Uluru former Ayers Rock

Uluru once known as Ayers Rock is an absolutely unique experience and a must see travel destination on your personal list of dreams to realize. Not only does the Uluru Ayers Rock area propose a unique travel destination offering world famous additional destinations like the Kings Canyon but it also comes with unique requirements when it comes to planning your trip to the Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park. Therefore this website focuses on bringing you the basics to plan a great time at Uluru Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta.

The Secrets to visiting Uluru

Not many places offer the unique natural spectacles the Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park do. It is one of the most spectacular destinations Australia has to offer. Uluru or Ayers Rock however is different to traveling Australia in general. Usually wherever you go in beautiful Australia it proves easy to grab accommodation at the last minute or when you get there, there is good transport to get around and generally favorable travel conditions. At Uluru however you need to know what you are doing long before arriving to enjoy a successful and enjoyable trip to Uluru / Ayers Rock. You need to know about the season Uluru is in of course but its more basic than that. Given the remote location - Alice Springs is hundreds of kilometers away being the next city - you are very limited in regards to where you can stay. Don't get me wrong there is great hotels and backpacker accommodation but you need to book long ahead to secure a stay in the price bracket you want at Uluru. The same goes for renting a car - unless you travel in a tour you need a car. If you fly in it will be impossible to go anywhere on foot at all and unless you intend to spend your stay at Uluru at the mercy of a tour operator you need to rent a car before you get to the Uluru Ayers Rock area.

Uluru and surrounding area - names and meanings

Ayers Rock is the most commonly used name for Uluru, particularly amongst International Travellers visiting Uluru. Ayers Rock is the name which was given to Uluru by the European settlers to Australia and Uluru remains most commonly known as Ayers Rock internationally. Only in recent years as part of the effort of European Australia coming to terms with the long Aboriginal history of the red continent has the name of Ayers Rock officially been changed to Uluru to respect the Anangu, the Aboriginal owners of Uluru.

Therefore the Aboriginal name Uluru is now the official name for Ayers Rock. Urulu is an Aboriginal place name which referrs to the rock and to waterholes - which are found in abundance on and around Ayers Rock - sorry Uluru! The Anangu people of the Uluru area are sometimes referred to as the Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara people, but do not worry you will never have to repeat these words as the people are really called the Anangu and Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara are the two languages spoken by the Anangu owners of Uluru.

The sister destination to Uluru - Ayers Rock are the Olgas. The story is the same here. The Olgas are now known as Kata Tjuta which means many heads (a rather accurate description for the Olgas). Therefore the European name is either The Olgas or Mount Olga while the official name clearly goes by Kata Tjuta.

Yulara is another name the traveller to Uluru will hear sooner than later. It is the name of the resort town serving the visitors to Uluru and Kata Tjuta. The name means crying which is what you will do when you see the bill at the end of your visit - unless you plan ahead and get the best deal possible, but more on that later. To sum up the names, when you visit Ayers Rock and the Olgas the national park they share is called the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Uluru - Ayers Rock Location and distances

Often particularly the international traveller cannot really appreciate the size of the red center and distances are often not appreciated until you arrive at Uluru. Probably the most commen misconception is placing Uluru near Alice Springs. In fact Alice Springs is almost 450km from Uluru which means about a day travelling by car or close to an hour by air. Therefore - if you fly in and fly out to see Uluru and Kata Tjuta please make sure you book a fligt to Ayers Rock airport and not to Alice Springs unless of course you have a different travel schedule and are visiting more places in the red center then Uluru - Ayers Rock and Kata Tjuta. The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park alone is 1326 km2 in size.

Uluru reaches up to 862 meters above sea level, itself it is 348m high, about 4km long, 2km wide and reaches several kilometers into the underground. The basewalk which takes you all the way around Uluru or Ayers Rock is 9,5km and absolutely fantastic. If you climb Uluru you will walk for about 1,6km (sounds like nothing but its tough going!)

The Yulara resort you will invariably end up staying at during your Uluru visit is 8km from the National Park entrance and another 10km to Ayers Rock. Calculate about 20minutes to get from your accommodation to Uluru by car. The main thing to remind the visitor to Ayers Rock of is to rent a car. Seriously you do not want to be at Yulara Resort without transport. Of course you may have an organised tour and all is good but remember that EVERYTHING is too far to visit on foot, that includes not only Ulura and Kata Tjuta but the local supermarket as well as the local airport or the local just-about-anything you can visit. If you rent a car at Uluru - well at Ayers Rock airport - you will normally get 100km per day included in your rental cost. If you for example plan 3 days that milage is just enough km's to get you to Uluru twice a day, take you to Kata Tjuta once and drive around Uluru once. 300km pretty much spot on last time I drove it.

Climbing Uluru - Ayers Rock

Let me start with a confession - I have climbed Ayers Rock myself when I first visited it almost 15 years ago. I like to defend me climbing Uluru saying I did not know any better. Today I know that the local Aboriginal people very much oppose anyone climbing Ayers Rock because it is sacred. I have not climbed Uluru since my first visit - but I make another confession here. While I understand the objection of the indigenous owners of Uluru their objection is not the reason I never climbed Ayers Rock again. Fact is I go to visit Uluru for the spectacular and unbeatable views it offers - and guess what - when you stand on top of Uluru you can't see it!! I climbed before sunrise enduring the biting cold, ready with my camera at sunrise only to realize that there is no view and all thats left to do is to climb back down and endure the rapidly rising heat. I appreciate there is different opinions on the subject of climbing Uluru but ask yourself this: Of all the photos you have undoubtedly seen of Ayers Rock - just how many were taken on top of Uluru? Yeah you get my drift there is simply no photos to be taken and if you are short on time there is much better ways to invest it.

I know you will travel far to visit Uluru and since its legal why not climb Ayers Rock. I personally dismiss the argument that the hike to the summit has cost too many lives and is preferably reserved for sacred ceremonial events to the local Aboriginies. Why? You may risk your life whenever you want and after all Uluru Ayers Rock must be the biggest sellout ever and you cannot convince me that the $$$$ around Uluru are less appreciated than the traditions. My ONLY argument is that it's not worth it. I have a better option for you which is still very much less popular but infinitely more beautiful, spiritual and scenic (with lots of photos to be taken) It's the Uluru Base Walk.

Uluru - Ayers Rock The Base Walk

The Base Walk which takes you all the way around Uluru is my favorite. Besides the spectacle of watching the sun set over Ayers Rock this is it - this is THE reason to travel around the world for. Yet compared to climbing Urulu you will find yourself alone or at least not crowded on the 9,5km Base Walk. When hiking the Urulu basewalk you enter a world of difference, you get to know Ayers Rock in a way you never thought you would. If you want to feel the spiritual element of Uluru you have to enter this world of extraordinary light effects, hidden valleys and waterholes, sacred sites, paintings and never ending unexpected and unseen rockfeatures of Uluru. It is the red light effect which does it for me. The highlights of the Basewalk are the one-way turnoffs into the hidden valleys and eucalypt forest hugging every crevice and openings provided by Uluru itself. The reflecting sunlight coming from the red rock surface of Ayers Rock lets you dive into a surreal world like you will never see again. At times I felt like in a Walt Disney movie and it is simply glorious to stay and enjoy the hidden worlds and secrets around Uluru. Pick up a basewalk map when you enter the Uluru - Kata Tjuta National Park and don't waste your time hurrying after the average tourist up the track to the top of Ayers Rock. Experience it close up and I guarantee you will agree with me this is so much better than putting yourself out of a view standing on top. The track itself is not difficult at all, there is no climb and all you have to do is carry plenty of water, hat, sunscreen and jacket for the shady parts particularly in winter as it gets cold around Uluru!

Uluru - Ayers Rock the sunset view

There are some points to know about your Uluru Sunset experience. First of all after a quiet day walking the base walk the crowded sunset experience may be a bit of a shock. You simply have no choice but to use the designated parking area and you will not be alone. It pays to arrive in time, claim your spot and make yourself comfortable. Here one tip you absolutely need to observe: Once the sun has set the majority of tourists run to their vehicles and traffic jam themselves back to the resort town of Yulara. They are all SO wrong in more than one way because Uluru has a surprise in store for you. Once the sun has set and the majority of tourists have buggered off - Ayers Rock suddenly starts to glow again and sometimes brings you the best views yet. This phenomena changes with the weather but it is always worth waiting for it for even if it only arrives in a weak form - at least you don't need to join the traffic jam from the Uluru sunset view point back to Yulara. You'll be laughing mate.

There is nobody selling you softdrinks and food at the sunset viewing area at Uluru. Bring your own champagne sunset experience. The alcohol laws on indigenous territories in Australia are constantly discussed and the rules over alcohol consumption at the Uluru viewing area have changed several times in the past - but at the time of writing this you are allowed to bring your own Australian style. Take it with you too Uluru is not meant to be a rubbish experience. If you can get your hands on a camping chair and a table to put your beer and peanuts on while watching the sun set over Ayers Rock you will be the envy of the neighborhood. A large number of people take to climbing onto their rental cars and relaxing on bonnets and roofs. Guess what? The local rental agencies keep more than an eye out for damages caused by this and if you dent your roof you will pay a lot more than if you organize a chair to enjoy the sunset at Uluru.

Uluru - Ayers Rock sunrise view

Many claim the sunrise at Uluru is as spectacular as the sunset over Uluru. I don't. For me the sunrise over Ayers Rock - although a view to behold - cannot come close to the intense colors present during the sunset. Never mind as we are here we will go see it before breakfast and a day of exploring. For both sunrise and sunset at Ayers Rock please get yourself up to date information on both the exact time of the sunset or the sunrise over Uluru and of course find out about the seasonal differences. If you watch the sunrise over Uluru in summer from the winter sunrise viewing area - well you will find your looking at a shady Ayers Rock.

Uluru - Ayers Rock accommodation

Your choice when it comes to accommodation is you either stay at Yulara Resort or you stay at Yulara Resort. Well you can of course choose to drive 100km to the next possible accommodation but seriously if you want to do the sunset and sunrise experiences at Uluru you cannot be this far from Uluru. While Yulara offers different types and even budget accommodation there is not the competition you find in a city or pretty much anywhere else in Australia. Book way ahead and your budget options are the caravan park, the campground and the backpacker accommodation but to get in a reservation you have got to be first. Don't expect to arrive at Uluru and get any accommodation never mind a cheap spot if you have not booked ahead.

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