Ayers Rock, Northern Territory, Australia

We flew from Sydney to Ayers Rock and spent two days there.  This was our first trip to Central Australia and one that we have been wanting to do for a long time.  Central Australia is a vast and unique region and indicative of the Australian Outback.

Ayers Rock is literally in the middle of the desert in one of the flattest, driest and least populated areas in Australia.  Ayers Rock has a resident community of just over 1000 people and it is the 4th largest city in the Northern Territory.    

As we flew over Ayers Rock it was amazing to see just how vast and flat the landscape of this region is.  As we spotted Uluru it became very apparent just how spectacular this giant natural formation is. 

We stayed at one of only two resorts in Ayers Rock and rented a car while we where there.  We are glad we rented a car, as it gave us the flexibility to explore on our own and not be tied down to any bus/shuttle schedule.  

It was interesting to learn that while the resorts in Ayers Rock source all their water and generate their own electricity locally, almost everything else has to be brought in from across Australia.  Twice a week, three fully loaded road trains make the 1,663 km trip from Adelaide to Ayers Rock to supply the resorts with food, materials and necessities.  In addition, there are trucks that make the daily 443 km trip  from Alice Springs to Ayers Rock to bring in other essentials.  It is quite an operation to keep the resorts going and to keep the 258,000 annual visitors happy.

The first sign we saw when we arrived at the Ayers Rock airport was a warning about Dingoes and wild dogs.  Fortunately we didn't encounter any dangerous animals on our trip, except for the large lizard that scurried into our room.  We had to ask one of the hotel maintenance guys to catch the lizard and remove it for us!
The other interesting thing that we saw at the airport, was people covered with nets over their faces.  We figured out very quickly that these head nets were to keep out the flies.  These annoying little things were everywhere!  Fortunately they didn't bite, but were quite a nuisance.  Needless to say, one of the very first things we bought in Ayers Rock were fly nets!

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park gained World Heritage status in 1987 when the international community recognised its spectacular geological formations, rare plants and animals.  In 1994, the park became only the second in the world to be acclaimed for its cultural landscape as well.   The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park spans across more than 311,000 acres of Australia's desert outback and is home to the iconic rock formations of Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

Uluru

The main purpose of our visit to this region was to see one of Australia's most recognisable and iconic landmarks - Uluru.  This geological wonder stands 348 meters/1142 feet above the plain and 863 meters/2831 feet above sea level.  Uluru is also said to extend five to six kilometres into the ground and is the remains of erosion that began more than 500 million years ago (geologists believe that Uluru, like Kata Tjuta is the tip of a huge slab of rock that continues below the ground).  The circumference of Uluru is 9.4 km and the walking trail around the base of the rock is 10.6 km. 

 From a distance, Uluru looks smooth and flawless, but when you get closer you begin to notice the holes, gashes, ribs, valleys and caves.  Uluru is made from a sedimentary rock called arkose sandstone, a course-grained sandstone that is rich in the mineral feldspar.  Uluru gets its beautiful red colour from the iron minerals in the rock that are weathered by water and oxygen in the same way iron would rust.  The feldspar minerals within the arkose sandstone are also weathered and form clays which contributes to the colouring.  The unweathered rock colour is grey and this can be seen inside the caves of Uluru.  There is debate over how these caves were formed, with some saying that the high caves may have begun with the flaking erosion of the rock surface, honeycombed out by wind and water over time.

Uluru is a powerful and spiritual place for both visitors and the Anangu (local Aboriginal people) alike. To the Anangu, Uluru is not just a rock, but a living place and a special place.  For well over 30,000 years, the Anangu people, who are the traditional owners of the Uluru region, depended on vast reserves of knowledge that was past down from generation to generation, in order to survive in this tough landscape.  They learnt how to survive the extreme temperatures, how to locate hidden waterholes and how to source food in difficult conditions.

Visiting Uluru was a great experience where we got a glimpse into the life of the Anangu, while marvelling at this amazing natural wonder.

Sunrise at Uluru

We got up very early on one of the mornings to watch the sunrise.  We arrived at the viewing point while it was still dark, but we were not alone as there were many others already there.  It was beautiful to watch the sun come up and reveal majestic Uluru and Kata Tjuta in the far distance.  It was also interesting to see the colour of Uluru change; this as a result from the filtering effect of the earth's atmosphere on the sun's rays.  

Sunset at Uluru

We we fortunate to watch two sunsets over Uluru and both were different.  On the first day we had a lot of clouds obstructing the sun, but on the second day it was spectacular.

 Uluru Climb

Although the climb up Uluru is not prohibited, visitors are asked to respect local Aboriginal law and culture and not climb Uluru.  To the Anangu, Uluru is a very spiritual and sacred place.  Unfortunately this his hasn't stopped some visitors from climbing and if you take a close look, you an see the smooth path (grey area) that has been formed by thousands of footsteps since the 1950's.  Unfortunately this erosion is changing the face of Uluru.  We were also saddened to learn that pollution, rubbish and waste is often left behind by people who climb Uluru and when it rains, everything is washed off the rock and into the waterholes.  These waterholes are where birds, animals and native reptiles go to for water, so they are very important.  On both of the days we were at Uluru, the climb was closed due to strong winds and the heat.  The climb itself may not look challenging, but it is physically demanding and over 35 people have died while attempting to climb Uluru, with many others sustaining injuries.  We learnt that there is talk to enforce a no climbing law and hopefully this should be in place by 2020.   

The Mala Walk at Uluru

The Mala walk is a free guided walk that takes place each morning at 8am.  The walk specifically takes place early in the morning while it is still relatively cool.  Visitors are generally advised to complete all outdoor activities by 11 am, as this is when temperatures start really climbing.  The hottest time of the day is at 4 pm as the temperatures rise, humidity falls and dehydration risk increases exponentially.  The hottest it got while we were there was around 38ºC, so we made sure we stayed hydrated.

On the morning after we watched the sunrise over Uluru and Kata Tjuta, we headed off to do the Mala Walk.  These walks are conducted by the park rangers and visitors are taken along a specific part of the base of Uluru.  During this walk we were told the story of the Mala people (rufous hare-wallaby) when they arrived at Uluru in the beginning.  We learnt that every feature of Uluru has a cultural meaning to the Anangu.  We stopped at some of the sacred sites where Aboriginal communities lived and prepared for ceremonies. 

This walk was was very informative and interesting, as it gave us insights into how the Mala lived, what they believed and how they survived and navigated this landscape.  

Mala Walk - Teaching Cave

The first stop on the Mala walk was at the teaching cave.  This is the cave that the Anangu elders used to teach nyiinka (bush boys) how to travel the country; how to track and hunt for food; and how to survive.  Generations of grandfathers used the walls of this cave like a blackboard to paint pictures.  

Mala Walk - The Men's Cave

The Mala people came from the north and saw Uluru as a good place to stay and make inma (ceremony).  We made a stop at the senior Mala men's cave where they made fires, camped and prepared for inma.

Mala Walk - The Kitchen Cave

The Kitchen Cave was used by the women, girls and small children.  The women would go out in the bush and collect mai (bush food) and return to the cave to process this mai.  The Minymas (women) would teach the kungkas (girls) this knowledge so that they could teach their children.  This knowledge is still passed down today.  

Mala Walk - Old People's Cave

This is the cave that was used by the old people.  The men who were too old to participate in the Mala ceremonies would stay in this cave and rest.  They would make sure the women and children did not enter the men's ceremonial areas.   

Mala Walk - Kantju Gorge

This waterhole was the main source of water during the Mala ceremonies and many generations have depended upon it for survival.  It is considered a very sacred place that is to be respected, as water is sacred.  It was pretty dry when we visited, but we were told that when it does rain the water flows from the side of Uluru and plunges into the Kantju gorge like a powerful waterfall.  

Mutitjulu Waterhole

The Mutitjulu walk is a short distance off the main base walk around Uluru and leads to the famous and sacred Mutitjulu Waterhole.  This waterhole is a key source of water for the Aboriginal people in the area and has been in use for many thousands of years.  Like all the other sources of water around Uluru, this is a sacred place.

Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)

On our second day, we took the 50 km  drive from Uluru to Kata Tjuta.  Kata Tjuta is Pitjanjatjara meaning "many heads".  While Kata Tjuta is less talked about than Uluru, it is equally as sacred and impressive.  Kata Tjuta is made up of 36 domes, with the highest being 546 meters/1791 feet above the plain (198 meters/650 feet higher than Uluru) and 1066 meters/3497 feet above sea level.  This incredible formation of rock domes extends six kilometres into the ground and is the remains of erosion that began more than 500 million years ago.

Unlike Uluru which is made from arkose sandstone, Kata Tjuta is made from a sedimentary rock called conglomerate, which is a mix of gravel, pebbles, boulders that have been cemented together by sand and mud.  It also contains many other rock types and minerals including basalt and granite.

Whereas Uluru is one big rock with no major joints or fractures visible, Kata Tjuta has major valleys and gorges which may reflect fractures that formed around 300 million years ago.  Chemical weathering by groundwater widened the fissures, and rainwater gradually formed the canyons.  It is also believed that weathering and erosion wore away the rocks above the cracks to produce the rounded domes we see today.  

Walpa Gorge Walk

The Walpa Gorge is part of Kata Tjuta and is a desert refuge for plants and animals.  We decided to do the 2.6 km Walpa Gorge Walk along a rocky track, surrounded by stunning sheer walls that took us to a lovely stream.  It was a good walk, except for the heat and flies.  Fortunately we had our hats, our fly nets and water.