Uluru was given its European name by a19th-century English explorer named William Gosse who came across the Rock in 1873. He wrote: "This rock is certainly the most wonderful natural feature I have ever seen". He named it after the former Premier of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers, but to the Aborigines it will always be Uluru. It was formed over a period of about 500 million years, and it was created when sand piled up on the bottom of an ocean that once covered the middle of Australia.
Australia - Uluru/Ayers Rock - The Aboriginal People
Uluru is situated in Australia’s Northern Territories - in the heart of the Outback. The aboriginal people in this area are called Anangu. They believe their landscape was created at the beginning of time by ancestral beings who emerged from the void and created all living creatures as well as the formation of the desert landscape.
Uluru is regarded as physical evidence of the ancestors' activities during the creation period which the Anangu call the Dreamtime. Also believed to have been formed in the Dreamtime, this beautiful site includes many caves, waterholes, and ancient rock paintings
The local Aboriginal people do not climb Uluru because of its great spiritual significance and they request that visitors do not climb it either. A sign at the base of Uluru specifically requests visitors not to climb their sacred rock. However, Uluru is currently leased to Australia as a national park and visitors are free to to climb the rock. There is a marked path with chain handholds provided
Climbing Ayers rock is part of the reason many visitors come here. It is not an easy climb, especially in the searing heat, and some people have died in the attempt.
Exploring Uluru/Ayers Rock
The base walk around the perimeter of Uluru is 9.4 km long. There is also a Mala Walk (2 km) and Mutitjulu walk (1 km). Guided walking tours are available from park rangers and by the Anangu themselves. These are popular activities and are encouraged by the Anangu. You can also take walks by yourself.
Another way to circumnavigate the Rock is from the back seat of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Great fun and if you get up early you can be driven around the rock as the sun rises over the red desert. Fabulous!
Visit the Olgas/Kata Tjuta
While visiting Ayers Rock it would be a shame to miss the fabulous Olgas, only 26 km west of Uluru. Outside of the Rock this is the second major attraction in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. The name, Kata Tjuta means ‘many heads’ because of the more than thirty large rounded red rocks which rise out of the desert. These also are sacred Anangu sites and figure large in the Dreamtime legends. When seen from the air, they have been described as looking like a herd of elephants. There is also a great walk here known as the Valley of the Winds. It is a strenuous walk which takes about four hours and walkers are advised to carry a bottle of water and wear some protection on their heads.
How to Get There
The most common journey to Ayers Rock begins at Alice Springs, from which it is 280 miles (450 km) southwest by road to the site. You can drive yourself, take a bus or join a tour from Alice Springs.
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