Visit Ayers Rock – Australia’s most famous natural landscape and arguably a journey to Australia’s heart.
What makes Ayers Rock, Uluru so special? The rock is made of sandstone infused with minerals like an Arkosic sandstone that reflect the red light of sunrise and sunset, making it appear to glow. The rock gets its rust color from oxidation. Uluru is notable for appearing to change colour as the different light strikes it at different times of the day and year, with sunset a particularly remarkable sight. The rock is made of sandstone infused with minerals like feldspar (Arkosic sandstone) that reflect the red light of sunrise and sunset, making it appear to glow. The rock gets its rust color from oxidation. Uluru is sacred to the Aborigines and has many varied springs, waterholes, rock caves and ancient paintings.
Learn why Uluru is the name of Ayers Rock
You may wonder why Ayers Rock has been named Uluru, which is a weird name for most of us. According to Parks Australia, in 1873, the explorer William Gosse became the first non-Aboriginal person to see Uluru. He named it Ayers Rock after Sir Henry Ayers, the Chief Secretary of South Australia at the time. … That means you can use either Uluru or Ayers Rock to refer to the rock.
Although rainfall is uncommon in this semiarid area, during wet periods the rock acquires a silvery-grey colour, with streaks of black algae forming on the areas that serve as channels for water flow.
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Where is Ayers Rock located in Australia?
Located in the southern part of the Northern Territory, central Australia. Ayers Rock (Uluru) lies 335 km south west of the nearest large town, Alice Springs; or 450 km by road.
Ayers Rock is World Heritage Listed
The dual World Heritage listed wilderness of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park stretches out over 311,000 acres and is Australia’s most famous natural landscape and arguably a journey to Australia’s heart. It is easy to understand why it is World Heritage Listed. The shape of Ayers Rock is very characteristic and one of the world’s greatest natural wonders. Around 500 million years ago, the whole area became covered in sea. Sand and mud fell to the bottom and covered the seabed, including these fans. The weight of the new seabed turned the fans into rock. The sandy fan became sandstone (Uluru) while the rocky fan became conglomerate rock (Kata Tjuta). Uluru started underwater and began with two fans, one made of sand, the other of conglomerate rock. The movement of tectonic plates and the pressure of the sea water over it resulted in these two fans condensing into rock.
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is a famous and awe-inspiring UNESCO World Heritage Site located in central Australia. Formerly known as Ayer’s Rock, Uluru is an enormous red sandstone monolith that rises 348m above the surrounding desert, while nearby Kata Tjuta is a similar domed sandstone rock formation. Uluru is an icon of Australia, and genuinely one of the most impressive World Heritage Sites I’ve ever visited. But it’s not just spectacular, it’s also a Mixed World Heritage Site, as it’s sacred to the local Anangu indigenous people. Come along as we explore both the incredible beauty of Uluru-Kata Tjuta, and its rich cultural heritage as well!
How big is Ayers Rock?
It is the second largest monolith in the world (after Mount Augustus, also in Australia) and 8 km (5 mi) around.
Uluru is one of Australia’s most recognisable natural icons. The world-renowned sandstone formation stands 348 m high with most of its bulk below the ground, and measures 9.4 km in circumference.
Formerly named Ayers Rock, this massive sandstone rock covers an area of 3.3 square kilometres, and is 9.4 kilometres around its base. It rises 345 metres above the plains, and is the surface expression of a much larger volume of rock.
Read more about the significant rock features.of Ayers Rock.
Climbing the Ayers Rock is now forbidden
Many people wonder if you still can climb up Ayers Rock. No, unfortunately the Uluru climb is now permanently closed. In November 2017 the landmark decision was made by the Traditional Owners of this land and the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Board to close the climb for good. … Visit the Cultural Centre first and plan your days in the park. According to National Post , an estimated 37 people have died on Uluru since Western tourists began climbing the site in the middle of last century, via a track so steep in parts that some scared visitors descend backward, or on all fours. The deciision to forbid climbing on Ayers Rock was due to the spiritual significance of the site, as well as for safety and environmental reasons. One Anangu man told the BBC that Uluru was a “very sacred place, [it’s] like our church”, according to BBC.
Uluru is one of Australia’s biggest tourist attractions but it’s been decided that from 2019 onwards, visitors will no longer be able to climb the famous rock. It’s something traditional owners have been fighting for, for many years. Here’s a look at the debate that led to this historic decision:
You may wonder why there is a spiritual significance of Ayers Rock. It is been seen disrespectful to climb Ayers Rock for a long time:
Our vision is that the park is a place where Anangu law and culture is kept strong for future generations. Visitors are advised that climbing Uluru is a breach of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity (EPBC) Act, and penalties will be issued to visitors attempting to do so. “The land has law and culture.
https://parksaustralia.gov.au/uluru/discover/culture/uluru-climb/
While Uluru is so sacred to the Anangu that there are certain parts that they do not want photographed or even touched, they welcome the visitors who tool around its base on camels or Segways, or take art lessons in its shadow, according to NY Times.
Take the base walk around Ayers Rock
Walking around Uluru is your best opportunity to connect with the rock and learn its stories.
The Uluru base walk is about 10 km of track that takes you around the whole circumference of the rock.
You can take the entire Uluru base walk, or just concentrate on one or more of its sections, depending on how much time you have, your level of fitness and the weather.
