The gallery’s logo or custom artwork image (not sure what to call it) that can be seen throughout the GOCA advertising, the resort and on products in the gift shop was designed by local community member Kunmanara (Julie Taria) Brumby. The artwork features the circles and lines which represent the waterholes and rivers that travel to the resting place of the Anangu people while the dots in lines represent the desert vegetation. This symbolises the reliance of the Anangu people of their knowledge of where to find water which is passed on generation to generation (water very important to dessert-based people).
GOCA was launched in 2021 and at the time featured works from nine community art centres, today they include artists from 22 centres.
Speaking of gift shops, I really liked one located in the Town Square, which I think has hit the nail on the head by realising many people are unlikely to buy pieces of art, but they will purchase a practical household item that features a beautiful artwork. This is genius as it opens the work of indigenous artists to a wider audience and makes it accessible, which at a grass roots level makes pure sense. From dishware and coasters, to clothing and candles; there is something for most budgets and everyone can take home a beautiful memento of their trip to Uluru. One line of products is by “Outback Tails” which takes beautiful Indigenous artworks and makes them into usable items, in this case specifically these are pet items such as this gorgeous dog bed cover! Each design is accompanied by a QR code that takes you to the story behind the work as shared by the artist.
Kati Thanda - Lake Eyre
We flew directly from Sydney to Uluru and as I looked at our flightpath, I soon realised we’d be flying directly over Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre. I’ve never visited the lake before, so I was keen to catch a glimpse from the air. Located in far north South Australia, it is the lowest natural point on the Australian continent and should it fill completely it would be the largest lake in Australia. We were lucky to be flying on such a clear day so as we approached the lake was easy to see from the air. Our pilot even made an announcement telling everyone what we were flying over, and he shared some information about the lake.
While this was pretty spectacular the greatest was yet to come as we began the descent into Uluru as we caught, not just a glimpse, but a great view of the entire national park. We were not on the right side of the plane to take it all in but as we landed, we got a sneaky sighting of Uluru, which I hadn’t expected. Overall, this was one of the best flights in terms of unexpected surprises, scenery and landing (probably second only to arriving into Queenstown, New Zealand which is always phenomenal)!
I loved this outback Aussie adventure and can’t wait to go back one day!
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