Ayers Rock

Uluru: The Rock That Doesn’t Belong to You

The Anangu people asked visitors not to climb Uluru for 34 years before the ban became enforceable in October 2019. The request was grounded in Tjukurpa – the Anangu law and creation narrative that designates specific sections of the rock as sacred paths – and was consistently disregarded by the majority of visitors who came specifically to climb. The climb is now closed. This is not a loss of a tourist experience; it is the correction of a decades-long imposition on a people’s sacred place.

Uluru stands 348 metres above the surrounding desert and has a circumference of 9.4 kilometres. It is made of arkose sandstone deposited approximately 550 million years ago, tilted to nearly vertical by geological forces, and now represents the visible portion of a much larger structure extending several kilometres underground. The Anangu have occupied this land for over 30,000 years. The rock is not a geological curiosity to them; it is where their creation stories converge and where their law continues to operate.

What to Do

The base walk – 10.6 kilometres around the full circumference – is the primary way to experience Uluru now that the climb is closed, and it is a better experience than the climb was. Moving around the base, stopping at the cultural interpretation points, seeing the changing colours and textures as the light shifts through the day, gives you the rock from every angle. The cave formations and rock art sites (some of which cannot be photographed out of respect for their sacred status) are accessible from the base walk and offer glimpses into the depth of meaning the site carries. The Anangu ask visitors not to photograph the sacred sites, and that request has the same force as the climb ban even if it lacks the same legal backing.

Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), 50 kilometres west, is a separate formation of 36 rounded domes covering 21.7 square kilometres. The Valley of the Winds walk (7.4 kilometres, strenuous) is the most rewarding of the trails – less visited than Uluru and with a scale and character entirely distinct from it. The light in the valley at dawn is extraordinary.

The Field of Light installation by artist Bruce Munro – thousands of solar-powered illuminated stems covering the desert at night – has run seasonally since 2016 and is genuinely spectacular on a dark night. Check current dates and booking requirements.

Staying

The resort town of Yulara is 12 kilometres from Uluru and provides all accommodation options: Sails in the Desert at the luxury end, Desert Gardens Hotel at mid-range, and the campsite for those who want to sleep under the Milky Way. All have direct views of Uluru at sunset, which changes colour from ochre through orange to deep crimson in the 20 minutes before the sun goes below the horizon. Book in advance for May through August peak season.

Getting There

Fly directly to Ayers Rock Airport from Sydney (3.5 hours), Melbourne (4 hours), or Alice Springs (1 hour). Drive from Alice Springs: 450 kilometres, 5 hours on sealed road. Allow at least 3-4 days to do justice to both Uluru and Kata Tjuta properly. April through May and August through October are the best months for walking – comfortable temperatures and manageable crowds. Summer (December through February) regularly exceeds 45 degrees Celsius.