Uluru
A tour of Australia would be incomplete without a visit to this natural landmark, a huge red single piece of rock more than 600 million years old that is considered a natural wonder due to its size. Uluru is the Aboriginal name for it, although it is more commonly known as Ayers Rock. It is situated in the Northern territory, a 16 hour drive away from Adelaide and 23 hour drive from Darwin. The nearest big town is Alice Springs which is 460 kilometres away!
Nothing will prepare you for the sheer magnitude of this rock and the amount of tourists that come from all over to see it. My friends and I visited it as part of the "Groovy Grape" tour from Adelaide to Darwin. We camped about an hour away in outdoor huts, which is what most tour companies offer. An early rise will allow you to see the colours of the Rock change from brown to red as the sun rises. It's not the type of thing that you could see it, take a picture and then move on somewhere else. At different points of the day it changes colours. As you stand looking at it, you feel an eerie sense of calm and wonder. Despite being surrounded by tourists, you feel like the only one there as everyone is quiet.
Next, I suggest visiting the Aboriginal Cultural Centre where you will find out that this landmark is very sacred to the Anangu, the local Aborigines. They have a number of stories they share down the generations that explain the different formations of the Rock. I seem to recall one about snakes and another about boys sliding down the rock which made the snakes angry. Wish I could recall it and share it with you!
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| Uluru close up |
After that, I would recommend doing the walk around Uluru, which takes 3 and a half hours if you are walking at a reasonable pace. Be sure to take water and sunscreen with you as there is nowhere nearby. The ground is flat and easy to walk on if you have trainers on. There are certain parts where you can't get close to the Rock and I seem to recall you can be fined if you do not respect this. At certain stages, there are information points so look out for these.
There is also part of the Rock that can be climbed if you are interested, although it is very steep and dangerous. Personally I wouldn't do it as the Anangu see the Rock as sacred and believe it should not be touched, never mind climbed.
If you are there all day, you will get to see how the colours change as the sun goes down. There are nearby viewpoints where all the tourists converge. I recommend getting there early to find a good spot.
After another night in a hut worried about spiders and snakes, we set off for Kata Tjuta which are rock formations situated in the same National Park as Uluru. It can also be climbed although it is a very steep climb and not recommended for those who don't like heights. If you are brave enough to climb it, it takes 3 hours and you get to experience the Valley of the Winds which has wonderful viewpoints and scenery. I decided against climbing it, but my peers who climbed it thoroughly enjoyed it. Instead, I walked around the base in the cool shade and still managed to get lovely pictures. The picture below is merely the beginning of the walk!
That night, we stayed in nearby Kings Creek at another campsite but this time we were to sleep outside in a "swag" which is slightly better than a sleeping bag. For dinner, those who were more adventurous tried kangaroo tail and other specialities. We had been warned about the dingoes and not to go anywhere on our own, so imagine my sheer horror when I woke up with a dingo right beside my sleeping bag! The good thing is when you make noise, they disappear but I don't think I slept very well afterwards!
Our final adventure near Uluru was a visit to Kings Canyon, another magnificent landmark which is more like a Canyon, hence the name! This walk is definitely demanding with rugged landscapes, very little shade and steep hills. But as long as you take it slowly, it is doable. It has amazing views and is certainly worthwhile. The real nightmare about this place are the flies, although it may make you look unfashionable or uncool be sure to take a hat which a fly net on it.
The great thing about this place is although it's popular it is less frequented by tourists than Uluru. Also, you can decide how much you want to walk as you can just turn around and walk back the same way you came.
I thoroughly enjoyed visiting all three landmarks which have some similarities. However, if short on time I would say Uluru is the one that is most striking and from which you learn most about Aborigine culture. If you do not enjoy walking or climbing, then avoid the other places mentioned. If intending to go, I really recommend Groovy Grape Tours as they make it fun and interesting. Also they provide great value for money and do not try to rip you off.
Here are my previous posts about my wonderful time in Australia:
http://pourquoiviajartheworld.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/backpacking-around-australia-before.html
http://pourquoiviajartheworld.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/backpacking-australia-adelaide.html
http://pourquoiviajartheworld.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/backpacking-australia-adelaide-to.html
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