Uluru has a special magic
06/08/07 16:52 Filed in: ExploreBlog
Before you go
there you realise, of course, that
Ayers Rock and Uluru (the aboriginal name
for the rock itself) is in the middle of a vast
continent. But it is on the flight from
Sydney that you really begin
to realise how vast the outback is.
Our journey there went via Alice Springs and from there to Ayers Rock Resort, which is situated a small distance from Uluru itself. We stayed at the appropriately named Outback Pioneer Hotel and Lodge which proved to be a very comfortable base.
A short walk away is the Ayers Rock resort with its expected mix of clothing and gift shops, plus restaurants and groceries.
The distinctive iron oxide red rock seen here on the Olgas
We chose two excursions for our trip. One took us to the Olgas in the Kata Tjuta National Park where you have a chance to see the same sort of rock as Uluru itself with the red iron oxide giving it its rusty colour.
On the return the coach stopped at an overlook point where we watched the sun set on Uluru. As promised, it changes watching it colour subtly and beautifully as the sun falls down and eventually below the horizon. This really is a must do. You can begin to see why Uluru has such high cultural significance for the Anangu who are the traditional landowners in the area.
The sunset enhances the red iron oxide colours of Uluru
The second excursion was the Sounds of Silence Dinner. This comes highly recommended.
The coach takes you out into the outback where you listen to a didgeridoo quietly in the background while you enjoy a champagne reception as the sun goes down. As the didgeridoo player very honestly admitted, it is not a traditional sound you would hear in this area. The aboriginals in this part of Australia do not play the didgeridoo! But it was very pleasant in any case.
From there it is a short walk down to the "dining room", except there are no walls and no roof - just the vast expanse of the outback. It is, however, very civilised. You have a table. You have a waiter and there is a servery where you choose your main course. There are traditional favourites like steak, or you can be more adventurous and try crocodile or even camel.
As the sun goes down all you hear are the voices of your fellow diners in the still silence of the outback. As the sky above gets darker, the lack of light pollution means that you can see the stars... and when we were there, the stars performed the cabaret!
Champagne and didgeridoos at the Sounds of Silence dinner reception
An astronomer gave us a run down on the stars in the southern hemisphere, then patiently guided every one as we used the telescopes to view the night sky. A magical evening.
The best way to see Uluru itself is to go on one of the guided tours round its base. Some people do climb Uluru. But we were told that the locals prefer you to show respect for their cultural icon by not climbing it.
Ayers Rock Resort and Uluru may be a little out of the way to get to, but even the flight over the outback to get there is breathtaking. To be allowed to share the locals respect for the magic of Uluru makes it a trip well worth making.
Our journey there went via Alice Springs and from there to Ayers Rock Resort, which is situated a small distance from Uluru itself. We stayed at the appropriately named Outback Pioneer Hotel and Lodge which proved to be a very comfortable base.
A short walk away is the Ayers Rock resort with its expected mix of clothing and gift shops, plus restaurants and groceries.
The distinctive iron oxide red rock seen here on the Olgas
We chose two excursions for our trip. One took us to the Olgas in the Kata Tjuta National Park where you have a chance to see the same sort of rock as Uluru itself with the red iron oxide giving it its rusty colour.
On the return the coach stopped at an overlook point where we watched the sun set on Uluru. As promised, it changes watching it colour subtly and beautifully as the sun falls down and eventually below the horizon. This really is a must do. You can begin to see why Uluru has such high cultural significance for the Anangu who are the traditional landowners in the area.
The sunset enhances the red iron oxide colours of Uluru
The second excursion was the Sounds of Silence Dinner. This comes highly recommended.
The coach takes you out into the outback where you listen to a didgeridoo quietly in the background while you enjoy a champagne reception as the sun goes down. As the didgeridoo player very honestly admitted, it is not a traditional sound you would hear in this area. The aboriginals in this part of Australia do not play the didgeridoo! But it was very pleasant in any case.
From there it is a short walk down to the "dining room", except there are no walls and no roof - just the vast expanse of the outback. It is, however, very civilised. You have a table. You have a waiter and there is a servery where you choose your main course. There are traditional favourites like steak, or you can be more adventurous and try crocodile or even camel.
As the sun goes down all you hear are the voices of your fellow diners in the still silence of the outback. As the sky above gets darker, the lack of light pollution means that you can see the stars... and when we were there, the stars performed the cabaret!
Champagne and didgeridoos at the Sounds of Silence dinner reception
An astronomer gave us a run down on the stars in the southern hemisphere, then patiently guided every one as we used the telescopes to view the night sky. A magical evening.
The best way to see Uluru itself is to go on one of the guided tours round its base. Some people do climb Uluru. But we were told that the locals prefer you to show respect for their cultural icon by not climbing it.
Ayers Rock Resort and Uluru may be a little out of the way to get to, but even the flight over the outback to get there is breathtaking. To be allowed to share the locals respect for the magic of Uluru makes it a trip well worth making.
