Ayers Rock (Uluru)
ATTRACTION Keywords:
Cultural Experience,
Must-Do Experience,
Nature & Wildlife,
Popular with Locals,
Walking/Hiking,
Monument - Natural
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Uluru - or Ayers Rock - is Australia's proud symbol, and site of spiritual significance for the Anangu people.
Like an iceberg, it's believed that only a third of the big red rock lies above ground. What we can see measures 3.6 km (2.5 miles) long, 348 meters (1,141 feet) tall, so Uluru is an awfully big rock.
Ayers Rock is known for its fabulous colors at dawn and sunset, when the pitted rock surface turns from ocher brown to a rich burnished orange.
Walking tracks lead around the base of the rock, ranging from easy 45-minute strolls to the circumnavigation which can take up to four hours and passes caves, paintings and sacred sites.
The Anangu people ask visitors not to climb their sacred rock, and it is a dangerously steep and windy ascent. Instead, taking a tour led by the Anangu is a very rewarding experience, as is visiting their cultural center to learn the Dreamtime stories and cultural significance of the site.
Latest Reviews
Review by Bill, April 2013
One of the highlights of our trip, if not of my life. Don't miss the gorge at the end of the trail. It sometimes holds a waterfall but the serenity and peacefulness of this place was overwhelming. I really had trouble pulling myself away from that spot.
Review by Steve G, April 2013
Doing what: Uluru (Ayers Rock) Outback Barbecue Dinner and Star Tour
Included the Uluru / Ayers Rock sunset viewing which we were not expecting. Great food but could have done with a little more light while eating. Interesting talk on the stars after the meal.
Review by David H, April 2013
Doing what: Sounds of Silence Restaurant
Anyone who spends the time and money to travel to Uluru and does not go to this dinner will have missed a truly wonderful experience. The service, the food, the social experience and most of all the emotional aspect of this dinner all combine to make it a delightful evening. Do not miss it!
Practical Info
Uluru is 445 km (276 miles) south-west from Alice Springs.
The Ayers Rock Resort at Yulara is 18 km (11 miles) north of Ayers Rock (Uluru), with several styles of accommodation and restaurants.
